GEMCO says it takes worker safety seriously after two onsite accidents in a week

MINING company GEMCO says it takes the two incidents at its site on Groote Eylandt involving an excavator and dump truck seriously

Two serious incidents have occurred at Gemco South32, Groote Eylandt this week

MINING company GEMCO says it takes the two incidents at its site on Groote Eylandt involving an excavator and dump truck seriously.

A concerned mine worker sent images of the two incidents to the NT news, claiming worker fatigue was to blame in one of the incidents.

The worker called on the Gunner Government to create a mines minister and for WorkSafe NT to investigate work site accidents instead of referring them back to the company involved for an internal investigation.

Vice President of Operations Jo-Anne Scarini said any repeat event was unacceptable and its investigation helped understand how safety could be improved.

“Our response is always matched to the seriousness of the event and can include the standing down of our operations until the cause of an incident is understood,” she said.

“GEMCO manages fatigue through specialised training for our people, roster design, investment in quality accommodation and supporting employees to report any fatigue concerns at the start of every shift.

“While none of our people have been harmed in any of these incidents, it is incredibly important that we apply these leanings and improve our safety performance.”