A mining company and senior site supervisor have been found not guilty over claims of workplace OH&S breaches following a truck incident which seriously injured the driver.
According to reports, the case has now been finalized after four years.
In 2007, the accident occurred when truck driver Dave Jessup was travelling along an access ramp at Vale’s former Broadlea coal mine near Moranbah, his truck crashed and overturned.
Jessup suffered multiple fractures to his leg and broke his neck.
Broadlea Coal Management and site supervisor Darren Carpenter were both charged, and pleaded not guilty.
Witnesses stated during the trail that Carpenter was focused on safety in all his duties, and held weekly safety meetings.
Jessup said that he had worked at the site for five weeks after completing an induction course, during which he was taught pre-start safety checks and how to maintain log books.
However, he said that despite the induction course he had never carried out pre-start checks nor kept up to date log books. Furthermore, he also admitted that he was not wearing a seat belt.
Industrial Magistrate Dwyer ruled that “the injuries to Mr Jessup were not caused by the contravention of any obligations by Broadlea Coal or Mr Carpenter under the Coal Mining Health and Safety Act.”
The Broadlea coal mine was closed in 2009.