Misfires take the spotlight as Queensland’s explosives watchdog turns up the heat on safety

The Queensland Explosives Inspectorate has identified misfires as the most pressing explosives safety issue in its latest quarterly report, with coal mining operations accounting for the majority of recorded incidents.

In the fourth quarter of FY25, the Inspectorate logged 77 incidents across all sectors, with 45 classified as misfires — nearly 60 per cent of the total. The next most common incident types were “other explosive events” (4), “damage to explosives or packaging” (4), and “vehicle incidents” (4).

Coal mining was the most affected industry, responsible for 55 per cent of all reported incidents, followed by metalliferous mining and quarrying (34 per cent) and non-mining sectors (12 per cent).

Increased inspections and statutory actions

The report shows the regulator intensified its compliance activities, completing 123 per cent of planned inspections (270 in total) and 125 per cent of planned audits (12 in total) for the year. This quarter saw 138 statutory actions issued, including eight remedial action notices, alongside 93 recoveries, 89 recommendations, and 40 recorded cases of non-compliance.

Chief Inspector of Explosives Matt O’Shea said that further development of the online explosives incident reporting portal was underway, with new features allowing draft notifications, real-time progress tracking, and dynamically customised forms based on explosives type and incident details.

Recurring procedural and maintenance failures

The report’s incident focus case studies reveal common contributing factors: breakdowns in standard work instruction adherence, insufficient maintenance quality assurance, inadequate operator training, and gaps in procedural oversight.

One investigation centred on a B-double tanker transporting UN3375 residue that lost a dual wheelset early in its journey. The incident was traced to incorrect fitting of a wheel assembly nut retaining clip, compounded by missing sign-off checks and outdated service documentation.

Another case involved a wheel bearing fire on an explosives transport vehicle carrying 20 tonnes of high explosives. The fire, caused by a failed wheel bearing likely exposed to dust ingress, was contained by the driver using onboard firefighting equipment. Investigators noted that while preventative maintenance was being performed, the quality of work had not been validated and recommended periodic audits of contractor maintenance activities.

The third featured incident occurred at Brisbane Airport, where a pallet of detonators fell from a forklift from a height of approximately 1.5 metres, damaging packaging. The forklift operator had not been trained in handling dangerous goods and failed to lower the load before manoeuvring. The Inspectorate stressed the need for importers to ensure pallets are fit for purpose and for operators to be aware of primary explosives hazards including friction, impact, static, heat and electrical sources.

Targeted interventions needed

The Inspectorate concluded that targeted interventions, strengthened operational controls, and improved competency in explosives handling will be essential to reducing misfires and other serious incidents.

Industry stakeholders are expected to face ongoing scrutiny as the regulator signals no slowdown in inspection and enforcement activity heading into FY26.