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Maintenance work ends in injury

The Queensland Mines Inspectorate has released a safety alert after an apprentice received multiple fractures while maintaining a mobile crusher.

The third-year trainee was helping workers to maintain the internal wear plates of a mobile crusher when a tool dropped onto the conveyor.

The conveyor was then used to recover the tool when the rotor turned and the apprentice fell onto the impact zone wear plates.

The rotor struck him in the pelvic region, causing multiple fractures and injuries.

According to the Mines Inspectorate, the locking pin used to restrain the crusher rotor was not used, and workers were unaware of safety procedures to use the pin.

The Inspectorate is urging mines to complete risk assessments to identify maintenance hazards and ensure maintenance manuals are made available to all users.

Management should also ensure restraint devices are used on all equipment and workers are properly trained to use them.

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