The Department of Trade and Investment investigated the Whitehaven Coal-

operated mine on Thursday after it was made aware of poor safety, and bullying carried out by supervisors.

Safety inspectors reportedly discovered that a number of practices at the coal mine were, or were likely to soon become, dangerous to the health and safety of employees.

These practices included working too close to loaded blasting holes, working over previously mined underground workings that risked collapse, and unsafe entry and exit at the truck parking area.

It was also found there was inadequate lighting in the raw coal stockpile area and adjacent road intersection, employees worked in wet and slippery areas in mining and haulage areas, and employees were not trained and assessed satisfactorily in operating plant and equipment.

Production subsequently stopped at 9.15am yesterday.

“Whitehaven’s overriding priority is to maintain the safety and wellbeing of its people, and any concerns about safety are always taken extremely seriously,” Whitehaven general manager open-cut operations Casper Dieben said.

“The Werris Creek mine has an excellent safety record and has operated for more than six years without any lost-time injuries.”

The mine will be closed until Whitehaven completes a full review of safety management at the mine, which Mr Dieben said would be done as soon as possible to resume production. The government is preparing a detailed report.