The NSW Resources Regulator has completed a comprehensive compliance campaign in response to incidents and feedback from industry to ensure a safe and sustainable mining industry across the state.
Priorities for 2023 included mobile plant safety, vehicle incident controls, implementation of new requirements under the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022, psychosocial risks and working at heights.
The Regulator sets out its key priorities and proactive assessment programs every 6 months to ensure inspectors and industry are working collaboratively.
Key compliance activities undertaken in 2023 include:
- Mobile plant safety - 39 small mines were targeted between March and August 2023 where 31 compliance notices were issued to 27 mines.
- Pressure vessels - 72 small mines were targeted between April and August 2023 where 55 compliance notices were issued to 49 mines and 39 metalliferous and extractives mines were targeted between February and June 2023 where 32 notices were issued to 27 mines.
- Implementation of the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022 - 36 small mines were visited between April and August 2023 where 23 compliance notices were issued to 21 sites. Forty coal mines were visited between January and May 2023 where 2 notices were issued and 44 metalliferous and extractives mines and petroleum sites were visited between January and April 2023 where 34 notices were issued.
- Psychosocial risks - 22 surface and 18 underground coal mines were visited between January and May 2023 where one mine was given one notice relating to compliance with amended legislation and 44 metalliferous and extractives mines and petroleum sites were visited between January and May 2023 where 12 notices were issued.
- Working at heights - 47 small mineswere targeted between August 2022 and April 2023 where 79 notices were issued to 47 mines.
- Roads or other vehicle operating areas stage 1, dumps and excavation areas - 19 surface coal mines were visited between January and May 2023 where 12 notices were issued to 4 mines.
- Hazard reporting of safety-related issues - 50 small mines were targeted from January to April 2023 where 24 notices were issued to 22 mines.
The full reports can be accessed here.
Between January and June 2024, the Regulator aims to complete 8 compliance priorities which include fires on mobile plant, lifting and cranage, airborne contaminants, audiometric testing, psychosocial awareness, blasting (explosive safety), continued assessment and determination of rehabilitation assessment outcome documents (large mines), and enabling small mines to transition to comply with the new rehabilitation requirements.
More information can be found here.
Download a pdf of the media release (PDF, 67 KB)
