NT: Alcan worker falls to death and another is injured

AAP General News (Australia)
04-23-2007
NT: Alcan worker falls to death and another is injured

DARWIN, April 23 AAP - A worker has plunged to his death and another has been injured
at an aluminium refinery in the Northern Territory.

The NT government released a statement today saying it had been contacted by Alcan
Gove, part of Canadian Aluminium giant Alcan, to inform it of the fatality.

Executive director of the Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines, Minerals
and Energy (DPIFM) division, Richard Sellers, said it was believed one worker had died
after falling from an elevated work platform about midday (CST) today.

Another worker was injured and Alcan had arranged for workers to be given grief and
shock counselling, he said.

In addition to an investigation by DPIFM officers - which is expected to take several
days - Mr Sellers said police were on site at Alcan conducting their own investigation
into the incident.

He refused to comment on the matter further.

"My department will not be making any comments on this matter until the police and
our inspectors have completed the investigation," he said in a statement.

In February last year, Alcan pleaded guilty to charges following the death of Denis
Boyd, a contractor who was crushed by machinery doing maintenance work at Alcan's Gove
refinery in North East Arnhem Land in August 2004.

Alcan admitted it had failed to meet its obligation to operate and maintain the refinery
site to minimise risk to the health and safety of workers, and was fined fined $315,000.

AAP tr/ks/cdh

KEYWORD: ALCAN

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