At aproximately 10-00 am on Tuesday 10 December 1996, Mr Rick John Turnbull received fatal injuries when he was crushed by a rock which fell or was dislodged from the back of the Corbould slot drive in the Arimco Mining Pty. Ltd., Mount Elliott mine.
Recommendations
1. Arimco, industry and the mines inspectorate should investigate the possibility of providing overhead protection for people conducting scaling operations from baskets or elevated platforms.
2. When scaling, consideration should be given to having only one person in the elevating work platform to reduce the risk of exposure to hazards and to provide greater personal manoeuvrability. Should there be a need to have two persons in the elevating work platform
only one person should carry out scaling.
3. Prior to the commencement of work the areas should be inspected by an experienced supervisor following production or major blasting in zones of geological structural weakness or identified hazardous conditions.
4. Following a fatal or serious accident the mines inspectorate investigation should, where possible, include a controlled reconstruction of the accident with a view to assisting the inquiry process.