Rio’s internal publication, Mine Matters, reported seven injuries had been sustained last month, with a prevalence of hand injuries.

A Rio spokesman told ILN not all injuries reported were lost time injuries and the miner was currently tracking under its target of less than one injury in 200,000 hours worked in 2008.

“We are constantly trying to get to our goal of zero [injuries],” he said.

“Hands are one of the first parts of the body to be in the line of fire.

“So that is something that we concentrate on every day.”

Rio did not disclose the severity of the injuries or the cause of the accidents but said hazards on its minesites were well known.

The producer said each site would work to raise awareness on hand injuries and work procedures were in place to mitigate them.

The Queensland government’s 2006-07 mines and quarries safety performance and health report found hand, finger and thumb injuries were the second highest injury type recorded in the industry.

Hand, finger and thumb injuries accounted for just over 15% of the 351 injuries recorded, with back injuries making up over 20% in the Queensland mining and quarrying sector.

Queensland’s lost time injuries in hand, finger, thumb injuries for underground coal workers were 22 in 2006-07 and fell in 2007-08 to 16.

The report also found in 2006-07 that of 20,539 coal mine employees, 239 lost time injuries were reported by coal mines. This was an increase from 207 reported injuries in 2005-06 from 21,400 mine workers.

At the end of September 2008, Rio’s all injury frequency rate (AIFR) sat at 0.88 injuries for every 200,000 hours worked. This figure was across its workforce of more than 3000 people, in seven minesites in Queensland and New South Wales.

Its 2008 target is less than 0.9 AIFR.

In 2007 Rio ended the year with 0.95 injuries for every 200,000 hours worked.

Rio said it had some of the safest workplaces in the country and was aiming to make them even safer.

“One injury is one injury too many,” Rio said.

“If there is an injury there is always the potential for a more serious injury which is why we continue to strive towards our goal of zero injuries.”