The state's work safety watchdog and the maritime union have blasted the Port Kembla Coal Terminal over dozens of safety breaches uncovered in the wake of a workplace fatality.
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Safety officers from SafeWork NSW and the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union carried out inspections of the terminal last week, after truck driver Mark Roberts died from horrific injuries suffered on the job.
On March 20, the 49-year-old dumped a load of coal in the Coal Receival area then got out of the cab. The truck subsequently rolled forward pinning Mr Roberts underneath. He succumbed to his injuries six days later.
SafeWork issued a Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN) to PKCT management, directly related to the incident.
The union also notified management last Thursday of 30 safety breaches found in two areas of the terminal, but had not received a response as of Sunday evening.
"I've worked in this industry for 30 years and this, by far, is the worst I've ever seen," said CFMEU Mining and Energy South-West Vice President Bob Timbs.
"We wouldn't have got through a quarter of what we wanted to inspect, and we were absolutely overwhelmed [by what we found].
"A lot of the questions we asked management around safety they couldn't answer."
The Mercury understands SafeWork found current employees were at risk of being injured due to working alone and unsupervised in the Coal Receival area.
Mr Timbs said the union had noted a stark decline in safety standards in the two months of industrial action, which has meant full-time workers have not been on site.
He said of the two locations the CFMEU inspected, the majority of staff failed to have the correct training - including suitable first-aid - as well as not knowing where different sections of the terminal were.
The union has also contacted Illawarra Coal and South 32 (which use the PKCT) to stop all operations to fix the safety issues with "grave concerns" for current workers.
The CFMEU had previously notified PKCT of safety issues arising from a "casual workforce" due to industrial action, though their concerns have been falling on deaf ears, they said.
Investigations are continuing into the contributing factors of Mark Roberts' death.
Desiree Savage
At the helm of Australia's premier publication for people aged over 55, covering hard hitting issues, travel, lifestyle and entertainment. Got a hot tip? Email me - edit@TheSenior.com.au
At the helm of Australia's premier publication for people aged over 55, covering hard hitting issues, travel, lifestyle and entertainment. Got a hot tip? Email me - edit@TheSenior.com.au
