Mining safety paramount, says Minister

EMPLOYMENT, Skills and Mining Minister Stirling Hinchliffe recently opened the inaugural Mackay Area Industry Network (MAIN) Bowen Basin Mine Safety Conference in Mackay.

Minister Hinchliffe told delegates that the State Government had taken a number of significant steps to improve safety and health in Queensland's mining and quarrying industries.

"There is nothing more important than the safety and health of the men and women who work in the state's resources industry - each and every one of them has a fundamental right to return home safely at the end of their shift," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"Queensland has one of the best mine safety records in the world and the best mine safety legislation in the country - it's in everyone's best interests to keep it that way."

The Minister said new laws would require all workers on mine sites, including contractors, to work under the site's safety and health management system.

"This means contractors who carry out jobs such as roadworks or building works on mine sites will be required to follow the same safety and health management system as everyone else on the site.

"There is also a requirement, under legislation, for people operating machinery on mine and quarry sites to be 16 years of age or older."

Mr Hinchliffe said the National Mine Safety Framework and the national harmonisation of workplace health and safety legislation would have a significant impact on the industry in Queensland.

"Queensland's Mines Inspectorate is working closely with other major mining states to ensure the new laws are as good as Queensland's current legislation.

"Make no mistake - our laws are the toughest and the safest and they will stay that way," he said.

Mr Hinchliffe said his department was also working with mining companies, explosives suppliers, and the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union to address gas fumes during blasting in open-cut mines.

"We've set up a steering group which has developed new coal mine blasting guidelines, including exclusion zones, improved blast management competencies, awareness seminars in coal-mining regions and new standardised investigation protocols," he said.

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