RSE3030 – Mine Ventilation | 1
PURPOSE
Ventilation safety is integral and essential to all underground mining. The purpose of this
assessment is to become familiar with cu
ent governmental regulations pertaining to the ventilation
of underground mines in Australia. The report and presentation is supposed to address the main
elements of the safety regulations that apply to the ventilation of both coal and non-coal mines for
the specific state or te
itory assigned.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY (WHS)
The Australia Capital Te
itory, the Commonwealth, New South Wales, the Northern Te
itory,
Tasmania and South Australia have adopted the model federal Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act
and the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations.
This may create some confusion in the field. For example, since each mining section is under
different legislative framework in regards to health and safety, some (for example: NSW) with their
practices enforced by their old legislation (the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000), with
additional separate mine-specific legislation covering all coal and metalliferous mines. Others (QLD
and WA) have mine-specific legislation regimes separate from their principal Work Health and
Safety legislative frame work, meaning and incident, undertaking of legislative requirements for the
cu
ent Work Health and Safety Act and Regulations 2011 cu
ently do not apply to OLD, WA or
NSW mines.
Regulations for mining are covered under the general work health and safety regulations in the other
jurisdictions with smaller mining industries. A summary of the regulatory frame- work for mining in
each jurisdiction is set out below.
RSE 3030 Mine Ventilation – Mine Ventilation Regulation Assessment 2019
RSE3030 – Mine Ventilation | 2
SAFE WORK AUSTRALIA
The most recent Safe Work Australia Act 2008 created a body called Safe Work Australia (consists
mainly of members who represent the Commonwealth, the State, the Te
itories, workers and
employers) to improve occupation health and safety outcomes and worker’s compensation
a
angement in Australia. It has various functions relating to occupational health and safety and
worker’s compensation, for example, sets health and safety standards including ventilation
standards in underground mining operations.
In Australia, there is not a centralised government agency (federal or state), like the United States,
that regulates the industry and enforcing various mine health and safety laws. Rather, mine health
and safety regulations are regulated and enforced by individual states, and specific regulations may
vary from state to state, and they have to be refe
ed to for details depending on specific locations.
Below is a list of safety and/or mining regulatory authority in various states and te
itory:
New South Wales – the Division of Resources and Energy: www.resources.nsw.gov.au)
Queensland – Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy:
https:
www.dnrme.qld.gov.au/
South Australia – Department of Energy and Mining: http:
energymining.sa.gov.au/
Western Australia – Department of Commerce: www.commerce.wa.gov.au
Victoria – Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions: https:
djpr.vic.gov.au
Tasmania – Department of Workplace Standards: https:
www.worksafe.tas.gov.au/
Northern Te
itory – Worksafe NT – Responsible for Occupational Health and Safety:
www.worksafe.nt.gov.au
Also see: https:
www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/industry_business/mining
PRESENTATION AND REPORT
The class is to divide into three groups self-selected groups of 2, each visiting one of the
egulations in the above list (different one for each group). Ventilation-related topics should be
eviewed and each group should produce a report and a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation for
an educated audience. The report body (excluding contents and references/appendices) should
e no longer than 5000 words. The slides are to (1) review/highlight all relevant regulations in a
concise manner and (2) provide a summary with your thoughts and comments. Both coal and
non-coal underground mines should be considered.
It is estimated that, on the average, you will need between 15 to 25 slides) — so you need to
a
eviate/expand depending on the topic (I suggest you practise timing in advance). The
presentation will be graded on content (70%) and delivery (30%). The report and presentation
should be uploaded to Moodle before class (7 pm) on 2-Nov-2020. The presentations will be
delivered in class on 3-Nov-2020.
https:
www.dnrme.qld.gov.au
http:
energymining.sa.gov.au
https:
www.worksafe.tas.gov.au
http:
www.worksafe.nt.gov.au
https:
www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/industry_business/mining