Queensland Resources Safety and Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2024: A Comprehensive Overview

Queensland’s mining industry is a cornerstone of the region’s economy, but with great economic benefit comes significant responsibility, particularly in ensuring the safety and health of those who work in this high-risk sector.

The recently introduced Resources Safety and Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 marks a significant step forward in strengthening the regulatory framework governing mining operations in Queensland. Central to this legislation are the critical control requirements designed to mitigate risks and enhance safety.

Understanding the Amendment Bill

The Resources Safety and Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 aims to address the evolving challenges within the mining industry. It seeks to build upon existing regulations by introducing more stringent safety protocols and ensuring that mining operations adhere to the highest standards of safety and health management.

The Amendment Bill was introduced into the Queensland Parliament on 18 April 2024. The principal policy objectives of the Bill are to reduce the occurrence of fatalities and serious accidents and facilitate growth in high-reliability organisation (HRO) behaviours within the resources sector.

The reforms have been informed by a review of all fatal accidents in Queensland mines and quarries from 2000 to 2019 (Brady Review), the Queensland Coal Mining Board of Inquiry finalised in May 2021, and the Queensland Government’s mining industry-wide safety resets in 2019 and 2021.

What are Critical Controls?

Critical controls are specific measures or actions that are essential to preventing fatalities and catastrophic events. They are designed to mitigate high-risk scenarios such as explosions, fires, and structural failures, which can have devastating consequences. These controls are identified based on systematic processes to identify the critical few.

For simple pointers, refer to our blog Top 3 Tips for Critical Risk Management.

Key Provisions of the Critical Control Requirements

The Amendment Bill outlines several key provisions regarding critical control requirements:

1. Identification and Assessment

• Mining operators are required to conduct thorough risk assessments to identify potential hazards.
• Critical controls must be clearly defined and documented for each identified risk.

2. Implementation and Maintenance

• Mining companies must implement these critical controls effectively.
• Regular maintenance and inspection schedules are mandated to ensure that these controls are always functional.

3. Monitoring and Reporting:

• Continuous monitoring of critical controls is essential. This involves using advanced technologies and regular manual inspections.
• Operators must report any failures or deficiencies in critical controls to the regulatory authorities promptly.

4. Training and Competency

• Workers must receive adequate training on the critical controls relevant to their roles.
• Ongoing competency assessments are necessary to ensure that workers can effectively implement and adhere to these controls.

5. Audit and Review

•  Regular audits by independent bodies are required to assess the effectiveness of critical controls.
•  The results of these audits should be used to continuously improve safety measures and update critical controls as needed.

The Impact on the Mining Industry

The introduction of these critical control requirements is expected to significantly enhance the safety culture within Queensland’s mining industry. By focusing on the prevention of catastrophic events, the Amendment Bill aims to reduce the incidence of workplace accidents and fatalities. Additionally, these measures will likely lead to increased trust and confidence among workers, stakeholders, and the broader community.

Challenges and Considerations

While the benefits of the Amendment Bill are clear, its implementation does pose certain challenges:

• Requirements: Once new requirements are understood, organization should confirm current vs desired status, e.g. refer to figure 4 for a typical Critical Control Maturity Assessment completed by FEFO.
• Resource Allocation: Mining companies will need to invest in the right capability to meet the new requirements with a clear plan to meet desired state.
• Change Management: As part of implanting a plan, understanding the potential impact of change, competing operational needs is important to ensure proposed improvements are effective. The dynamic nature of mining operations means that continuous feedback loops are needed to ensure adaptation of critical controls remain relevant and continually improve.

Conclusion

The Resources Safety and Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 represents a proactive approach to mining safety in Queensland. The introduction of critical control legislation aims to prevent and mitigate material catastrophic risks.

Mining companies operating in Queensland must now focus on integrating these critical controls into their safety management systems and empowering the workforce to foster a high-performance culture.

For more detailed information, please refer to the official Resources Safety and Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2024.

What to Do?

For more information on Critical Control Management contact us or refer to our Critical Control blog The Unintended Consequences of Getting it Wrong.