BHP Shuts West Australian Iron Ore Operations After Worker Dies

A freight train carrying iron ore travels towards Port Hedland, Australia, on Tuesday, March 19, 2019. A two-day drive from the nearest big city, Perth, Port Hedland is the nexus of Australia’s iron-ore industry, the terminus of one of Australia’s longest private railways that hauls ore about 400 kilometers (250 miles) from the mines of BHP Group and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. The line ran a record-breaking test train weighing almost 100,000 tons that was more than 7 kilometers long in 2001, and even normal trains haul up to 250 wagons of ore. Photographer: Ian Waldie/Bloomberg , Bloomberg

James Fernyhough, Bloomberg News

Feb 7, 2023

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(Bloomberg) -- BHP Group Ltd. has suspended all iron ore operations in Western Australia’s Pilbara district after a worker was killed on Tuesday night at a rail yard in Port Hedland. 

Activity across its iron ore mining, rail and shipping operations will stop for 24 hours as the incident is investigated, the world’s top miner said in a statement Wednesday. 

“BHP is working closely with the relevant authorities and we will also undertake a full investigation to understand what has happened,” the Melbourne-based company said. Police had attended the scene, it said, while providing no details on how the death occurred.

BHP hasn’t had a fatality at its operations in four years.

 

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