The results of a recent compliance priority report into airborne contaminants at metalliferous mines by the New South Wales Resources Regulator has been released.
As part of its compliance priorities for the first half of the year, the Resources Regulator targeted airborne contaminants at metalliferous surface and underground mines.
A crucial part of the Regulator’s incident prevention strategy for mines and petroleum sites involves targeted assessments and planned inspection programs.
The priorities of these inspections and assessments is determined by incident data and emerging trends, which identified airborne contaminants as a risk throughout the industry.
In NSW mines, no person is to be exposed to dust and airborne contaminants that exceed exposure standards and mines must ensure worker exposure is as low as reasonably practicable. Workplace exposure standards were revised in 2022 and are set out in legislation.
Out of 39 assessments carried out, the Regulator only issued one underground mine a compliance notice.
The site can now adjust its practices accordingly to keep its workers safe in line with the latest regulations.
Overall, the results affirmed the resources industry’s commitment to protecting workers from the dangers of airborne contaminants.
Further north in Queensland, Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) has released a practical guide for improving image quality when X-raying coal miners’ chests for signs of silicosis.
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