A 33-year-old man has been killed in a workplace accident at a mine in central Queensland, police have confirmed.

Key points: The death is the eighth fatality for the state's mining industry in the past two years

The death is the eighth fatality for the state's mining industry in the past two years Queensland Ambulance Service said it responded to reports that a patient had become trapped in machinery

Queensland Ambulance Service said it responded to reports that a patient had become trapped in machinery Police are now preparing a report for the coroner

Emergency services were called to the Curragh coal mine, 30 kilometres north of Blackwater, just before 4:30pm (local time) on Sunday.

Queensland Ambulance Service said it responded to reports that a patient had become trapped in machinery.

At 8:30pm, crews were still at the scene.

The police will now prepare a report for the coroner.

Mining company Thiess, which has operated the mine site since 2004, has been contacted for comment.

The death is the seventh fatality the state's mining industry has seen in the past two years.

Five Queensland mine workers died at work during 2019.

'I'm really at a loss'

CFMEU district president Steve Smyth said he understood the man had been working as a Thiess contractor.

He said the past two years had been the worst period for mining safety in recent history.

"I'm lost for words, a fatal accident in the mining industry a couple of weeks into the new year … this appears to be a continuation of what occurred last year, it's absolutely terrible," he said.

"Since about 1994 to be honest, this is the worst, statistically and unfortunately fatality-wise, this is the worst time we've seen.

"I'm really at a loss.

"Something's got to occur, we had a safety reset last year. We said one reset wasn't going to fix it, but there's certainly going to be a deep dive into why this is happening.

"We've got to stop this spate of fatalities. We've got to take more firm action. If that means walking off the job we've got to do it."

Mr Smyth said the casualisation in the resource industry was contributing to the increase in fatal accidents.

"We used to walk off the job when we lost one of our comrades at the workplace for 24 hours as a show of respect, that's what should be happening as a minimum across the industry then people will take notice.

"Workers are even too concerned to do that for fear of getting fines or sacked.

"The industry is in a really terrible state of affairs when it comes to pressure on people on the job."

The mine is owned by Coronado Coal LLC, a privately held company Energy and Minerals Group (EMG), based in Texas, USA.

'Any death is unacceptable'

Acting Mines Minister Mark Ryan said inspectors were on-site investigating the accident.

"My thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of the mine worker," he said.

"I do not want to make any comment about this particular incident, both out of respect for everyone affected, and in light of the independent investigation.

"Any death in our resources workplaces is unacceptable, and this Government is committed to working with employers, unions and peak bodies to continue to improve protections for our workers.

"This Labor Government has already extensively reformed mine safety and health over the past five years."

He said Queensland now has the toughest mine safety and health laws in the world.

"There is further reform to come," he said..

"We will introduce legislation this year to make industrial manslaughter an offence, as it is in other Queensland workplaces, and we have legislation before the Parliament to establish an independent resources health and safety authority."