BHP Fined After Contractor Seriously Injured at Whaleback Iron Ore Mine

Summary

In April 2025, BHP Iron Ore Pty Ltd was fined A$125,000 in Western Australia's South Hedland Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to workplace-safety charges arising from a serious injury at BHP's Whaleback iron ore mine near Newman. The incident occurred in September 2017 while contractors were carrying out maintenance on an excavator. During work to realign the excavator's undercarriage and track, a worker used a sledgehammer to strike part of the equipment. A metal fragment was projected from the machinery and struck another contractor in the neck, causing a lacerated artery and serious injury. BHP pleaded guilty to charges concerning causing serious harm to an employee and failing to provide a workplace in which employees were not exposed to hazards. The Western Australian government said the prosecution highlighted the importance of appropriate risk assessment, procedures and controls when undertaking hazardous maintenance work. The case provides a documented example of a workplace-safety failure at a BHP-operated mining site, with the company accepting criminal responsibility through its guilty plea. Source: Government of Western Australia — BHP fined after worker seriously injured https://www.wa.gov.au/government/announcements/bhp-fined-after-worker-seriously-injured