Resources Library

The Acts and Regulations that establish the legal framework for safety and health in Queensland mines. The Acts define what must be done; the Regulations prescribe how it must be done. Compliance is mandatory.

The principal Act governing safety and health at coal mines in Queensland. Sets out the duties of operators, site senior executives, and workers, and establishes the framework for safety and health management systems.

The regulation that prescribes how the CMSHA obligations must be met — including dust exposure limits, notification timeframes, record-keeping periods, and management structure requirements.

The principal Act governing safety and health at mineral mines and quarries in Queensland. Mirrors the structure of the CMSHA and sets out duties for operators, site senior executives, and workers.

The regulation that prescribes how the MQSHA obligations must be met — including dust exposure limits, incident notification, record-keeping periods, and electrical work appointment requirements.

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.

Guides published by the NSW Resources Regulator to help duty holders understand and comply with the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Act 2013 and Regulation 2022.

Explains how a person can apply for an internal review of a decision made by the NSW Resources Regulator under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

Explains the process for appointing a mine operator and the notification requirements to the Regulator under the WHS (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Act 2013.

Sets out how a petroleum site operator must be appointed and notified to the Regulator, including the required documentation and timeframes.

Clarifies the WHS duties of contractors, labour hire companies, and other businesses operating at NSW mines and petroleum sites alongside the principal employer.

Specifies the testing and licensing requirements for materials used in underground polymerisation processes, including resins and grouts used in roof support.

Provides practical guidance on applying the WHS risk management framework — identifying hazards, assessing and controlling risks — specifically for mine and petroleum site operations.

Guides mine operators on identifying, assessing, and controlling subsidence risks — including surface impacts on infrastructure, water courses, and communities above underground workings.

Explains what incidents and injuries must be reported to the NSW Resources Regulator, the notification timeframes, and how to submit a report correctly.

Describes which activities at mines and petroleum sites are classified as high risk, when the Regulator must be notified before commencing them, and what information must be provided.

Step-by-step guidance for developing a Principal Hazard Management Plan (PHMP) — the key document that identifies and controls the principal hazards at a NSW mine or petroleum site.

Explains how mine and petroleum site operators must submit their annual WHS performance report to the NSW Resources Regulator, including what data to include.

Outlines the statutory functions and responsibilities of mine operators, site senior executives, and other duty holders under NSW WHS (Mines and Petroleum Sites) legislation.

Clarifies what activities constitute 'mining operations' under NSW law — important for determining which sites and activities fall within the scope of the WHS (Mines and Petroleum Sites) legislation.

Concise fact sheets from the NSW Resources Regulator covering specific obligations, notification requirements, and compliance matters under NSW WHS legislation.

Outlines when and how operators must notify the Regulator of lead risk work at a mine or petroleum site under WHS legislation.

Explains how a worker or union can request the Regulator to commence a prosecution for a WHS breach at a mine or petroleum site.

Explains the role, rights, and responsibilities of safety and health representatives at NSW coal mines, including how they are elected and what powers they hold.

Describes the obligation for mine and petroleum site operators to genuinely consult with workers on WHS matters — including what consultation means in practice and when it is required.

Clarifies when and how the NSW Resources Regulator can exercise its WHS enforcement powers at locations outside the physical boundaries of a mine or petroleum site.

Explains what information must be kept in the mine or petroleum site record, who is responsible for maintaining it, and how long records must be retained.

Lists the types of events that must be reported to the NSW Resources Regulator, the notification timeframes (immediate, 48-hour, and 7-day), and the consequences of failing to report.

Provides guidance on the safe use of oxygen candles as a supplemental oxygen source in refuge chambers at underground mines, including storage and activation procedures.

Position papers setting out the Regulator's formal stance on specific safety matters at NSW mines and petroleum sites, including engineering controls and certification requirements.

Sets out the Regulator's position on classifying quarries into tiers based on risk — determining which regulatory requirements apply to each tier of operation.

States the Regulator's expectations for controlling worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust — a cause of silicosis — at NSW mines and quarries.

Outlines the Regulator's position on when live electrical work may be permitted at mines and petroleum sites, and the controls required to manage the associated risks.

Explains the Regulator's position on the use of electrical equipment that has not been certified for use in hazardous zones at mines and petroleum sites.

Specifies the carry box design and safety requirements for shotfirer vehicles transporting mixed loads of explosives and detonators at NSW mine sites.

Provides guidance on controlling dust generated by mobile crushing plant at mines and quarries, including engineering controls, water suppression, and enclosure requirements.

Explains the grounds and process for the Regulator to suspend or cancel a practising certificate held by a mine or petroleum site worker under NSW legislation.