Mining

Under the Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 (WA), there are specific reporting requirements for:

• Accidents involving injury to persons
• Occurrences (commonly referred to as incidents).

Please note: A monthly status report must be submitted whether or not there has been a reportable accident during the month.

For an overview of reporting requirements download the reporting an accident or incident poster.

Accident Reports, Incident Reports and Monthly Status Reports must be submitted to Resources safety via the online Safety Regulation System (SRS).

A company administrator must register for SRS access before reports can be submitted.

Phone:  08 9358 8102
Email:   SRSNotificationsManager@dmp.wa.gov.au

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Operations submitting an occurrence report to the Safety Regulation System (SRS) for a seismic event and/or fall of ground occurrence are routinely required to provide additional information following submission of the initial occurrence report. The additional information is gathered during the incident investigation and must be submitted (via SRS) within two weeks of the initial report. A template is available (see below) to assist in information collation before entering the data into SRS.

A template is also available (see below) for operations reporting hydraulic or paste fill incidents or barricade failures, for which additional information is also routinely required following the initial report. The additional information is gathered during the incident investigation and must be submitted to the District Inspector within two weeks of the initial report. Note: SRS submission of the additional information is not yet available.

A guide to electronic reporting of seismic and fall of ground occurrences is available (see below) to assist when entering data into SRS.

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To view all Safety bulletins refer to the mining publications section. The dangerous goods safety publications section also contains Safety bulletins that may be applicable to mining operations.

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The latest significant incident reports are provided below. To view all significant incident reports refer to the mining publications section. The dangerous goods safety publications section also contains significant incident reports that may be applicable to mining operations.

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The document below provides useful information on how an investigation is run.  It is not intended to be a detailed ‘how-to-do-it’ manual. Rather, it aims to assist safety and health representatives to understand the principles involved in conducting an investigation and provide procedural hints should they become involved in an investigation, including:

• What to look for
• Conducting an investigation
• Principles of investigation
• Checklist to establish the facts
• Checklist to determine recommendations and conclusions.

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Each month accident and injury details are reported to Resources Safety by mine managers, as are the number of persons employed (including contractor employees) and the hours worked during the month. The data is provided in an effort to aid the development of injury prevention strategies.

From this data, Resources Safety produces the annual Safety Performance in the Western Australian Mineral Industry annual reports which include statistics on lost time injuries and more recently, disabling injuries. To view the annual reports refer to the publications section.

Posters providing summary statistics and toolbox presentations on safety performance in the Western Australian Mineral Industry are available.

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The incident report database is used to record and retrieve information about incidents in mining workplaces in Western Australia, and provides a useful tool for identifying trends in reported incidents and assessing risk.

To access the incident report database refer to the Department’s Online Systems.

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The Western Australian mining fatalities database contains information on workplace fatalities recorded in Western Australian mines and the results of inquests relating to them.

Data can be sorted by category (underground or surface), commodity (eg base metals, coal), date, fiscal year, occupation, rider/no rider or status (preliminary report, intermediate report, final report).

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The loss of a loved one in a work-related accident will be one of the most difficult experiences families can go through. The booklet below aims to provide bereaved families with information on what government agencies do if there is a death at a mining operation, and where people can go for support and assistance. Topics covered include:

• Overview of what happens following a mining fatality
• Initial response
• Media reports and contact from journalists
• The Coroner
• Police officers from the Coronial Investigation Unit
• Funeral arrangements
• Resources Safety investigation
• Prosecution action by Resources Safety
• Coronial inquiry
• Registration of death
• Further action by Resources Safety
• Obtaining help and support
• Other information.

Further information on topics such as the WA Police investigation, investigations by other government agencies, funeral arrangements and costs, and worker’s compensation entitlements, is available in the 2010 State Government publication When your partner or relative dies in a work-related accident — information for partners and relatives.

Information on other support services is also available from Miners' Promise, an independent industry legacy scheme created for resource workers in Western Australia. Its main objective is to deliver financial assistance to families of resource workers following an accident or fatality. Miners' Promise will also provide family support services and professional financial and legal support and advice to these families during this difficult time.

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Safety Behaviour Survey of the WA Mining Industry (2002)

A Safety Behaviour Survey was undertaken by the Mines Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Board (MOSHAB; superseded by MIAC) in 2002 to collect information from employees regarding their views on key safety issues, including perceptions of things that might lead to risk-taking behaviour on mine sites. The report and appendices are available below.

Report on drilling hazards (2000)

As part of MOSHAB’s inquiry into mining fatalities in September 1997, the Drilling Hazards Subcommittee prepared reports on its findings and recommendations. Due to wide range of issues and recommendations raised by the Subcommittee, some outside its terms of reference, the Board commissioned the State Mining Engineer to prepare an Executive Summary and Action Plan of the Subcommittee reports. These were published in a single report in 2000, which is available below.

Report on the effects of Cyclone Bobby (1995)

Cyclone Bobby swept Western Australia in 1995. It caused considerable damage and disruption to the State’s mining industry. Affected mine sites were surveyed and the report on the cyclone’s impact is available below.

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