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A NSW Government website

Emergency planning

What is a mine emergency?

An emergency at a mine is due to an actual or imminent occurrence, such as fire, explosion, accident or flooding, that has resulted in the death of, or injury to, a person, or is endangering or threatening to endanger the life or physical well-being of a person at a mine.

What are my duties as a person conducting a business or undertaking?

All mines are required to have an Emergency Plan. The plan is a principal control plan under the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022 and forms part of the safety management system of the mine. The plan must include emergency procedures, as well as training and testing of the plan.

Lessons learned from past mine emergencies have highlighted the need to establish and maintain relationships between the mine operators and emergency services. Some mines are required to carry out consultation with emergency services and others in the preparation of their Emergency Plan and the arrangements around testing the plan.

Useful links

Legislation

NSW Resources Regulator's guidance material

NSW State level emergency plans

Codes of practice

Emergency planning resources