Please read this before using presentation

• This presentation is based on content presented at the industry

information session on risk-based hygiene management
planning held in May 2015
• It is made available for non-commercial use (e.g. toolbox
meetings, OHS discussions) subject to the condition that the
PowerPoint file is not altered without permission from
Resources Safety
• Supporting resources, such as brochures and posters, are
available from Resources Safety
• For resources, information or clarification, please contact:
[email protected]
or visit
www.dmp.wa.gov.au/ResourcesSafety

www.dmp.wa.gov.au/ResourcesSafety 1
Our commitment

To work with industry to reduce serious accidents and

incidents, and provide tangible support in achieving a
positive cultural change.

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Resources Safety’s focus

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Ventilation of underground mines in Western
Australia

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What are we going to cover?

Existing WA legislation
• State of play
• Subsidiary material, COPs, standards, alerts, SIRs
• Role of industry and the regulator
• Prescriptive ventilation requirements
• Common deficiencies relating to ventilation
management

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What are we going to cover?

New WA legislation - Work Health & Safety

(Resources) Bill
• Timeline for introduction
• Safety management system (PHMP, PCP)
• Risk management process
• Duty holders - principles applicable to duties
• Application to ventilation

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What are we going to cover?

Ventilation management moving forward

• Application of innovative technologies
• Working together for effective vent management

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Existing WA legislation

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 How is safety currently regulated in WA?

WorkSafe Energy
Resources Safety
WA Safety

Petroleum and
Occupational Mines Safety Dangerous
Geothermal Energy Safety
Safety and and Inspection Goods Safety
Energy Act
Health Act Act Act
Resources Act

General industry Mines Safety Petroleum

DG safety Energy safety
safety and Inspection safety
regulations regulations
regulations Regulations regulations

Occupational health and safety

DG / explosives
Gas and
safety and
electrical safety
Workplace hazardous chemicals (excluding DG)
security

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Legislative hierarchy

– IMAGE: https://www.google.com.au/Resource-Safety-Law-Reform-in-WA.

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Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 and
Mines Safety and Inspection Regulations 1995
Legislation

– Duty of care
– Risk management
– Concept of “reasonably practicable”

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Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 and
Mines Safety and Inspection Regulations 1995
Application
• OSH in mining operations:
─ exploration
─ surface and underground mines
─ certain port activities
─ mineral treatment facilities
─ construction

• Provides a relatively high level of prescription around

atmospheric contaminants and ventilation

MSIA and MSIR will continue to be the primary legislation until

harmonised legislation is introduced

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 MSIR - Prescriptive ventilation regulations

Part 7 — Occupational health

7.27 Risk assessment
7.28 Means of reducing risk of exposure to hazardous
substances
7.29 Workplace atmospheric contaminant monitoring to be
provided
Part 9 — Ventilation and control of dust and atmospheric contaminants
9.3 Ventilation officer to be appointed
9.4 Qualifications of ventilation officer
9.5 Duties of ventilation officer – underground
9.6 Duties of ventilation officer – surface mining operations
9.7 Ventilation log book
9.8 Ventilation system defects to be rectified
9.11 Exposure standards
9.12 Control of atmospheric contaminants

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 MSIR - Prescriptive ventilation regulations (con’t)

Part 9 — Ventilation and control of dust and atmospheric contaminants (con’t)

9.13 Sampling of atmospheric contaminants
9.14 Air in underground workplaces
9.15 Air temperature
9.16 Air sources
9.20 Ventilating fans and equipment
9.28 Ventilation plans for underground mines
9.29 Monitoring of toxic, asphyxiant and explosive gases

Part 10 — Specific requirements for underground mines

10.12 Workers to be withdrawn if danger exists
10.29 Sulphide dust ignitions
10.51 Specifications and testing of diesel units
10.52 Ventilating air requirements for diesel unit operation
10.53 Exhaust treatment devices
10.54 Undiluted exhaust gas sampling
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Publications – Codes of practice and guidelines

• Mining – endorsed by Mining Industry Advisory Committee

(MIAC)
• Approved and gazetted by the Minister for Mines and Petroleum
• Mining – endorsed by MIAC

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 Publications – Safety alerts
Share lessons learnt
Application
Application
• Safety Bulletin – covers cluster of similar incidents or
industry-wide problem or developing issue
• Significant Incident Report – issued for specific incidents
with serious or potentially serious consequences

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Legislation and guidance

• MSIR applies exposure standards as

defined by “Adopted National Exposure
Standards for Atmospheric
Contaminants in the Occupational
Environment” [NOHSC:1003 (1995)]

• Numerous references currently exist

in MSIR to Australian Standards
(e.g. AS 3640 & AS 2985 Workplace
atmospheres - Method for sampling
and gravimetric determination of inhalable /
respirable dust)

• Safety bulletins, significant incident reports

– IMAGE: https://www.google.com.au/Resource-Safety-Law-Reform-in-WA.

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Common ventilation deficiencies
Underground
• Competency of vent officers
– Including health & hygiene
• Lack of data recorded in vent log books
– Primary, secondary, vent modifications
• Multiple branching and lack of choking
• Long runs of primary/secondary vent
• Inadequate airflow in high temp/humidity
• Atmospheric contaminants (DP,CO,CO2,NOX,SO2,CH4,H2S)
• Lack of gas monitoring

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Common ventilation deficiencies
Surface
• Gold rooms (NH3,HCN)
• Welding / boilermaker bays
• Painting and sandblasting
• Dangerous goods / reagents / gas cylinder storage
• Laboratories
• Dust:
– Processing (crushing), open pit (drilling and haulage),
exploration

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MSIR 9.4 Qualifications of ventilation officer

(1) To be eligible for appointment as a ventilation officer for an

underground mining operation, a person must hold —
(a) a diploma or degree in which mine ventilation was
a substantial component of the curriculum; or
(b) a qualification considered by the State mining engineer
to be adequate for the mine

(2) To be eligible for appointment as a ventilation officer for a surface

mining operation, or as a technician assisting a ventilation officer,
a person must —
(a) be trained in the sampling and assessment of
atmospheric contaminants; and
(b) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the manager or
principal employer that the person is competent to
perform the duties of that position

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MSIR 9.5. Duties of ventilation officer — underground
(see also MSIR 9.6. for surface ventilation officer)

• Regularly inspect and test workplaces to ensure adequate ventilation flows

and that atmospheric contaminants are ALARA
• At intervals not exceeding 3 months:
– (and after any substantial change) determine and record the quantity
and quality of ventilating air in the mine using correct procedures,
instruments and equipment
– Record primary fan pressure and volume
– Update mine ventilation plans, have immediately available to
emergency response
• Operate, calibrate and maintaining instrumentation
• Conduct, record and report any atmospheric contaminant sampling
requested by an Inspector

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MSIR 9.5. Duties of ventilation officer — underground
(see also MSIR 9.6. for surface ventilation officer)

• Record the wet and dry bulb temperatures of all workplaces where
conditions have potential for adverse effects on the safety and health of
persons
• Select and position auxiliary fans, regulators and other controls, ensuring
that the required volumes of air are provided in workplaces
• Report promptly to the manager any defect or deficiency in the ventilation
at the mine or any atmospheric contaminant level in a workplace that
exceeds the exposure standard
• Enter records in the ventilation log book, dated and signed
• Provide guidance to any technician employed to assist

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Mines Safety Bulletin no. 95 (2011)

• Promotes MSIR 9.14, 9.15, 10.52

• Planning and scheduling of:
– ventilation surveys
– return airway development
– advance electrical infrastructure
• Suitability of fans
• Provision of :
– gas monitors during re-entry
– ventilation quantities required for the operation of
diesel equipment in operating areas.
• Shift Supervisor awareness of ventilation standards
• Discourages the practice of ventilating multiple ends
from one fan, particularly multiple levels

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What is the vision for leading practice regulation?

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New legislation - Work Health & Safety
(Resources) Bill

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Work Health and Safety (Resources) Act and
Regulations* (indicative structure only)

WHS(R) Act – High level generic provisions

WHS(R) Regulations to include:

• Major Hazard Facilities (MHF)
• Petroleum safety & health

Separate Acts and Regulations retained by:

• WorkSafe
─ WHS Act
─ Consistent with WHS model

• Dangerous Goods
─ Major Hazard Facilities (MHF)
removed

• Petroleum (3 separate Acts)

─ OHS elements removed
Provisions not adopted by Western Australia are workplace entry by WHS entry permit holders, and enforceable undertakings.
* Subject to the outcomes of detailed development and stakeholder consultation

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Work Health and Safety (Resources) Act

Work Health and Safety (Resources) Act

PCBU = Person conducting business or undertaking

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 Where are we up to?
Work Health
Consultation and Safety
Draft Work RIS (Resources)
Consultation Health and legislation
Safety Mar – Aug
Regulatory 2016 Dec 2016
Impact (Resources)
Statement Regulations
(RIS)
June - Oct
Draft Work
2015
Health and
Safety
(Resources)
Bill

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Management and supervision - differences
MSIA WHS(R)A

• Principal employer PCBU – Duties of mine operator

• Registered manager Duties of Site Senior Executive
• Underground manager; alternate
and deputy Other prescribed positions:
• Quarry manger; alternate and • Exploration
deputy • Underground
• Surface
• Underground supervisor
• Ventilation Officer
• Management appointments
• Exploration manager
• Other supervisors (surface and
exploration operations)

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Duty of officers
There is a positive duty on officers of the PCBU to exercise “due
diligence” to ensure that the PCBU complies with any duty or
obligation under the Act.
• The positive duty requires officers to be proactive
• Included in duties of an officer:
– Acquiring and keeping up-to-date knowledge of work health and safety
matters
– Ensuring the PCBU has, and implements, processes for complying with
any duty or obligation placed on the PCBU
– Duty to consult with other duty holders
– Duty to consult with workers

• Duty is not transferrable

• Obligations cannot be contracted out

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Roles in risk management process
Duty holder must:
• Identify all reasonably foreseeable hazards
• Eliminate risks – so far as is reasonably practicable
• If above not possible, minimise those risks – so far as is reasonably
practicable

A person conducting a business or undertaking must ensure, so

far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of:

• workers engaged, or caused to be engaged by

the person; and
• workers whose activities in carrying out work are
influenced or directed by the person, while the
workers are at work in the business or
undertaking.

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What is reasonably practicable?

• At a particular time
• Having regard to
– Degree of harm/severity
– Likelihood of potential injury or harm related to the hazard
• State of knowledge of (knows or ought to know):
– hazard or the risk
– potential for injury or harm
– likelihood of occurring
– means of eliminating or minimising the risk, and
• Availability and suitability of methods
• Cost of means (grossly disproportionate to the risk)

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Duty holder and control measures

Duty holder must ensure that control measure is maintained so that

it is, and remains effective, and is:
• fit for purpose
• suitable for nature and duration of work
• installed, set up, and used correctly

Duty holder must review and as necessary revise control measures

to maintain, so far as is reasonably practicable, work environment
without risk
IMAGE SOURCE: http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/attorney_general/acts_regulations.html

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WHSMS / PHMP / PCP

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 Safety Management System (SMS)

• Mine operator must establish and implement SMS

• SMS must be used as primary tool to manage health and safety
risks by mine operator
• No mining operations to take place without SMS established
and implemented
• SMS to deal with current operations
• SMS must be appropriate to mining operations
depending on:
– nature
– complexity
– location

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SMS requirements

SMS must be:

• A comprehensive and integrated system to manage all risks
associated with the mine and mining operation
• Developed and maintained in consultation with relevant
employees
• Documented and be part of mine records
• Measured for effectiveness
• Maintained to remain effective
• Reviewed:
– within first 12 months of commencement
for new mines
– once every 3 years or as necessary

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www.dmp.wa.gov.au/ResourcesSafety 37
Ventilation management moving forward

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Continued compliance with existing legislation

• Current legislation will remain until at least end of 2016

• Requirements of MSIA continue to apply
─ S. 9(1) Provide and maintain
workplaces, plant, and systems
of work of a kind that, so far as is
practicable, the employer’s
employees are not exposed to
hazards

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Ventilation management
An obligation placed on PCBUs to:
• identify principal hazards, including ventilation and
develop Principal Hazard Management Plans
• exercise “due diligence” through consultation,
representation and participation
• risk assess and implement effective controls
• identify all reasonably foreseeable hazards
• eliminate risks – so far as is reasonably practicable
• maintain, monitor and review controls

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Ventilation management (con’t)

Principal Control Plans to be developed and implemented

• Ventilation Management Plan
• Diesel Emissions Management Plan
• Risk Based Occupational Hygiene Management Plans
(Health)
• Fibrous Minerals Management Plan

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Innovative technological future
• Optic fibre communication capability
• Enables real-time analysis:
– Equipment and personnel movement
– Machinery emissions monitoring
– Personal exposure monitoring
– Ambient fixed position environment monitoring
– Ventilation flows
– Temperature, humidity, DP, CO, CO2, NOX, SO2, CH4,
H2S
• Ventilation on demand (VOD)
• Innovation by design – future developments

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 WA Mine Ventilation Management
New Code of Practice
g
e k in
– se
n t ent
p me lvem
v e lo in v o
n de try
I us
in d

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