Alert no. 466 | 05 January 2026 | Version 1

Fatal incident involving roof fall at underground coal mine

What happened?

• A coal mine worker was fatally injured in an incident in an underground coal mine on Friday, 2 January.
• While the investigation is in its early stages, initial information suggests the roof collapsed while a multi bolter machine was being trammed back from the bolted face to the next work area.

How did it happen?

• The incident occurred at the Mammoth underground coal mine in Central Queensland.
• A multi bolter machine was being trammed back from the bolted face to the next work area.
• While tramming the bolter, a strata failure occurred, and the roof collapsed above the bolted zone at the intersection.
• The roof collapse caused fatal injuries to a coal mine worker that was handling the bolter cable at the time of the incident.

Recommendations

• Due to the roof collapse being above the bolted zone, underground operators are urged to review their specific mine’s support design following this tragic event.
• Design and construction of strata support is critical to prevent roof falls and must be based on the geological and geotechnical data for each site and the specific area of each mine.
• Mine operators should ensure that the appointed Site Senior Executive (SSE) and Underground Mine Manager at their underground coal mines take action to ensure risks relating to ground or strata failure are appropriately mitigated. Steps include reviewing the Principal Hazard Management Plan for ground or strata failure to ensure it is effective and ensuring that operators are providing the resources necessary to reduce risk to an acceptable level and to be as low as reasonably achievable. This also includes a review of the support design and advice from appropriate specialist expertise (e.g. geotechnical engineer).
• Strata failures, including in outbye areas, of underground coal mines can and have caused fatalities in Queensland. All incidents involving strata failure should be reported and thoroughly investigated.
• SSEs should review recommendations from previously issued RSHQ Safety Alerts, including:
  • Safety Alert 435: Support system failure and strata fall in main drift at an underground coal mine
  • Safety Alert 418: Roof bolt nuts
  • Safety Alert 396: Fatality resulting from a fall of ground at an underground coal mine
  • Safety Bulletin 148: 4 bolt primary roof support patterns

References and further information

Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2017