Worker seriously injured at Carborough Downs mine less than three months before Brad Duxbury was killed in similar incident

The allegations are strikingly similar. In both cases the underground mine is accused of not following its own safety protocols before a grievous injury and soon after a death.

A mine worker was seriously injured at a CQ mine less than three months before Ipswich father Brad Duxbury was killed by falling coal at the same underground site in a strikingly similar incident.

The contractor was struck by falling roof linked to a geological fault, and within three weeks of similar collapses in the same area.

The Daily Mercury can reveal Carborough Downs Mine Management has been charged in relation to serious alleged safety breaches over the incident.

Specialist workplace health and safety prosecutor Aaron Guilfoyle has alleged the mine did not follow its own Safety and Health Management Systems in relation to unstable roof and wall strata.

Documents, filed at Mackay courthouse and viewed by the Daily Mercury, state underground bord and pillar operator Cameron Best was seriously injured when part of the mine roof fell striking him on the back on September 7, 2019.

Carborough Downs Mine, on the Peak Downs Highway near Coppabella.

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Mr Best suffered serious injury as a result.

Mr Best had been, about 5.30-6.30pm, attempting to insert roof bolting chemicals into a hole drilled into the cavity following a roof fall that morning.

The document stated the explosive risk zone controller had told workers the cavity would be supported using the “quick detachable system bolters”.

Also earlier that day, as a continuous miner was clearing failed coal material from the roadway, the left side of the tunnel “slumped into the roadway by approximately 500 millimetres”, the document stated. As a result, this caused the roadway width to exceed 7.5 metres.

The documents stated there had been three earlier roof falls within the same area on August 21, 25 and September 6. On all occasions workers installed support using the QDS bolters.

All four failures were connected to the same geological fault.

It is alleged the mine’s SHMS included a Trigger Action Response Plan, which provided a “code red” response following the collapse of unsupported or supported roof or if the roadway widened beyond 7.5m.

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Steps included workers withdrawing to safety pending further instructions from the ERZ controller and the formulation of a remedial support and recovery plan.

The SHMS also included a Principle Hazard Management Plan for roof or tunnel failure that “a strata advice be issued”.

Under the PHMP the strata advice had to be developed in writing by a geotechnical engineer.

Mr Guilfoyle has alleged no strata advice was issued for any of the thee roof falls preceding Mr Best’s injury.

“Workers performed strata support installation in areas of elevated risk … without sufficient levels of prior geotechnical directions and risk assessment,” the document stated.

Mr Guilfoyle has levelled a number of allegations against Carborough Downs Mine Management including that its conduct “caused the grievous bodily harm” suffered by Mr Best.

It is alleged it failed to ensure the risk at the mine “was at an acceptable level”, that workers understood and correctly applied the TARP and that the correct procedure was executed.

It is also alleged the mine operator failed to implement the SHMS which prompted supervisors to justify, carefully consider and review TARP classifications in their shift reports.

Carborough Downs Mine Management is charged with failing to discharge health and safety obligations causing grievous bodily harm.

A spokesman for the company said: “These matters are before the court and it is therefore not appropriate for the company to make any comments at this time.”

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The mine operator and two workers are also charged with failing to discharge health and safety obligations over the death of Mr Duxbury on November 25, 2019.

Court documents stated “an increased risk of face spall” had been identified by Carborough Downs Mine Management on November 1 at a particular section of the longwall “due to geological faults”.

A month later Mr Duxbury and two co-workers were sent to repair machinery at this site where consecutive flippers – which are used to help control coal spalling hazards – were defective.

About 11.48pm “coal fell from a spall at the coal face” about the site of the defective flippers.

“Mr Duxbury was struck and pinned under the coal and sustained fatal injuries,” the document stated.

The allegations include failures under the SHMS to detect and ensure reporting by shift supervisors of the quantity and frequency of defects to flippers.

Both cases are currently progressing through Mackay Magistrates Court.

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Originally published as Worker seriously injured at Carborough Downs mine less than three months before Brad Duxbury was killed in similar incident