12:00 am, Friday 24 August, 2007

Source: ABC

A new report released by Queensland Health shows the fatality rate in the state’s mining industry has not improved in more than a decade.

Research by the Injury Surveillance Unit also reveals that almost 6,000 miners received minor injuries between 1998 and 2005.

Report author and Mackay Base Hospital physician Dr Dale Hanson says the most common injuries involved the eyes or hands, with many eye injuries occurring due to welding flashes.

He believes safety procedures need to be reinforced.

“Miners are still dying in the workplace and in Queensland,” he said.

“Every year we’d lose between one and three people who die at work.

“That comes down to a rate of about eight per 100,000 workers and that hasn’t changed much over the last 15-year period so that’s a bit disappointing.”

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