A LONG-TIME truck operator at the Rix’s Creek open-cut mine near Singleton has died from injuries received in an accident at the workplace on Tuesday.
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The truck driver was 53-year-old Stephen Norman, of Singleton, who worked for a contract operator at Rix’s Creek.
As the Newcastle Herald reported on Thursday, Mr Norman was fatally injured when the tailgate of his truck swung closed on him while he was cleaning the back of the truck.
Mine sources said Mr Norman had a regular run between the Rix’s Creek coal washery and a rail loader at the nearby rail loop.
Having historically hosed his truck out, he was apparently cleaning it manually when the tail-gate – which had apparently been propped open – swung shut and crushed him. State government mining inspectors, the police and WorkCover all attended the scene, with Industry, Resources and Energy Minister Anthony Roberts promising a preliminary report in a fortnight’s time.
In a statement on Friday morning, the Bloomfield Group, owner of Rix’s Creek and the Bloomfield mine near Maitland, extended its deepest sympathies and respects to Mr Norman’s family, saying he had died in John Hunter Hospital on Thursday night after suffering head injuries at the mine on Tuesday.
Mr Norman worked for a haulage company that had long-term contracts at both mines to haul coal.
“Bloomfield has offered support to the man’s family, and has also offered support to workers who may be affected by the tragedy,” the company said.
While the company was “co-operating as investigations progress” it would be “inappropriate to provide speculative commentary at this time”.
Mr Roberts issued a personal statement after Mr Norman’s death, saying it was “it was with deep regret that I heard this morning of [his] passing”.
“This is devastating news and my deepest condolences and sympathies are with his family at this terrible time,” Mr Roberts said.
“I understand the man received significant injuries in an incident involving his truck on Tuesday.”
Mr Roberts said the government mining regulator, now known as the Resources Regulator, was investigating the incident and would release an initial incident report in 14 days. He said the regulator would co-operate with a parallel coronial inquiry.
Based on the federal government’s Work Safe Australia web page, Mr Norman would be the seventh person killed at work in the mining industry this year. Across all industries, industrial deaths totalled 164 people so far this year, compared 195 for all of 2015.
