What must the SHMS provide in regard to excessive airborne dust?
(Reg s.89(4))
Act s.20
The system must provide ways of suppressing excessive airborne dust, so a person’s safety is not threatened, including, for example, by reduced visibility.
What must the SSE ensure when developing SOPs?
(Reg s.10(2))
- The final standard operating procedure accords with –
a) All matters agreed, under this section, between the SSE and CMW’s; and
b) The SSE’s decision, under this section, on any disagreed matters; and - A record is kept of the disagreed matters.
When must the SSE give an Inspector notice about an incident within 1 month after it happens, using the approved form?
(Reg s.16)
If:
1. A person suffers an injury –
i. Of a severity that requires treatment by a doctor, or nurse, or a person qualified to give first aid; or
ii. Preventing the person from carrying out the persons normal duties at the mine.
2. A HPI not mentioned in paragraph (a).
What must the SHMS provide for regarding fire?
(Reg s.37(1)(2))
Act s.55(2)
- Fire prevention and control.
- An effective fire fighting capability.
- The safety of persons fighting fires.
- A risk assessment to identify all potential fire hazards at the mine.
- The availability at the mine, at all times, of equipment that is appropriate and sufficient to extinguish any potential fire identified by the risk assessment.
- The location of portable fire extinguishers on or near equipment and installations identified as potential fire hazards by the risk assessment.
- The compatibility, throughout the mine, of all fire fighting equipment.
- There must be a SOP for action to be taken when a fire is discovered at the mine.
What Australian Standard is referred to for stored, using and disposed of explosives on a surface mine?
(Reg s.115)
Explosives for use, or used, at a surface mine must be stored, used and disposed of under AS 2187 ‘Explosives—Storage, transport and use’.
What are the requirements for visitors regarding self-escape at a coal mine?
(Reg s.36)
Reg s.73
The SSE must ensure that a visitor does not enter an operating area of the mine unless:
1. The visitor’s fitness level is assessed in an appropriate way, to decide if the visitor’s fitness level is adequate to allow the visitor to self-escape from the area; and
2. Regard must be had to prevailing conditions in the area, and
3. PPE given to the visitor for self-escape fits the visitor.
How must the SHMS provide ways that noise levels are maintained at an acceptable level?
(Reg s.91(2))
- Supplying PPE for persons in the work environment if there is no practical way of reducing the persons’ noise dose.
- Monitoring and recording noise levels in the work environment.
- Keeping the records in a location that is easily accessible by each CMW at the mine;
- Identifying, by an appropriate warning sign, each part of the mine where there are excessive noise levels.
What must the SHMS provide for, in relation to first aid at the mine?
(Reg s.38(2))
Reg s.109
- The supply and placement of first aid supplies and equipment, including supplies and equipment required for emergencies, based on a risk assessment.
- Appropriate first aid training, including refresher training, emphasising the safety of the person giving first aid as well as the safety of the person receiving first aid.
- The availability of a sufficient number of persons competent in giving first aid.
When giving notice of incidents, what must the SHMS include procedures for?
(Reg s.16(3))
Reg s.106(2)
- Telling a SSHR about incidents mentioned in section 106 of the Act; and
- Giving notice to an Inspector and ISHR relating to incidents under section 198 of the Act.
What must a coal mine site have for maintaining hygienic work environment?
(Reg s.95)
Reg s.39
A coal mine must have a standard operating procedure for maintaining the facilities mentioned in section 87(1) and other areas of the work environment in a hygienic condition. Facilities include:
1. Bathrooms
2. Toilets
3. Other personal hygiene facilities
4. Dining facilities
What must the SHMS provide for, in relation to accidents involving electricity at the mine?
(Reg s.38(3))
The mine must have a SOP for the following—
1. Releasing a person from an energised low and high voltage conductor.
2. Resuscitating a person in an electrical environment.
3. Managing a person’s flash burn injuries.
What are the requirements regarding an OCE being present when mining activities are being carried out in or around the surface excavation?
(Reg s.104)
- At least 1 OCE is present at the mine; and
- The OCE is contactable by a person working in or around the excavation.
List three (3) items that must be addressed in the procedure for transporting explosives.
(Reg s.116(2))
The procedure for transporting explosives must address the following—
a. Packaging explosives for transport.
b. The design of vehicles and compartments in which explosives are to be transported.
c. Marking packages, containers and vehicles used for transporting explosives.
d. Stowing and segregating explosives during transport.
e. The appropriate load limit for vehicles carrying explosives.
f. Transport procedures necessary to reduce the probability and consequence of incidents.
g. The competence required of persons for transporting explosives.
h. Temporary storage.
i. Restricted areas.
j. Emergency response.
What are five (5) requirements that must be included in a SOP for using plant near electricity?
(Re3g s.135(2))
- Recording power line heights at each location where a vehicle may pass.
- Keeping a register of the height of vehicles and mobile plant used on site.
- Fixing standard travelling routes at the mine.
- Travelling other than on a standard travelling route.
- Inspecting, and reporting on, travelling routes for plant not included in the register.
- Preventing incidents involving electrical contact, including for example, by -
a. Using barriers, signs, indicators and alarms; and
b. Requiring stated clearance distances between plant and electrical conductors; and
c. Isolating electrical conductors.
List five (5) items the mine’s SHMS must provide for in managing emergencies.
(Reg s.35(2))
The system must provide for the following:
a. identifying, by risk assessment, potential emergency situations;
b. minimising risks associated with potential emergency situations;
c. carrying out aided rescue and self-escape of persons from the mine in an emergency;
d. carrying out emergency exercises, including testing the effectiveness of emergency management procedures and the readiness and fitness of equipment for use in an emergency;
e. auditing and reviewing the emergency exercises;
f. if the mine is a surface mine—involving an open-cut examiner for the mine in—
i) developing and testing the emergency management procedures for activities, including mining activities, in and around the surface excavation at the mine; and
ii) auditing the documentation for the procedures;
What must a coal mine SHMS provide for with regards to monitoring for workers’ exposure to hazards?
(Reg s.49)
- Periodic monitoring of the level of risk from hazards at the mine that are likely to create an unacceptable level of risk.
- The system must also provide for notice of any appreciable increase in the level of risk to a CMW at the mine to be given to the worker’s employer.
- An employer who is given notice under subsection 2 must give a copy of the notice to the employer’s nominated medical adviser.
- An employer must ensure that, if a CMW employed by the employer is exposed to a hazard at a coal mine that may increase the level of risk to the worker, the workers exposure to the hazard is periodically monitored to assess the level of risk to the worker.
List 6 matters which must be included in a mine’s Training Scheme.
(Reg s.82(2))
The Training Scheme must provide for:
1. Induction training for CMWs and other persons at the mine, and operational ROC workers for the mine;.
2. Refresher training for CMW’s and operational ROC workers for the mine;
3. Establishing worker’s training needs about the safe performance of the mines coal mining operations, for e.g. training needs about the mine’s SOP’s;
4. Recognising current competencies and prior learning in establishing the worker’s training needs;
5. Establishing training program to meet the training needs using the endorsed components of the RII training package that are relevant for training and assessing the CMWs at the mine, and the operational ROC workers for the mine;
6. Appointing persons who are competent to give the training and assess worker’s competencies;
7. Keeping and auditing records of training and assessment given and undertaken;
8. Designating tasks that may only be carried out by a worker who has been assessed as competent to carry out the tasks;
9. Training workers elected to be SSHR’s.
What is the limit for coal dust and free silica for a CMW to be able to breathe in at a coal mine equivalent to an 8 hour exposure period?
(Reg s.89(1))
a) For coal dust—1.5mg/m3 air.
b) For free silica—0.05mg/m3 air.
What are the OCE’s main responsibilities and duties?
(Reg s.105)
The SSE must ensure:
1. The main responsibility of an OCE is the safety & health of persons in or around the surface excavation during mining activities in or around the surface excavation; and
2. OCE’s duties relate to the main responsibility.
This doesn’t prevent the OCE from having other duties given under the SHMS
What is the requirement for an OCE to be involved with developing and reviewing the SHMS?
(Reg s.108)
- The SSE must ensure that at least 1 OCE is involved in developing, reviewing and auditing the part of the mine’s SHMS relating to the mining activities in and around the mine excavation.
- The process doesn’t require the examiner to be involved in a matter that isn’t within the examiners competency.
List three (3) types of serious accidents or high potential incidents, as prescribed by Regulation, that the site must not be interfered with without the permission of an Inspector (ref Act s.200(1)).
(Reg Schedule 2, Part 1)
- An incident causing the death of, or a serious bodily injury to, a person
- An unplanned ignition of gas, dust, or a combination of gas and dust
- Damage to, or failure of, haulage equipment used to transport a person in a shaft or slope, if the damage or failure causes a hazard
- The failure in service of explosion protection of explosion-protected equipment
- A failure of electrical equipment or an electrical installation causing an electric shock to a person
- An unplanned ignition or explosion of a blasting agent or explosive
- A major structural failure of equipment, if the failure causes a hazard
List three (3) types of serious accidents or high potential incidents, as prescribed by Regulation, that the SSE must provide a report that includes recommendations to prevent it from occurring again to an Inspector (ref Act s.201(1)).
(Reg Schedule 2, Part 2)
- An unplanned ignition of gas, dust, or a combination of gas and dust
- The spontaneous combustion of coal or other material in an underground mine
- An inrush
- The failure in service of explosion protection of explosion-protected equipment
- An electric shock to a person
- An unplanned ignition or explosion of a blasting agent or explosive
- A major failure of strata control
- The entrapment of a person
- An abnormal circumstances declaration
- A major structural failure of equipment
