A spokeswoman for BHP Billiton confirmed that the employee needed to be hospitalised after the incident at the mine, which had previously won awards for its safety record.

“On Monday June 24, an employee of Dendrobium mine injured his foot while working underground,” she said. “The man was transported to hospital for treatment. An investigation into the cause of the incident is underway.”

Last February, BHP Billiton reported that an operator lost three fingers in an underground coal tram incident at Dendrobium.

The 43-year-old operator was believed to have been driving his coal tram when his hand got wedged between the vehicle’s canopy and the rib of the mine, which is owned by BHP Billiton subsidiary Illawarra Coal.

Dendrobium mine in the Illawarra has taken out this year’s NSW safety innovation award for a device that ensures the safe control of roof-bolter gripper jaws.

Mine site employees proactively developed this new safety device to replace standard fittings, with fit-for-purpose equipment to prevent potential injuries to hands and body.

The two-step safety device can be retro-fitted to equipment to prevent premature activation of the jaws.