On Thursday morning, a truck driver was pinned by his left leg below the knee between his vehicle and a truck wash at the coal terminal.

He was taken to St George Hospital for emergency surgery but surgeons were unable to reattach his left leg.

With workers - including health and safety representatives - being locked out of the site for more than a month, union officials have previously raised concerns about the level of maintenance being carried out during the industrial dispute. 

Two of those locked-out workers normally monitor the CCTV cameras that cover the accident site.

Read more: Port Kembla Coal Terminal dispute 'one of the worst in the country'

A PKCT spokeswoman did not respond when asked if the video feed was being monitored at the time the accident.

However, Transport Workers Union (TWU) official Brad Gibson said it was a truck driver waiting to drop off his own load who was first on the scene, after leaving his cab to investigate a delay.

The South Coast Labour Council held an urgent meeting on the issue and passed a resolution to suspend transport operations to and from the terminal until a comprehensive safety audit is carried out.

"None of our members are going to go anywhere near this operation until such time as we are satisfied this operation is safe," council secretary Mr Rorris said.

There are around 100 truck movements at the terminal each day, and Mr Rorris could not say how many will be affected by the ban.

"There are a lot of truck drivers out there carrying that TWU [Transport Workers Union] ticket and I think they'll be perfectly happy not to progress onto that PKCT site until this matter is cleared up," he said.

Lee Webb from the CFMEU - the union representing the locked-out workers - was at the accident site on Thursday morning.

He said the driver was a contractor and not a terminal employee.

"Our thoughts are with this worker and his family," Mr Webb said.

"They have our support. We will actively participate in the investigation and make sure no stone is left unturned in understanding what has occurred.

"We will make sure there is proper accountability for any failures that have contributed to this serious injury."

The PKCT spokeswoman said an external investigation was under way and it would provide "full co-operation".

"Our thoughts are with the driver, his family and others who have been impacted," the spokesman said.

"We have offered counselling services and support services.

"Immediate first response was provided at the scene. Emergency services were called and arrived soon after to take control of the medical response.

"The driver was then transported to hospital."