Competencies
NSW Coal mining competencies (includes examination schedule, application forms, guides)
QLD Coal mining competencies (includes examination schedule, application forms, guides)
Current Legislation – NSW
- NSW Work Health and Safety Act 2011Â
- NSW Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017Â
- NSW WHS (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Act 2013Â
- NSW WHS (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022Â Â
- NSW Explosives Act 2003
- NSW Explosives Regulation 2013
- NSW legislative framework (umbrella)
- Safety management system flowchart
- Summary of high risk activities
Current Legislation – QLD
- QLD Work Health and Safety Act 2011
- QLD Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011
- QLD Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999 Â
- QLD Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2017
- QLD legislative framework (umbrella)
- QLD Explosives Act 1999
- QLD Explosives Regulation 2017
Current Legislation – TAS
- TAS Work Health and Safety Act 2012
- TAS Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012
- TAS Mines Work Health and Safety (Supplementary Requirements) Act 2012
- TAS Mines Work Health and Safety (Supplementary Requirements) Regulations 2012
- TAS Explosives Act 2012
- TAS Explosives Regulation 2012
ANTS factsheets
NSW factsheets
Key NSW Mine Design Guidelines (MDGs)
- MDG 15 – Mobile and transportable plant for use on mines and petroleum sites
- MDG 25 – Guideline for safe cutting and welding at mines
- MDG 26 – Guidelines for mine winder ropes for use in coal mines
- MDG 28 – Safety requirements for coal stockpiles and reclaim tunnels
- MDG 29 – Guideline for the management of diesel engine pollutants in underground environments
- MDG 1003 – Windblast guideline
- MDG 1004 – Outburst mining guideline
- MDG 1005 – Manual on pillar extraction Part 1
- MDG 1005 – Manual on pillar extraction Part 2
- MDG 1006 – Spontaneous combustion guideline
- MDG 1006 – Spontaneous combustion technical reference
- MDG 1009 – Managing vehicles and operating areas in underground coal mines
- MDG 1010 – Minerals industry safety and health risk management guideline
- MDG 1012 – Explosives in underground coal mines
- MDG 1014 – Guide to reviewing a risk assessment
- MDG 1016 – First aid in NSW coal mines
- MDG 1017 – Roof support guidelines for massive strata conditions
- MDG 1020 – Emergency escape systems, MDG 1022 – Withdrawal conditions, and Guidelines for in-seam response
- MDG 1024 – Inrush management
- MDG 1029 – Agency coordination during body recovery
- MDG 1030 – Raiseboring guideline
- MDG 1031 – Managing risk of airblast
- MDG 1032 – Fire prevention, early detection and suppression
- MDG 2007 – Collision management systems for mining
- MDG 3002.1 – Accident Westcliff Colliery 29 July 1991
- MDG 3002.2 – Fatal accident Oakdale Colliery 3 March 1992
- MDG 3002.3 – Fatal accident Newstan Colliery 26 June 1991
- MDG 3002.4 – Fatal accident Metropolitan 2 April 1992
- MDG 3002.5 – Fire on a compressor at Appin and code for air compressors
- MDG 3002.7 – Fatal accident Gretley 14 November 1991
- MDG 3006 MTR 4 – Guideline for coal dust explosion prevention and suppression
- MDG 5004 – A study of the risky positioning behaviour of operators
- MDG 6001 – Filling and capping of surface entries to coal seams
Technical Reference Guidelines and Guides (TRGs)
NSW Codes of Practice
- Emergency planning for mines
- Inundation and inrush hazard management
- Roadway dust analysis in underground coal mines
- Safety management systems in mines
- Strata control in underground coal mines
- Mine shafts and winding systems
- Electrical engineering control plan
- Mechanical engineering control plan
Codes of Practice for WHS Legislation
A series of codes of practice have also been approved under the NSW Work Health and Safety Act 2011.
They are available from SafeWorkNSW.
They cover:
- Abrasive blasting
- Confined spaces
- Construction work
- Demolition work
- Excavation work
- First aid in the workplace
- Hazardous manual tasks
- How to manage and control asbestos in the workplace
- How to manage work health and safety risks
- How to safely remove asbestos
- Labelling of workplace hazardous chemicals
- Managing electrical risks at the workplace
- Managing noise and preventing hearing loss at work
- Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace
- Managing risks of plant in the workplace
- Managing the risk of falls at workplaces
- Managing the work environment and facilities
- Preparation of safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals
- Preventing falls in housing construction
- Safe design of structures
- Spray painting and powder coating
- Welding processes
- Work health and safety consultation, coordination and cooperation
- Work near overhead power lines
QLD Recognised Standards
- RS1 – Underground electrical equipment and electrical installations
- RS2 – Control of risk management practices
- RS3 – Explosion protection of diesel engines
- RS4 – Underground non-flameproof diesel vehicles
- RS5 – Quality of incombustible dust, sampling and analysis of roadway dust
- RS6 – Inspections for underground coal mines
- RS7 – Criteria for the assessment of drugs in coal mines
- RS8 – Conduct of mine emergency exercises
- RS9 – Monitoring of sealed areas
- RS10 – Mine surveying and drafting
- RS11 – Training in coal mines
- RS12 – Place change mining operation in underground coal mines
- RS13 – Tyre, wheel and rim management
- RS14 – Monitoring respirable dust in coal mines
- RS15 – Underground respirable dust control
- RS16 – Use and control of polymeric chemicals at underground coal mines
- RS17 – Hazardous chemicals
- RS18 – Management of heat in underground coal mines
- RS19 – Design and construction of mine roads
- RS20 – Dust in surface mines
- RS21 – Underground explosion barriers
- RS22 – Management structure for the development and implementation of the SHMS
- RS23 – Fluid power systems in coal mines
- RS24 – Spontaneous combustion management in underground coal mines – Draft
QLD Guidance notes and Directives
- QGN9: Reviewing the effectiveness of safety and health management systems
- QGN10: Handling explosives (surface and quarry)
- QGN11: Handling explosives (underground)
- QGN15: Emergency preparedness for small mines and quarries
- QGN16: Fatigue risk management
- QGN20: Management of oxides of nitrogen in open cut blasting
- QGN22: Management of noise in mines
- QGN24: Guidance note for coal mines to develop and implement a management structure
- Appendix 3 Prevention poster
- Appendix 4 Protect your hearing at work and home poster
- Appendix 5 Protect your hearing at home poster
Key NSW Safety Alerts and Bulletins
- SA04-21 – Machine mounted methane monitors
- SA05-08 – Danger of methane explosion from diesel engine systems
- SA09-02 – Diesel engines run on methane enriched atmosphere
- SA09-08 – Misfire of Explosives
- SA10-04 – Portable gas monitors: understanding response times
- SA10-07 – Shotfirer hit by falling Shotcrete
- SA11-01 – Water inrush from raisebore hole
- SA13-01 – Underground coal mine roof strata monitoring
- SA15-03 – Electrician injured after making contact
- SA17-01 – Gas outburst on longwall face
- SA20-02 – Roof fall buries continuous miner
- SA20-05 – Worker sucked into ventilation tube
- SA20-06 – Pods fall off dolly car flat top and slide down drift
- SA20-07 – Concerns about possible tampering with explosion protected diesel engine
- SA20-10 – Antistatic materials in underground coal mines
- SA21-05 – Potential crush point on personnel transport vehicle
- SA21-07 – Lift arm failure on load haul dump (LHD)
- SA21-08 – Proper design, construction, inspection and use of scaffolding
- SB10-05 – Airborne dust – inhalable dust control
- SB13-03 – Diesel emissions in mines
- SB13-04 – Sealing of a goaf or mined out area
- SB14-01 – Exposure to dust and gases
- SB15-02 – Stored energy in u-shaped cable bolts
- SB18-12 – Rib failures in underground coal mines
- SB19-04 – Workers injured by high pressure fluid injection
- SB20-02 – Fire suppression system fails to discharge
- SB20-03 – Electric shocks in the mining industry
Key QLD Safety Alerts and Bulletins
- Alert no. 90 (2002) – Gloving of roof bolts
- Alert no. 96 (2003) – Uncontrolled release of methane from drainage range
- Alert no. 127 (2005) – Ventilation control devices
- Alert no. 164 (2007) – Strata support failure
- Bulletin no. 19 (2001) – Place change – maintaining adequate ventilation
- Bulletin no. 107 (2011) – Construction of seals
- Bulletin no. 115 (2012) – Risk management of heat exposure
NSW and QLD Investigation Reports
- Fatality at Grasstree Coal Mine 6 May 2014
- Death at CSA Mine Cobar 11 June 2014
- Double fatality Austar Coal Mine 15 April 2014
- Austar Investigation report 15 April 2014
- Collision at Ravensworth open cut mine 30 November 2013
- Drill rig incident at Ashton Coal Mine 12 August 2012
- Injuries to delivery truck driver Tasman Mine 7 December 2011
- Fatal injury at Chain Valley Colliery 3 June 2011
- Dozer incident at Mount Thorley 15 May 2011
- Fire and explosion at Blakefield South 5 January 2011
- Inrush incident at Cadia East 21 February 2010
- EWP incident at Bulga Open Cut Mine 21 March 2006
Additional Resources
NSW – Department of Industry Resources and Energy – safety and health
QLD – Department of Natural Resources and Mines – alerts, bulletins and notices
Selected Readings
Appin Colliery (November 2022) Outburst at NSW underground coal mine.
Goaf Gas Management (Belle, 2015) Case Study
Extract of consultant’s report Double fatality at Austar Coal Mine on 15 April 2014
Two miners dead after wall collapses at Austar Coal Mine near Paxton SMH 2014