Investigators begin to piece together meat works death

UPDATE 9.15AM:

A WORKPLACE Health and Safety spokesman confirmed this morning an investigator and inspector have arrived in Charleville to begin an investigation into the death of a worker at Western Meat Exporters,

They will be conducting interviews and preparing a report for the coroner.

EARLIER:

A HORROR death at Western Meat Exporters in Charleville has sparked a Workplace Health and Safety investigation.

Paramedics rushed to the Charleville goat and sheep abattoir when they received a call at 1.08pm that a 45-year-old employee and local had suffered critical injuries in a machinery incident.

Police arrived on the scene about 1.30pm and confirmed the employee died about two hours later.

Newscorp understands the worker was killed in a machine designed to remove the hair and fur from goats. 

Police officers have cordoned off the meatworks and have locked down the site until the investigators arrive tomorrow.

The Charleville-based processing plant is Australia's largest goat abattoir and processes tens of thousands of animals each week.