Thuddungra magnesite mine near Young under investigation after man nearly buried alive in serious workplace accident

The NSW Resources Regulator has handed down a report detailing a series of workplace findings that led to a 54-year-old worker being seriously injured at Thuddungra Mine near Young in 2021.

About 3pm on August 10, 2021, the worker suffered a chest injury after falling into the entry chute of a conveyor and becoming buried by mined rock.

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At the time, the man was operating a plant consisting of interconnected conveyors, scrubbers and crushers. It had just been repaired and was undergoing a test run.

After starting the plant, the worker noticed the conveyor belt was not moving and thought this was due to a build up of mining product on the belt as blockages were common.

He took a high pressure hose and walked towards the conveyor, pulling on the emergency stop mechanism.

But it failed and the feeder continued to operate. As the worker approached the chute, he slipped on loose material, plunging forward and into the conveyor chute.

He tried to stand up, but the feeder knocked him back down, and he became covered in product being fed from the hopper above him.

On hearing screams, his co-worker raced to his aid to find the man completely buried except for his head and one hand.

After the emergency stop mechanism again failed to work, the co-worker managed to switch off the feeder at an isolation point.

It then took the co-worker and a contractor 15 minutes to dig the worker out by hand before he drove himself to Young Hospital despite offers of assistance.

After being assessed, he was transferred to Wagga Base Hospital where he spent the next three days receiving treatment for chest, abdominal and rib injuries.

Following the incident, the Regulator commenced an investigation into mine operator Young Mining Company and identified the series of failures which led to the incident.

In a report released this month, the Regulator found the hopper had a poor design, causing the product to spill onto adjacent areas during loading.

It also found that during wet periods, the product became sticky, leading to blockages.

Other failures identified included poor housekeeping, a failure to assess and manage plant operation risks, a failure to develop safe procedures and a failure to maintain emergency stopping systems.

The Regulator also found there was ineffective supervision leading workers to perform tasks in an unsafe manner.

At the time of the report, the Regulator believed the plant involved in the incident was not in operation.

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