Norton general manager Terry Moylan told MiningNews the company retrieved the loader Friday evening, temporarily running off stockpiled material while the crusher was shut down.

Because of the use of crushed ore stockpiles the company's production will not be impacted by the disruption.

The crusher resumed operations Saturday morning after passing safety inspections and tests on its structural integrity.

The Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum was investigating the accident, and said no workers were injured.

"Two safety inspectors from the department have travelled to the site to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident," state mining engineer Andrew Chaplyn said.

Last week junior developer Excelsior Gold signed a binding term sheet to secure long-term milling opportunities at Paddington for its Kalgoorlie North project.

The 3.5 million tonne per annum Paddington mill is just 30km from Excelsior's key deposits at the proposed Kalgoorlie North project, providing a close-proximity milling solution for its high-grade ore.

The agreement allows Excelsior a total minimum allocation of 2.5Mt with an option to extend to a cumulative total of 5Mt.

Allocation is expected to be utilised at a rate of 500,000tpa over a five-year period.

In return for access to the mill, Excelsior has agreed to contribute up to $A12.5 million to the capital expenditure required for a potential upgrade and refurbishment of the mill.

Norton shares were steady at A12c this morning.