The latest incident, which is still being investigated, occurred yesterday at Stone Resources Australia’s Brightstar mine near Laverton.

A 63-year-old Boulder man was killed in a machinery accident.

Marmion expressed his condolences to the man’s family and friends.

“It is every family’s right to be confident their loved ones will come home alive at the end of their shifts,” he said.

“Averting tragedies like this is my top priority but it’s very much the obligation of industry and industry organisations.”

After four mining deaths in five months, Marmion met last month with major stakeholders to reiterate his concerns.

“This fifth death is a tragic reminder there is absolutely no room for complacency,” he said.

“I make no comment on the circumstances of this incident but I will say in general that with the resources sector facing tighter margins, it is the responsibility of industry to guarantee safety is never short-changed.”

Marmion stressed that safety could not be outsourced.

“Safety is an obligation on everyone in the mining industry, including contractors, but it’s incumbent on mining companies to drive the overall safety culture across their operations,” he said.

A Department of Mines and Petroleum review found that the highest risk of worker accidents was in the first two years of a worker’s career.

The DMP has called for industry submissions on new guidelines for safety and health supervision.