A working father has died in a workplace accident at a coal mine in central Queensland.
Emergency services were called to QCoal’s Byerwen mine, about 1,000 kilometres north of Brisbane in the coal-rich Bowen Basin, early on Saturday after receiving reports that Schloss had been struck by a crane.
The 48-year-old man died at the scene.
He is survived by his wife and five children.
“The QCoal family has suffered a devastating loss with the death of Chris Schloss in an incident at the Byerwen mine on Saturday,” QCoal group chief executive James Black said in a statement.
‘Chris has been part of the QCoal family for many years and has been instrumental in the development of Byerwen since its launch.
Our thoughts are with Chris’s wife Amanda, his children and his entire family at this terrible time.
‘The death of such a long-standing, beloved member of the QCoal team has obviously left us in shock.
“His family is facing the worst news they could ever hear and we are helping them overcome this tragedy.”
Chris Schloss, 48, died following a crane accident at the Byerwen Mine infrastructure site at Suttor, west of Mackay, on Saturday morning.
Queensland Health and Safety Resources is investigating the fatality.
“While it is too early to identify the cause of the incident, initial reports indicate that it was a lifting and transport crane,” the security agency said on Saturday.
‘A coal inspector from RSHQ and an investigator from our Serious Incident Investigation Unit are attending the scene.
Our thoughts today are with the worker’s family, friends and colleagues.
‘RSHQ has placed a strong emphasis on safety around pick and carry cranes, particularly over the last 12 months, through industry talks, safety alerts and animation to increase education and understanding.’
Mr Schloss was part of QCoal’s “Tell Them Where to Go” campaign against the Queensland government, which is pressuring the company to relocate its workforce from the site’s camp to the town of Glenden, about 45 minutes away.
The company says the move threatens the jobs of up to 800 workers at the Central Queensland mine.
“Chris was an active member of our ongoing campaign to preserve Byerwen Camp and his family asked that his image and words not be removed because they felt very strongly about the issue and want to honour his legacy,” Black said.