Three mining and construction services companies have been fined a total of $770,000 following the tragic death of a truck driver in July 2022. The fines were issued by the Perth Magistrates Court on October 14, 2023, alongside an order to pay an additional $16,000 in costs.
The companies—Resource Operations and Maintenance Services Pty Ltd, Diverse Management Services Pty Ltd, and Technologies International Group Pty Ltd, trading as Welltech Total Water Management—pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the health and safety of persons affected by their operations. This incident occurred during the construction of earthworks at a mine in the Pilbara region.
Resource Operations and Diverse Management were each fined $160,000 for their roles in the incident, while Technologies International faced a significantly higher fine of $450,000. All three companies provide essential services to the civil mining and construction industry.
The tragic event unfolded when a water pump, known as a “MegaFill pump,” was being transported back to Perth after its use at the mine. The pump was procured by Diverse from Technologies International and required careful handling due to its design, which includes an intake boom and a discharge boom. These components need to be properly secured during transport to prevent them from rotating or moving.
Despite clear operating procedures provided by Technologies International, workers from Diverse and the trucking company RGR Road Haulage did not adequately secure the pump. A ratchet strap was used to secure the intake boom, but essential safety measures, such as attaching a chain and travel bolt, were overlooked. This negligence created a risk that the boom could become unrestrained during transport.
On the evening of July 25, 2022, while traveling on the Great Northern Highway, the ratchet strap failed. The unsecured boom struck and killed a truck driver traveling in the opposite direction, resulting in a devastating loss of life.
Following the incident, Technologies International Group responded by designing a new restraint system to mitigate the risk of inadequate securing during transport. The company acknowledged that it was reasonably practicable to implement engineering controls to ensure the safety of the pump during transit, but failed to do so prior to the incident.
Sally North, the WorkSafe Commissioner, emphasized the importance of adhering to operating procedures, particularly when transporting large equipment. “A truck driver was just doing his normal job of driving when, out of nowhere at night, he was struck and killed by an unsecured section of a load being transported in the opposite direction,” Ms. North stated.
She highlighted the collective responsibility of the companies involved, saying, “None of the companies took all reasonably practicable measures to reduce the risk of an incident of this type, and the end result was that a man sadly lost his life.”
In a related matter, RGR Road Haulage has also pleaded guilty to a separate charge in connection with the incident but has yet to be sentenced. The case serves as a critical reminder of the need for stringent safety practices in the mining and construction sectors to protect workers and the public alike.
