The parents of a drill rig worker tragically killed in a remote Queensland mine have voiced their profound dismay at the findings of a coroner's inquiry.

Gareth Dodunski lost his life in 2013 when heavy-duty hydraulic equipment, identified as an ST80 Iron Roughneck, struck him in the head while he was on duty at the Fairview Gas Field in central Queensland.

In a verdict delivered at the Brisbane Magistrate's Court, Magistrate Donald MacKenzie characterised the 21-year-old's demise as “not an accident but a safety issue”.

The complete findings are available in PDF form, here.

The parents of the deceased had hoped that their tireless ten-year pursuit for answers would bring about enhanced safety standards within Queensland's mining industry. 

However, following the revelation of key recommendations by the coroner, they expressed dissatisfaction and a lack of closure.

The recommendations issued were twofold: first, to safeguard witnesses providing information in cases of serious accidents from prosecution, and second, to amalgamate various work and safety regulations under a single legislative act by the state government.

Gareth's mother, Michelle Dodunski, voiced her strong disappointment, telling reporters; “It's just a failure, a failure. I'm disgusted”. 

“These companies need to stop putting profit and production over worker's safety,” she said. 

“We're just surprised there wasn't the recommendation, they failed in emergency response.”

In his concluding remarks, Magistrate MacKenzie commended the unwavering determination of Gareth Dodunski's parents to uncover the truth about their son's tragic passing.

In June 2013, Gareth Dodunski, working as a lease hand on a drill rig operated by Saxon Energy Services, found himself in the “danger zone” with a colleague when the ST80 equipment was inadvertently activated by Jacob Kilby, leading to the fatal accident.

During the subsequent inquest in September 2022, the court learned that Mr. Kilby, responsible for operating the equipment that caused the fatal injuries, had recently been promoted and had received no formal training, relying solely on learning “on the job”.

Mr.Kilby recounted the “moment of panic” he experienced upon realising that both men were on the ground after briefly diverting his attention before reactivating the machine. 

He admitted attempting to halt it by pressing the “off button” instead of the required “kill switch”.

When delivering the recommendations, Magistrate MacKenzie acknowledged the complexity of prosecuting Gareth Dodunski's death, stating; “This death is not an accident; it's a safety issue. It's also difficult to prosecute. Human errors occur in the best safety situations, and no worker wants to cause an accident.”

The coroner also praised Jacob Kilby as an “impressive witness” who displayed genuine remorse, referring to his testimony during the 2022 inquest.