A rockfall triggered by seismic activity at a BHP Billiton nickel operation in Western Australia has forced the closure of an underground nickel mine.

A Department of Mines and Petroleum spokeswoman said there was a rockfall incident at BHP's Perseverance underground nickel mine, near Leinster, in WA's Goldfields just before midnight on Monday.

"It was caused by seismic activity," the spokeswoman told AAP.

No-one had been injured or trapped in the incident, the spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman said BHP had been issued with a notice which prevented them from mining again before it proved the mine was safe.

Departmental investigators will travel to the site to inspect the mine.

It is the same mine where another worker was trapped a kilometre underground for 16 hours after a seismic event triggered a rockfall earlier this month.

The miner was trapped by 500 tonnes of rock which fell around him.

In the past 10 months, five workers have died on BHP Billiton iron ore sites in the Pilbara, sparking calls from unions for improved safety practices.

Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) state secretary Steve McCartney said a driller had been trapped underground for a number of hours and that one worker was injured.

"While the driller is apparently uninjured, it is understood that at least one mobile maintenance employee who was near the rockfall at the time of the incident has had to receive medical treatment for back injuries sustained from being near the rockfall," Mr McCartney said.

He said the tremor measured more than two on the Richter scale.

Mr McCartney said the latest incident adds to the long string of safety problems at BHP mines and the AMWU would intensify its calls for a federal parliamentary inquiry into mine safety.

"BHP's atrocious safety record must be urgently examined before more deaths and injuries take place at their mines," Mr McCartney said.

"There has been a long culture of cover-up at BHP sites and it's time there was an open independent investigation into their safety record.

"An independent inquiry is urgently needed to investigate why these tragic events happen on BHP mine sites and to recommend what needs to be done to guarantee the safety of BHP workers."

The AMWU had been told by members BHP would not issue a media release in relation to the incident and miners should not speak to anyone from outside the company, Mr McCartney said.

BHP has been contacted for comment.