Underground and surface mining operations throughout New South Wales will be put under the microscope in the coming weeks as the state’s resources regulator kicks off its annual safety blitz.
The NSW Resources Regulator will launch its annual high visibility campaign this month, targeting safety performance at mine sites.
Set to run from June 23 to July 4, the campaign will consist of a combination of both announced and unannounced site inspections.
In that two-week period, the regulator is expected to visit about 150 mine sites.
“This year’s campaign builds on the Regulator’s ongoing engagement with industry and supports similar campaigns conducted in previous years,” the regulator said in a statement.
The 2024 campaign, which targeted compliance and incidents at mine sites, resulted in the regulator issuing 194 compliance notices to 106 mine sites.
The regulator is also urging mine operators to be aware of their duty to review and maintain critical controls outlined in their principal hazard management and control plans.
“This is to ensure workers are protected and to improve site safety outcomes,” it said.
Surface coal mine sites that are attending the Regulators ‘Drill and Blast Seminar’ on Wednesday, June 25 will be excluded from a high-visibility campaign inspection on the day of the seminar.
The NSW campaign follows a similar run conducted by its Victorian counterpart earlier this month.
Resources Victoria’s Earth Resources Regulator paid a visit to mines and quarries across the state to assess their operational risk.
Information gathered from those visits will now inform future audits and inspections.
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