Staff Writer
A series of recent mine safety incidents in New South Wales and Queensland has reinforced ongoing concerns about worker safety in both underground and surface coal operations.
Queensland’s Coal Mines Inspectorate has warned that coal mining operations are continuing to report repeat safety incidents, with fatigue, dust exposure, fires on mobile equipment, and falls from plant access systems among the most common issues identified in its September 2025 incident periodical.
An underground mining contractor has been fined $540,000 after a rock fall at the Hamlet Underground Gold Mine near Kambalda killed a driller and injured a probationary offsider.
The Western Australian Government has introduced a new authorisation pathway for low-impact exploration and prospecting, with tenement holders now able to lodge an Eligible Mining Activity (EMA) notice under the Mining Act 1978.
The New South Wales Government has introduced a new safety order setting standards for breathing apparatus used in underground coal mines.
The Unites States' Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has released its final report into a fatal blasting accident at Calhoun Quarry #1 in Jersey County, Illinois, citing multiple safety violations and enforcement actions.
A state-wide mine safety blitz has revealed widespread compliance issues in New South Wales operations, with mechanical engineering control plans emerging as the most significant area of concern.
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.
A new study in Occupational Medicine has found that respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposures in the Western Australian mining industry are now so low that the risk of silicosis is negligible - even in job categories traditionally considered high risk.
Resources Safety & Health Queensland (RSHQ) has issued a formal safety alert following a serious incident involving the unexpected detachment of a gantry crane rope at a mineral mine site, underscoring concerns around inadequate maintenance and inspection practices.
