A Department of Mines and Petroleum spokeswoman told MiningNews.net that police were onsite at the mine and an inspector was travelling from Kalgoorlie to start an investigation.

Two lead investigators will also travel to Kalgoorlie today and be at the minesite tomorrow.

Stone Resources was issued a prohibition order in 2012 after the DMP said it had identified "unsafe and unhygienic conditions" at the mine's crushing plant facility.

The order lasted about a month before the regulator gave it the all clear to resume operations.

The accident is the latest in a string of fatalities in Australia's mining industry, with the death of a contractor at Idemitsu's Boggabri mine in the Gunnedah Basin last week.

This month a Macmahon Holdings employee was found also found dead at the Tropicana gold operation, although the death is believed to be non mine-related and the DMP is not investigating.

Anglo American's Grasstree mine in Queensland also recorded a death last month, while a 59-year-old worker died at Norseman Gold's Harlequin mine in WA earlier this year.

Copper Mines of Tasmania's Mount Lyell operation in Queenstown also recorded a death in January.