Report of a Formal Investigation of Flooding of a Coal Mine

Report of a formal investigation under Section 98 of the Coal Mines Regulation Act 1982 by his Honour Acting Judge J.H. Staunton

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION
The Accident
At about 5.30 am on 14 November 1996 employees of The Newcastle Wallsend Coal Company Pty Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Oakbridge Pty Limited, were engaged in work on the night shift at the company’s mine, the Gretley Colliery. Four men of a team of eight were in the process of developing a roadway (known as C heading) in an area of the mine called 50/51 panel, operating a continuous mining machine. The remaining four members of the team were in a crib room a little distance away.

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