Published in September 2008 Australian Longwall Magazine

“Noise related hearing loss is one of the main costs of workers compensation claims in New South Wales coal mining and needs to be given greater priority by industry,” the NSW Department of Primary Industries told Australian Longwall Magazine.

“The industry needs to have an all-round prevention effort addressing both low-probability/high-consequence risks and high-probability/medium-consequence risks.”

The DPI held seminars throughout July to bring operators up to date with the new laws. From September 1 last year the extended Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 has applied, with some modifications, to the NSW coal mining industry.

Twenty-one codes of practice made under the OHS Act that have applied to general industry were extended across the NSW mining industry.

The codes of practice cover matters including noise management, OHS consultation, manual handling, hot and cold work environments, hazardous substances and dangerous substances and construction work.

During the July seminars DPI said some coal operators indicated they had already applied the codes made under the OHS Act even though legally they did not yet apply to the mining industry.

Under the new rules risk control measures are listed for noise management. The new regulations state an employer must ensure that appropriate control measures are taken if a person is exposed to noise levels that exceed an eight-hour noise level equivalent of 85dB(A), or peak at more than 140dB(C).

Measurement and assessment of noise emission and exposure is taken at the position of a person’s ears, or at an equivalent of that position, and the measurement is to be made on the assumption that the person is not wearing any device to protect him or herself from noise.