A MAINTENANCE contractor has been fined $20,000 over the death of a worker at Fortescue Metals Group’s Christmas Creek iron ore mine.
Mesa West Pty Ltd was ordered to pay the penalty in Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Allen Zuvela was killed and co-worker Ben Reid was seriously injured when they were crushed while working on a surface mining machine on December 29, 2013, because rigging between the cab and overhead crane failed due to overloading.
WA Department of Mines and Petroleum Mines safety director Andrew Chaplyn said the department’s investigation found a chain of events led to the incident that killed Mr Zuvela and injured Mr Reid.
“The pair were working underneath the cab of a Vermeer surface miner when the rigging arrangement between the cab and overhead crane failed due to overloading,” Mr Chaplyn said.
“Because of their position, neither Mr Zuvela nor Mr Reid could see the display for the overhead crane load cell, which indicated the weight the crane was lifting.”
Ms Chaplyn said despite the company’s policy, training and instruction, which prohibited employees from working beneath suspended loads, Mr Zuvela and Mr Reid worked in the direct line of fire.
He said there was also no specific procedure or Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) developed for the work Mr Reid and Mr Zuvela were doing.
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