All the latest news in mine health and safety in NSW

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14 November 2019

Three incidents have occurred recently at longwall mines in which rapid face bolters have disengaged from the armoured face conveyor (AFC) rack bars.

All three incidents involved rapid face bolters that had been hired by the mine operator. As most rapid face bolters are hired and move between mine sites, the interface between the bolter, the panline and rack bars must be managed on an individual basis at each site.

We have published a safety bulletin that provides further details on the three incidents and outlines recommendations for the NSW mining industry.

Read the full Safety bulletin: Rapid face bolter incidents

Click the links below to read our latest safety bulletins:

SB19-14 Conveyor pulley failures initiate fires
SB19-13 Workers injured while installing conveyor boot ends
SB19-12 Spontaneous combustion of conveyor rubber
SB19-11 Drive shaft failures cause fires

Visit the safety bulletin archive

Fire emergency risk postpones roadshow events

The NSW Resources Regulator has been holding a series of health and safety roadshows for small mines and quarries across NSW during October, November and December 2019.

The events scheduled for Ballina and Port Macquarie were postponed due to the fire emergency risk raised earlier this week. Information regarding new roadshow dates are below:

Ballina (originally scheduled for 12 Nov) New date: 10 December (Register)
Port Macquarie (originally scheduled for 14 November) New date: 12 December (Register)

The roadshows provide information on health, safety, and topics, such as learning from disasters, quarry manager practising certificates, mine site welding practices, emergency management and learnings from recent incidents.

For more details download the agenda [PDF, 89kb]

Click here for further information and event registrations

Seeking synergy across jurisdictions, the common ground at recent AMCAC and CCIM talks

The NSW Resources Regulator recently hosted the annual Conference of Chief Inspectors of Mines (CCIM) and the Australasian Mining Competency Advisory Committee (AMCAC).

Representing various mines inspectorates of Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea, the CCIM provides high-level technical advice to governments and champion safety and health outcomes for the Australasian mining industry. The AMCAC exists to promote nationally consistent competencies and standards of assessment for mine safety statutory positions to facilitate the mobility of workers across jurisdictions, a topic that found common ground in discussions at the 2019 CCIM forum.

Read more on the AMCAC and CCIM highlights

Only 18 days remaining!

Join us at our inaugural Mining Engineering Manager Safety Seminar (3-4 December 2019) as we focus on stepping safely into the future and the challenges and solutions facing mine managers in implementing change management and adopting new technology.

This seminar will bring together case studies from Mining Engineering Managers who are implementing new technology and the lessons learned on their journey to date.

For more details see the full agenda.

Workplace exposure standards open for public comment

Safe Work Australia is evaluating the Workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants to ensure they are based on the highest quality, contemporary evidence and supported by a rigorous scientific approach.

Safe Work would like your feedback on the draft evaluation reports and recommendations.

Comments are open from Friday 8 November 2019 and will close on 6 December 2019.

See further information and provide your comments

Workplace exposure standards framework: Decision RIS now available

This decision regulation impact statement (decision RIS) for the workplace exposure standards framework is now available on the Safe Work website.

A majority of WHS ministers agreed to the preferred option in the decision RIS. This means:

there is no change to the requirement to ensure exposure standards for substances and mixtures are not exceeded (Regulation 49)
the Workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants will be updated using the agreed methodology, and
the name of workplace exposure standards will be changed to workplace exposure limits.

There will be a standard three year transitional period for duty holders to comply with amendments to the workplace exposure standards.

Read the Decision regulation impact statement

Learn more about the workplace exposure standards

New resources for chemical storage

Safe Work Australia has prepared new resources for storing hazardous chemicals that expand on the information in managing risks of storing chemicals in the workplace. They include tools that can be used to prepare hazardous chemical registers, manifests and site plans.

The material was developed in consultation with representatives from work health and safety regulators, unions and industry groups.

Further information and resources available using the links below:

Managing risks of storing chemicals in the workplace

Hazardous chemical register template

Hazardous chemicals manifest template

Hazardous chemicals example of a site plan

Further contact info:
Resources Regulator | Phone: 1300 814 609
info@resourcesregulator.planning.nsw.gov.au

Regional NSW, Resources Regulator

516 High St

Maitland, New South Wales 2320

Australia

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