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Queensland regulation
This is a detailed Queensland regulation that sets out the specific rules coal mine operators must follow to keep workers safe. It operates under the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act and applies to both surface mines (open-cut) and underground mines.
1. Safety Management System Every coal mine must have a formal Safety and Health Management System — essentially a documented plan covering:
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Direct links to the current provisions in Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2017.
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View on official registerSourced from Queensland Legislation (legislation.qld.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
2. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Mines must have written step-by-step safety procedures for hazardous tasks. Crucially, workers must be consulted when these are developed — it's not just a management exercise. If workers and management disagree, there's a formal process to resolve it.
3. Overlapping Leases — Coal Meets Gas Where a coal mine operates in the same area as a petroleum (oil/gas) lease, both parties must prepare a Joint Interaction Management Plan — a written agreement on how they'll manage shared risks (emergencies, vehicles, incident reporting, etc.). If they can't agree, the dispute goes to arbitration (an independent decision-maker resolves it).
There are also strict rules about drilling boreholes in these shared areas — equipment must be removed before a borehole is sealed, and if equipment is lost down a hole, the gas operator must be notified within 24 hours.
4. Safety and Health Fee Mine operators must pay a quarterly or annual levy to the government to fund safety oversight of the industry. The fee is calculated based on the number of workers at the mine. Mines with 5 or fewer workers can pay annually instead of quarterly. Late payments attract additional fees and 15% annual interest.
5. Accidents and Incidents Mines must have procedures to investigate accidents, share findings with workers, and notify government inspectors. Certain serious injuries and "high potential incidents" (near-misses that could have been deadly) must be formally reported.
6. Diseases Certain occupational diseases (listed in a schedule) must be reported to regulators.
Failure to meet safety obligations can result in criminal penalties under the parent Act. Late fee payments attract fines of up to 100 penalty units (approximately $15,000+ per offence) plus 15% interest on unpaid fees.
Coal mining is one of Australia's most hazardous industries. This regulation is designed to prevent deaths and serious injuries by making safety planning, worker consultation, and hazard management legally mandatory — not optional best practice.