Tragedy at South32’s Worsley Alumina after 47-year-old man falls to his death at refinery

South32 is temporarily scaling back operations at the Worsley Alumina refinery near Collie after a workplace fatality before dawn on Saturday. WA Police confirmed that emergency services were “alerted to a workplace incident at a refinery” at about 3.50am. “Emergency services attended and emergency first-aid was immediately conducted, but sadly, a 47-year-old man was declared deceased,” a WA Police spokeswoman said. “Police will prepare a report for the Coroner. WorkSafe has been advised of the incident and are investigating.” Multiple sources have told The West Australian that it was a boilermaker who died after falling from a significant height through grid mesh while working on a digester. “South32 regrets to advise that one of our contractor colleagues was fatally injured while carrying out work at Worsley Alumina this morning,” a company spokesman said. “Work not critical to the safety and stability of the site has been temporarily suspended. “We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to their family and co-workers and we are working with our contracting partner to provide counselling and support at this difficult time.” South32 mines WA’s jarrah forests for bauxite, which is then fed through the Worsley refinery to create alumina powder. That alumina powder is then exported for smelting into aluminium. The last work-related death at a WA mine site occurred in August last year. In September 2014, 66-year-old Colin Whitton died at Worsley Alumina after falling down an elevator shaft near a conveyor belt. South32 in 2018 was fined $65,000 for Mr Whitton’s death.