St Ives mine death: WorkSafe breaches exposed at Gold Fields’ mine after death of contractor Eli Kelly

The massive gold operation that claimed its second life in the space of 18 months — and WA’s first mine site death of 2024 — has fallen foul of the safety regulator 10 times in the past two years, it can be revealed.

Acting WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North on Wednesday confirmed the agency was notified a 21-year-old man, later identified as Eli Kelly, died on Tuesday afternoon at Gold Fields’ St Ives mine near Kambalda.

WorkSafe is currently investigating the cause of the fatality.

The West Australian understands Mr Kelly suffered a crush injury and that, despite desperate efforts at the scene to resuscitate him, he could not be saved.

Mr Kelly was a NSW native who worked as a contractor at St Ives and his death is the second at the operation since October 2022, when 37-year-old Perth fly-in, fly-out worker Terry Hogan was killed.

Mr Hogan died after he was caught in a rockfall.

A WorkSafe spokesman confirmed to The West that since last April 2022 its inspectors had issued three “prohibition notices” and seven separate “improvement notices” at the St Ives mine site.

It is understood Gold Fields has abided by the WorkSafe notices it has received.

Detail regarding why the notices were slapped on the Gold Fields mine was not disclosed, but prohibition notices typically involve severe safety breaches.

Since April last year Gold Fields has received one such notice, which The West can confirm relates to Mr Kelly’s death.

According to the State Government, prohibition notices are intended to stop a workplace activity that involves a “serious risk” to health or safety.

Work at a mine site handed a prohibition notice — or at least a portion of it — would then be barred until the inspector is “satisfied that the risk has been remedied”.

In a statement on Wednesday, Gold Fields acting executive vice-president for Australia, Graeme Ovens, said mining activity had been halted at St Ives following Mr Kelly’s death. Mining is believed to have now resumed.

On Thursday, Mr Ovens rejected assertions the company does not take its safety obligations at St Ives seriously given the spate of deaths and incidents.

“Two fatalities at the same site will have compounding impacts on the same community, industry and team members which adds to this week’s tragic events,” he said.

“Earlier this year and in line with its commitment to providing a safe workplace, Gold Fields initiated an independent review of the group’s safety culture, processes, systems and practices, which is expected to be completed this year.”

Mr Ovens said the findings of the review will “provide opportunities to accelerate our safety journey”.

“Gold Fields consistently works with the regulator to address areas of concerns and have been supporting their investigations at St Ives this week.”

St Ives is one of the State’s largest gold mines and forms a critical part of the four-mine portfolio — all located in WA — the $22 billion Johannesburg-listed giant runs in Australia.

Gold Fields has been operating St Ives, which consists of both open pit and underground mining, since 2021.