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Report released following serious injuries sustained by a worker at Cowal Gold Mine

An investigation report and incident animation video have been released following serious injuries sustained by a worker at Cowal Gold Mine, near West Wyalong on 29 July 2018.

A worker suffered spinal injuries when he fell one metre from the platform of a scissor lift in the regeneration kiln at Cowal Gold Mine. The worker and co-worker removed the guardrails on the scissor lift in order to manoeuvre the scissor lift into position. The worker began driving the scissor while crouching on the platform. He lost balance and fell forward, striking his head on the concrete surface below. He sustained a severe narrowing of his spinal cord and underwent medical treatment to relieve the pressure on his spine. He experienced a series of complications secondary to the surgery, and he tragically passed away on 14 September 2018.

The report describes the investigation conducted by the Regulator into the cause and circumstances of the incident and provides the investigation findings and recommendations to industry.

For more information regarding this incident please refer to the full investigation report (PDF, 2.49 MB) and the incident animation video.

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