Mining Safety & Occupational Health

Safety theatre on the coalface: Why contractor risk management in Qld mining is all checklist, no control, and putting lives on the line

Contractor safety in Queensland’s coal sector isn’t just flawed—it’s dangerously broken, and one veteran risk expert is calling time on the whole system.

By Jamie Wade on September 9, 2025
Safety, Safety Training, Incident Reporting, Costs, Contract Management, ESG, Legislative Updates, Audit and Inspection, Workforce, Training and Development, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation
Australia, Queensland, Bowen Basin
Energy Minerals, Coal (Thermal and Metallurgical)

From ore to upheaval: Alistair Stephens says critical mineral success in emerging nations hinges less on geology and more on geopolitics

When it comes to critical minerals in emerging nations, geology is often the easy part - what makes or breaks a project is navigating the politics, markets, and risks that sit behind the orebody.

Drawing the line with GPS tech keeps haul trucks and operators safe in high risk open pit dumping zones while boosting confidence and compliance

A high-precision GPS system that draws an invisible line between safe ground and disaster is helping one of Indonesia’s largest mining contractors keep trucks – and their operators – out of harm’s way in high-risk dumping zones.

Tailings triggers say green but bleed red as NSW audit reveals gaps in monitoring, muddled controls and a dangerous disconnect between plans and practice

When John Stacpoole, inspector of mines at the NSW Resources Regulator, took the stage at the Life of Mine | Mine Waste and Tailings 2025 Conference in Brisbane, he didn’t waste time on pleasantries.

Long range vision underground proves safety and productivity can ride the same haul truck to deliver faster trips without breaking critical controls

If your underground mine is relying on 50 metres of non-line-of-sight vehicle detection, you may already be running outside your critical safety controls.

How to grow your own EoRs in 16 years or less with a pathway that’s practical, team-based, confidence-building and tailored for today’s TSF challenges

When Anton Kirsten took the stage at the Life of Mine | Mine Waste and Tailings 2025 conference in Brisbane, he wasted no time outlining a problem that’s been quietly growing into a full-blown crisis: there simply aren’t enough Engineers of Record (EoRs) to go around.

A playbook worth digging into as smart TSF monitoring saves costs, reduces risk and keeps tailings performance on track from cradle to closure

Tailings monitoring is a lot like health care - when it’s reactive, it can cost you dearly, but when it’s proactive, structured and consistent, it becomes a powerful tool for preventing failure, demonstrating stewardship, and building long-term confidence in your facility.

Silica crackdown shakes up mining as SafeWork SA targets dust with tough rules smarter controls and zero tolerance for guesswork

New rules, stricter enforcement and a state-wide crackdown are forcing South Australian mines and quarries to radically rethink how they manage crystalline silica exposure - or risk being shut down.

Building better EoRs with brains, backbone and a blueprint for tailings leadership that sticks in a world where confidence matters as much as competence

For an industry under mounting scrutiny and regulatory oversight, there is perhaps no role more critical - or misunderstood - than that of the Engineer of Record (EoR).

Why your critical controls might be over-controlling your TSF risk and what to do about it without triggering a governance landslide

In the wake of evolving regulatory expectations and maturing risk management frameworks, mining companies are being urged to reassess how they apply critical controls to tailings storage facilities (TSFs).