Coal mine safety in Queensland on the rocks: Inspectors sound alarm on repeat blunders

A Queensland Coal Mines Inspectorate report has revealed persistent and serious safety failures across the state’s mining operations, with high-potential incidents (HPIs) occurring at an alarming rate.

The Coal Inspectorate Incident Periodical – February 2025 identifies ongoing issues in four key areas: serious accidents, electric cable damage, microsleep events, and collisions involving heavy equipment. The report suggests that risk management strategies are failing to prevent repeat incidents, despite repeated warnings from regulators.

High-Potential Incidents Persist

According to the report, coal mine safety protocols continue to rely on administrative controls, which the Inspectorate has repeatedly warned are less effective than higher-order controls such as engineering, isolation, substitution, and elimination.

A serious accident involving a maintenance worker highlights the risks associated with working at heights. While inspecting a drill’s pulldown rope, the worker stepped on the rope, which was under tension. The rope released, throwing the worker over a handrail and resulting in a four-metre fall. Investigators found that while the machine was isolated at the time, safety controls to prevent such an incident were inadequate.

Electrical Hazards and Cable Damage

Multiple cases of heavy machinery making contact with high-voltage cables were documented, posing a severe safety risk. In one instance, a Marion 8050 dragline contacted a cable while repositioning, leading to a power trip. In another, a continuous miner's cutter head struck a 1,000-volt cable, exposing live conductors and triggering a fault in the section transformer.

The Inspectorate is urging operators to ensure personnel are properly trained in equipment movement near high-voltage cables, calling for enhanced inspections and risk assessments before machinery is repositioned.

Fatigue Management Failures

A series of microsleep incidents involving haul truck operators have raised concerns about fatigue management in coal mines. The most serious occurred when a fully loaded Komatsu 830E haul truck drifted into a bund after the operator fell asleep while ascending a ramp. The truck stopped after making contact, preventing a more severe accident.

In another case, a truck operator on the main haul road lost consciousness and hit a bund, spilling material over the headboard. The Inspectorate has reiterated the need for mine operators to enforce fatigue management procedures and ensure they are effectively communicated across workgroups.

Collisions Due to Poor Communication

Several incidents involving heavy equipment collisions were also highlighted. A dozer operator reversed into a dragline’s swing radius, narrowly avoiding a more serious accident after radio contact was made. In another case, a reclaimer struck an unattended skid-steer, pushing it ten metres because its location was not properly communicated before operations resumed.

The report calls for improved monitoring of spotting procedures and clearer communication protocols to prevent such incidents.

Regulatory Changes on the Horizon

The report also details upcoming regulatory changes. From 16 March 2025, the Queensland Government will transition from QGOV to QDI for its digital identity system. This change will impact those registered with the Practising Certificate System (PCS), which will require all statutory certificate holders to ensure compliance by 10 June 2025.

Urgent Call for Action

The Inspectorate is urging coal mine operators to take immediate steps to improve safety controls and prevent further incidents. While the mining industry has made advances in automation and engineering controls, the frequency of high-risk incidents underscores the need for stronger enforcement of safety measures.

“The failure to implement higher-order controls means these incidents will continue to occur,” the report states. “Mine operators must prioritise risk management beyond administrative and procedural measures.”

With regulators increasing scrutiny on safety compliance, the Queensland coal industry faces mounting pressure to act before further lives are put at risk.