WA drilling company penalised after employee sustained severe injuries

WA Drilling Company Penalised After Employee Sustained Severe Injuries

A Western Australian drilling company has been fined $385,000 and directed to pay $5,105.20 in costs, after a driller's assistant suffered severe crush injuries while working at a West Musgrave mine site in February 2021.

The company admitted guilt in the Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court for failing to ensure a safe working environment, as required under the Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994.

Worker Fortunate to Survive Incident

WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North said the worker was fortunate to have survived the incident. This case highlights why safety management systems remain critical across resources and mining operations throughout WA.

"Companies must conduct risk assessments to identify the presence of line-of-fire hazards prior to starting a job," Ms North said.

"They must also adequately instruct, train and assess all workers who are disassembling and assembling equipment to ensure their competence."

"In this instance, the company and the injured worker had not completed a Job Safety Analysis to assess the inherent risk levels and implement corrective measures."

Why Job Safety Analysis Matters for Drilling Services

Line-of-fire hazards remain among the leading causes of serious injury across drilling services in Western Australia. Robust risk management processes help identify these hazards before assembling or disassembling equipment on site.

Employers offering drilling services must prioritise thorough training programs, ensuring every worker demonstrates competence before undertaking high-risk tasks. Effective health and safety management depends on consistent application of Job Safety Analysis across all sites, not just those flagged as high-risk.

Similar incidents continue to occur across WA's resources sector, reinforcing why ongoing investment in safety management systems remains essential. Read the full story here.

Strengthening Safety Management Across Your Organisation

Businesses providing drilling, mining, or related services should review their existing safety management frameworks regularly. Comprehensive management systems help ensure risk assessments, training records, and incident reporting processes remain current and defensible.

For organisations seeking to strengthen their approach, our related coverage on a WA mining company fined after an employee sustained severe injuries on the job offers further insight into recurring compliance gaps within resources industries.

Companies operating vehicles or heavy equipment as part of drilling services should also consider reviewing documentation such as a Company Vehicle Policy and a Vehicle Accident Company SWMS, ensuring all operational risks receive appropriate management attention.

Accurate incident documentation plays a vital role in health and safety management too. An Injuries Report Form helps businesses capture essential details following any workplace incident, supporting continuous improvement across safety services and broader management systems.

Other recent cases, including a WA transport company facing charges over a worker's severe injuries and an incident where a worker sustained severe injuries after falling into a water tank, demonstrate why consistent safety oversight matters across every industry, not solely drilling operations.