Queensland’s coal mines are being urged to reinforce respirable dust monitoring practices after a rise in the number of invalid dust samples linked to workers interfering with monitoring equipment.
Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) has issued an alert following an increase in invalid respirable dust samples, warning that this behaviour undermines efforts to measure worker exposure to airborne contaminants accurately.
Accurate dust monitoring is a key tool in protecting workers from serious occupational diseases, including silicosis, black lung and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which are “permanent, progressive and preventable”.
RSHQ chief inspector of coal mines Jacques le Roux said approximately 500 respirable dust samples collected at Queensland coal mines in 2025 were deemed invalid, representing 5.16 per cent of all samples taken.
Of those invalid samples, around one quarter were attributed to workers removing the monitoring device.
“This is not acceptable and all site senior executives and mine operators should review their respirable dust monitoring systems and ensure the integrity of monitoring activities at their mine sites,” le Roux said.
“Respirable dust monitoring is an important step in protecting workers from serious and irreversible occupational disease, and intentional interference with monitoring equipment may constitute a breach of obligations under the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999.”
Le Roux said the effectiveness of dust monitoring programs depended on cooperation between service providers, mine management and workers.
He stressed that monitoring pumps should be worn correctly for the full sampling period, with sampling heads positioned within the worker’s breathing zone. Additionally, pumps and sampling heads should not be removed, switched off, obstructed or otherwise interfered with during monitoring activities.
“Mine workers play a vital role in ensuring dust monitoring results accurately reflect workplace conditions,” le Roux said.
“Strong leadership is essential to ensure workers understand respirable dust monitoring is an important health protection measure and integral to the mine’s safety and health management system.”
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