OPINION: NO MORE NAMES ON THE WALL

Queensland’s mining community was recently once again confronted with the devastating reality of a worker losing their life on the job.

Andreas “Andrew” Loizou was killed at Peak Downs Mine on July 24 following a collision involving a haul truck and a light vehicle. Andrew, a contractor employed by Thiess, was travelling as a passenger in the light vehicle at the time of the incident. The driver of the light vehicle was also seriously injured.

Known to many as “Carpet”, Andrew was a familiar and much-loved character across the mining community. He has been remembered by those who knew him for his kind heart, generosity, humour and infectious personality.

As a member of the Mining and Energy Union, Andrew’s family have received a death benefit paid out of the Union’s mortality fund. While no money could make up for their loss, we hope that this sum eases the burden of premature and tragic death and allows his loved ones to grieve without worrying about finances.

When tragedy strikes, the mining community has a way of rallying around those left behind. Workmates, friends, families and people from across the industry come together to offer whatever support they can.

The work of those who support families following a workplace fatality is invaluable. In circumstances of unimaginable grief, having a community willing to wrap its arms around those left behind can never undo what has happened, but it can ensure families do not have to carry that burden alone.

It is also a reminder that the true cost of a workplace fatality extends far beyond the mine gate.

Behind every statistic is a person who was expected home. There is an empty seat at the dinner table, a family learning how to live without someone they love, workmates returning to a workplace that will never feel quite the same, and a community carrying another loss.

That human cost is why safety can never simply become another box to tick. Mining will always involve hazards, but serious injury and death should never be accepted as an inevitable cost of doing business. Every worker, whether they are an employee, contractor, labour hire worker or apprentice, has the same fundamental right to finish their shift safely and return home to the people waiting for them.

And when serious incidents continue to occur, we cannot allow familiarity with tragedy to become complacency.

Queensland’s mining history carries the names of far too many workers who went to work and never came home. Our memorials ensure those people are never reduced to a number or a statistic. They preserve their names, their stories and the impact their loss had on the people and communities around them.

When the annual Moranbah Miners’ Memorial is held in November, Andrew’s name will be added to those of the mineworkers who have lost their lives at work. He will be remembered alongside the many Queensland mineworkers whose lives were cut short, and whose families and communities have carried their loss long after the day they went to work.

For Andrew’s family, having his name included in the memorial is a small but enduring recognition of the person he was and the place he holds in the hearts of those who knew him.

For the rest of us, his name will become another reminder of what is at stake every time a worker walks through the gate at the start of a shift. We owe it to Andrew, to his family, to every worker who has gone before him and to every worker who will come after him to keep demanding better.

Mitch Hughes

MEU Queensland District President