Introduction of New Measures for Health and Safety in Queensland Coal and Metalliferous Mining
What does this mean for you and your operation? Are you aware of your obligations?
The Resources Safety and Health Legislation Amendment Act 2024 introduces preventive and proactive reforms to improve the Queensland resources sector’s safety and health performance, aiming to reduce the occurrence of fatalities and serious accidents. These reforms are directly informed by recent comprehensive reviews and inquiries and seek to achieve the objectives through mandatory critical control management and a strengthened regulatory framework.
All of the new provisions in the Act are set to commence on 1st September, except for provisions related to critical controls and additional certificates of competency, which will commence on 1st June 2026 and 1st June 2025, respectively. A five-year transition period is also in place for relevant industry workers to obtain the new competencies and practising certificates.
Key Reforms Include:
Mandatory Critical Controls: Previously voluntary, all mines and exploration sites will now be required to incorporate critical controls as part of their SHMS.
Additional Competency Requirements: New BOE-issued competencies for key safety roles in coal mines, including surface mine managers and mechanical and electrical engineering positions.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) compliance and enforcement: Practising Certificates will now be mandatory for existing certificates of competency holders from 10th June 2025 (including mining and exploration SSEs).
New electronic reporting system: Managed by RSHQ, streamlined incident reporting will facilitate better sharing of incident data and record management.
Enforceable Undertakings (EU): A first in the Queensland resources sector, EUs provide an alternative to prosecution and allow the regulator to accept undertakings from individuals and organisations where breaches of legislation have occurred (note these do not apply to matters involving fatalities).
Definition of contractor: Labour hire workers are now defined as contractors.
Remote operating centres: Mining-related operations located offsite are classified as remote operating centres, requiring workers to undergo induction, training, and competency assessments in accordance with site SSE requirements.
Important Dates:
1st September 2024: Major provisions come into effect, including new compliance frameworks and incident reporting systems.
1st June 2025: Critical control requirements begin, with a transitional period for industry adaptation of 12 months from that date.
1st June 2025: New competency requirements for key safety roles come into effect, with a transition period of 5 years to 1st June 2030.
1st September 2024: CPD and practising certificates requirements come into force, with a transitional period of 12 months to 10th June 2025 before they are mandatory.
These changes represent a significant shift towards a more proactive and preventive approach to safety management in Queensland's mining industry.
Be sure to keep following us at SSE Co for further updates and information on key areas of the reforms, including critical controls management and how this impacts mining and exploration safety and health management.
Unsure how these changes affect you and/or your organisation? Reach out to a member of our team for a coffee or a chat, and we can discuss your situation in more detail.