Quarterly safety report released for April to June 2022

We've released our quarterly health and safety performance report for April to June 2022 better inform industry when reviewing safety management systems and undertaking risk assessments at their sites. The report details incidents and trends relating to hazard management, in addition to sector specific information.

In the April to June 2022 period, total incident notifications received by principal hazard were up (from 161 to 176). This figure, however, represents a slight reduction from the quarterly average (179) recorded for the previous 4 quarters.

Join us next month for MEMSS

Please join us at the 2nd Mining Engineering Managers’ Safety Seminar (MEMMS) on 12–13 October, 2022 at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth. 

This event is an excellent opportunity for mining engineers, quarry managers, people in safety and operational leadership roles and major supplier representatives to come together to listen to presentations that will address a broad range of topics relevant to mining engineering in NSW mines.

The agenda includes:

• lessons learnt from significant incidents
• WHS practices/standards for improvement or innovation
• emerging technologies, creative solutions to mining issues
• opportunities to learn from other industries and sectors. 

The theme for the event is ‘The Future of Mining’, with a special update from our geological survey team outlining the future of mining in NSW. 

Cricketing and comedic legend Kerry O’Keefe will entertain us over dinner.

Tickets are selling fast and include the 2-day seminar and dinner on 12 October 2022. Click here for more information and to register.
 

EESS - Early bird discount finishing soon

Individuals keen to take advantage of the early bird discount for the 30th Electrical Engineering Safety Seminar (EESS) to be held 9-12 November 2022 at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth have until the end of September to act!

Early bird tickets include the 2-day seminar and dinner on 9 November with a special guest speaker. However there are limited tickets available so act now to avoid disappointment.

Changes to registration requirements for winding systems in small gemstone mines

With the commencement of the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation on 1 September 2022, the class exemption has been revoked for winding systems that are not design registered.

Section 187 of the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation no longer requires winding system in small gemstone mines to be design or item registered.

All winding system must now comply with specific requirements that are set out in the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 and the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022.

We've developed a fact sheet to identify some of the key requirements for winding systems, with more information available on our webpage. 

The Regulator will also be hosting a meeting in Lightning Ridge to discuss the changes and general requirements for winding systems. Keep an eye on the events page on our website for details about the location, time and date.

Technical reference guide - braking systems

The independent review of Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Act identified opportunities for the simplification of design registration processes.

In response to the review, we will combine the Mining Design Guideline (MDG) for braking into 1 document. 

The new document will be a Technical Reference Guide called TRG - Braking systems on plant used in underground transport.

There will be no technical update or revision as a result of this process, with only obsolete references and terminology to be removed or updated. A technical revision will occur at a later date and will involve extensive consultation with industry.

Meet the Metals and Petroleum team

The Metals and Petroleum team consists of 12 inspectors located in 5 offices across NSW, which include Maitland, Orange, Wollongong, Dubbo, and Broken Hill.

The Metals and Petroleum team regulates open cut and underground metals mines, large quarries, and inland petroleum sites.

In the 2021 financial year the team completed 640 proactive assessments and travelled more than 147,000km. This is equal to circumnavigating the globe 3.6 times.

Over the past 3 months we have welcomed 3 new inspectors to our team:

• Marshall Tigere in Dubbo
• Brendan Vaughan in Broken Hill
• Daniel Howard in Orange.

For the second half of this year, the Metals and Petroleum team will be focusing on the following assessment program plans:

• Lifting and cranage
• Fear of reporting incidents
• Slope stability
• Ground and strata underground
• Exploration drill rigs
• Petroleum sites.

Registration forum success

We hosted a forum for designers, verifiers and registration holders at Rutherford last week.

The forum covered the design and item registration processes and changes to the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022. This included the HRA process for winding systems and booster fans, and changes to design orders.

There was also a discussion on a new exemption provision in the regulations which is intended to provide a pathway to safely introduce innovative technology, which may not comply to current Australian or international standards prescribed in the regulations.

The Chief Inspector of Mines, Garvin Burns, welcomed attendees before presentations from Regulator representatives on subjects that included changes to the design orders, amendments and alterations, and design technical reviews.

Questions from the floor explored the application of the new design orders that now allow a more targeted focus on a change. Questions were also fielded relating to changes of registrations and the guidance for determining if the change may affect health or safety.

The forum was attended by more that 70 participants. Based on the positive response from attendees, this forum will be scheduled into the Regulator's industry engagement events schedule annually going forward. Bookmark our events page to keep updated. 

Call for expressions of interest – certificate of competence examiner

We are seeking additional expressions of interest (EOIs) to be certificate of competence reserve (casual) examiners for the following statutory functions:

• Open cut examiner
• Deputy
• Underground mine supervisor
• Mining engineering manager underground mines other than coal
• Electrical engineer and manager.

• Information for examiners includes:
  • Factsheet: examiner for a certificate of competence
  • EOI form with criteria for appointment that must be completed in full and submitted with a resume
• Mining and Petroleum Competence Board
• Mining competence for details of examinations, competencies and practising certificates.

Contact the mining competence team at mca@regional.nsw.gov.au or 4063 6461.

Reminder to renew practising certificate

Holders of practising certificates are reminded to renew their practising certificate well before the 5-year expiry date.

Three months before the expiry date, a reminder email will be sent to the address on the Resources Regulator portal record of the practising certificate holder. The holder should apply through the portal at least 6 weeks prior to expiry to ensure they receive their new certificate in plenty of time.
 
To ensure a holder receives a reminder email, they must comply with a condition on their practising certificate to keep their contact details up to date with the Regulator. This can be completed through the portal (Mine Workers - practising certificates section).

Further information can be sought from the mining competence team at mca@regional.nsw.gov.au or 4063 6461.

Changes for quarry manager tier 2 practising certificates - 1 October 2022

This is a final reminder to mine operators and potential applicants that the following changes will soon take effect:

• We will stop accepting applications after Friday 30 September 2022 for the assessment process for tier 2 specific location quarries with an inspector on site 
• From 1 October 2022, the only process for new applicants will be to apply for an all tier 2 quarries certificate by satisfying the qualification and experience gazetted requirements.

Further information can be obtained from our Applying for a practising certificate webpage.

If you have specific questions contact the Mining competence team at mca@regional.nsw.gov.au or 1300 814 609 (option 2 and then 3).

Upcoming events 

Opal mining safety workshops

• Opal mining safety workshop, Lightning Ridge - 20 and 21 September (SOLD OUT)
• Opal mining safety workshop, Lightning Ridge - 8 and 9 November

Register for the Workplace Health & Safety Show 2022 

The Workplace Health & Safety Show will be held at Sydney Olympic Park next week.

SafeWork NSW is a supporting partner of this free, in-person event, which will be held on Tuesday, 20 September and Wednesday, 21 September 2022.

In case you missed it...

The following are recent publications and updates available on our website:

• Safety Bulletin - Fires occurring on mobile manufacturing unit trucks
• Compliance priority report - training and competence - METEX
• Form - notification of other matters including reportable events
• Recording: Electrical engineer and electrical engineering manager certificate of competence briefing session
• Fact sheet – Consulting workers
• Fact sheet - Contractors