Resources Library

Made by the Minister under the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999. Standards state ways of achieving an acceptable level of risk. Operators can use a different method but must show it is at least equivalent.

Sets the minimum requirements for electrical equipment and wiring systems used underground in coal mines to prevent electrical hazards.

Describes how risk management must be carried out at coal mines — identifying hazards, assessing risk, and implementing controls.

Covers requirements for diesel engines used underground that must be protected against causing explosions in flammable atmospheres.

Sets out where and how non-explosion-protected vehicles can be used underground, and what controls must be in place.

Specifies how dust in underground coal mine roadways must be sampled, tested, and managed to prevent explosions.

Defines who must inspect what, how often, and what must be recorded in underground coal mines.

Sets the standards for drug testing programs at coal mines — what to test for, how to test, and how to manage results.

Specifies how emergency exercises must be planned, conducted, and reviewed at coal mines to ensure workers are prepared.

Covers how sealed-off areas of underground coal mines must be monitored for gas build-up and other hazards.

Sets standards for how mine surveys must be conducted and recorded to maintain accurate underground maps.

Defines the minimum training requirements for workers and supervisors at coal mines, including induction and task-specific training.

Covers safety requirements for place-change mining — a method of coal extraction that requires specific controls.

Sets out how tyres, wheels, and rims on mining vehicles must be inspected, maintained, and replaced to prevent failures.

Specifies how respirable dust (dust that can reach the lungs) must be monitored at coal mines to protect worker health.

Covers the controls that must be in place to reduce workers' exposure to respirable dust in underground coal mines.

Sets requirements for managing the use of polymer chemicals (used in roof support and dust suppression) underground.

Covers how hazardous chemicals at coal mines must be identified, stored, handled, and disposed of safely.

Sets out how heat stress must be managed underground — monitoring temperatures, acclimatisation, and worker limits.

Specifies the design and construction standards for haul roads and access roads at coal mines to prevent vehicle incidents.

Covers how dust must be controlled at open-cut coal mines to protect worker health and the surrounding environment.

Sets requirements for passive explosion barriers (stone dust or water barriers) that limit the spread of explosions underground.

Defines how a Safety and Health Management System (SHMS) must be structured, developed, and maintained at coal mines.

Covers safety requirements for hydraulic and pneumatic systems used in coal mines to prevent high-pressure fluid injuries.

Made by the Minister under the Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999. Guidelines provide ways of achieving an acceptable standard of risk. Operators can use a different method but must show it is at least equivalent.

Explains how naturally occurring radioactive material found in metalliferous mines must be identified, assessed, and managed to protect worker health.

Sets out how respirable dust (including silica dust) must be monitored and controlled at mineral mines and quarries to prevent lung disease.

Covers how hazardous chemicals at mineral mines and quarries must be identified, stored, handled, and disposed of safely.

Explains the health monitoring program that must be in place for workers exposed to respiratory hazards at mineral mines and quarries.

Issued by the Queensland Mines Inspectorate to help operators meet their safety and health obligations. Guidance notes are not mandatory but represent best practice.

Explains how plant and equipment must be safely isolated (locked out/tagged out) before maintenance or repair work begins.

Covers what must be recorded in the mine record — the official log of safety-related events, inspections, and decisions at the mine.

Sets out the additional safety requirements for mines that are open to the public as tourist attractions.

Explains how and when the Safety and Health Management System must be reviewed to check it is actually working.

Covers the safe handling, storage, and use of explosives at surface mines and quarries.

Covers the safe handling, storage, and use of explosives in underground mining operations.

Explains the hazards and controls for working near drawpoints — openings where broken ore is extracted in underground mines.

Describes what effective supervision looks like in a mining context — the supervisor's role, responsibilities, and how to lead a safe team.

Guides small mines and quarries through the process of developing and maintaining an emergency response plan.

Explains how fatigue must be managed at mines — roster design, monitoring, and supervisor responsibilities for recognising and responding to fatigue.

A step-by-step guide to developing Job Safety Analyses (JSAs) — breaking tasks into steps and identifying hazards and controls for each.

Covers the hazards and controls for tipping operations near vertical edges underground — a high-risk activity that has caused fatalities.

Sets standards for mine surveying and the preparation of mine plans at mineral mines and quarries.

Explains how toxic nitrogen oxide fumes (post-blast fumes) from blasting must be managed to protect workers and the public.

Covers how diesel exhaust emissions (a known carcinogen) must be monitored and controlled in underground metalliferous mines.

Sets out how noise exposure must be assessed and controlled at mines to prevent noise-induced hearing loss.

Explains how mines and quarries must describe their facilities for reporting and regulatory purposes.

Explains the role, election, and powers of Site Safety and Health Representatives (SSHRs) and Safety and Health Committees at mines.

Covers safety requirements for electric drive systems in large mining vehicles — an increasingly common technology on mine sites.

Explains how vehicle-pedestrian and vehicle-vehicle collisions must be prevented on mine sites — a leading cause of fatalities in mining.

Covers how falls from height must be prevented at mines — including working at height, edge protection, and fall arrest systems.

Sets out how tailings storage facilities (TSFs) must be designed, operated, and monitored to prevent dam failures and environmental harm.

Sets out how tyres, wheels, and rims on mining vehicles at mineral mines must be inspected, maintained, and replaced to prevent failures.

Covers safety requirements for mineral exploration activities — drilling, sampling, and fieldwork in remote locations.

Explains how heat stress must be managed for workers at surface coal mines and surface areas of underground mines.

Covers the safety requirements for introducing and operating autonomous (driverless) vehicles and equipment at coal mines.

Explains how dust getting into electrical equipment must be prevented and managed — dust in electrical enclosures is a fire and explosion risk.

Explains how critical controls must be identified and built into Principal Hazard Management Plans (PHMPs) at coal mines.

Covers how welding fume (a known carcinogen) must be controlled at coal mines to protect workers' respiratory health.