In its updated Compliance Priorities, the regulator said the upgraded focus on proximity detection was due to the circumstances of incidents reported in the last six months, and its recent targeted awareness campaign at surface mines around heavy vehicle interaction.

"Collision avoidance and proximity detection are two types of technology that can potentially reduce the risk of collision interaction where other types of controls are not effective," it said.

"The planned activities for this project will involve an assessment of each site's implementation of such technologies or alternative engineering controls."

The regulator said proximity detection and collision avoidance systems were not designed to replace existing administrative controls such as inductions and training.

"Rather they are an additional layer of support to ensure that the risks associated with mobile plant interactions are as low as reasonably practicable," it said.