NSW Introduces Amendments to Mining WHS Regulations

The NSW Government recently introduced the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Amendment Regulation 2019 under the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Act 2013.

The Amendment Regulation commences on 1 February 2020 and will amend the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2014 to address work health and safety issues, reduce regulatory burden and ensure the policy intent of the legislation is achieved.

Key issues addressed by the amendment regulation include, but are not limited to:

• introducing a high-risk activity notification for the establishment, operation, alteration or decommissioning of a tailings storage facility at a metalliferous mine (excluding opal mines), with appropriate transition provisions
• imposing a workplace exposure standard of 0.1 milligrams per cubic metre of air for diesel particulate matter with a 12-month transition period provided
• including fires on mobile plants and spontaneous combustion occurring at the surface of a coal mine as high potential incidents required to be notified to the Resources Regulator
• reducing the requirements for annual work health and safety reporting
• eliminating the one-month lead time for notification of certain reportable events
• extending the period of plant item registrations from one to five years
• expanding the offences for which penalty notices can be issued.

Article originally published by the Australian Institute of Health and Safety.