Jarah Corporate OCE Go Fish (Set 1)

Question 1

Who does the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999 apply to?
(Act s.5)

Answer 1

1. Everyone who may affect the safety or health of a person while the persons are at a coal mine.
2. Everyone who may affect the safety or health of persons as a result of coal mining operations.
3. A person whose safety or health may be affected while at, or as a result of coal mining operations.

Question 2

What are the objects of the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999?
(Act s.6)

Answer 2

1. To protect the health and safety of persons who may be affected by coal mining operations.
2. To require that the risk of injury or illness to any person resulting from coal mining is at an acceptable level.
3. To provide a way of monitoring the effectiveness and administration of provisions relating to safety and health.

Question 3

How are the objects of the Act to be achieved?

Act s.7

Answer 3

Objects of the Act are achieved by:

a) Imposing safety and health obligations on persons.
b) Providing for a SHMS at a mine.
c) Making Regulations and Recognised Standards regarding risk management.
d) Establishing a Safety & Health Advisory Committee.
e) Providing for SSHRs.
f) Providing for Inspectors and other officers to monitor effectiveness of risk management and take action.
g) Providing a way for competencies to be assessed & recognised.
h) Requiring management structures for effective supervision of operations.
i) Providing for appropriate mines rescue capability.
j) Providing for satisfactory level of preparedness for emergencies.
k) Providing for the health assessment and surveillance of persons who are or who have been workers.

Question 4

How are the objectives of the Act achieved in relation to emergencies?
(Act s.7 (i) & (j))

Answer 4

The objectives of the Act in relation to emergencies are achieved by:

1. Providing for an appropriate coal mines rescue capability.
2. Providing for a satisfactory level of preparedness for emergencies at coal mines.

Question 5

What is the meaning of “On-site Activities”?

Act s.10(1)

Answer 5

1. Activities carried out principally for, or in connection with, exploring for or winning coal.
2. Construction in relation to exploration.
3. Treating coal and disposing of waste substances.
4. Rehabilitation of a place after coal mining operations.
5. Maintaining and testing plant, equipment / machinery.

Question 6

What is the meaning of Competence?

Act s.12

Answer 6

Competence for a task at a coal mine is the demonstrated skills and knowledge required to carry out the task to a standard necessary for the safety and health of persons.

Question 7

What is the meaning of Consultation?

Act s.13

Answer 7

Consultation with coal mine workers is a discussion between the SSE or supervisor and affected coal mine workers, about a matter with the aim of reaching agreement about the matter.

Question 8

What is the meaning of “Standard Operating Procedure”?

Act s.14

Answer 8

A SOP at a coal mine is a documented way of working, or an arrangement of facilities at the mine to achieve an acceptable level of risk developed after consultation with coal mine workers.

Question 9

What is the meaning of “Serious Accident”?

Act s.16

Answer 9

1. An accident that causes the death of a person, or

2. An accident that causes a person to be admitted to hospital as an inpatient for treatment.

Question 10

What is the meaning of “High Potential Incident”?

Act s.17

Answer 10

A HPI at a coal mine is an event, or a series of events, that causes or has the potential to cause a significant adverse effect on the safety or health of a person.

Question 11

List the basic elements a coal mine’s safety and health management system must provide for.
(Reg s.6)

Answer 11

1. Risk identification and assessment.
2. Hazard analysis.
3. Hazard management and control.
4. Reporting & recording relevant safety & health information and data.

Question 12

What are the requirements for a SSE to keep information and data on which risk assessment is based?
(Reg s.7)

Answer 12

The SSE must ensure a copy of each risk assessment for the mine, and information and data on which it was based, is kept at the mine until it is superseded or the hazard to which it relates is no longer at the mine.

Question 13

What safety and health related issues must the mine’s SHMS provide effective notification about to each person at the mine?
(Reg s.8(1))

Answer 13

a) Protocols for taking action in life threatening situations – Example, CPR protocols.
b) Emergencies, and the location of known hazards affecting the person’s safety or health.

Question 14

To whom must a copy of a draft standard operating procedure be given to by the SSE?
(Reg s.10(1)(b))

Answer 14

The coal mine workers with whom the site senior executive consulted.

Question 15

What must happen if the coal mine worker’s do not agree with the draft SOP?
(Reg s.10(1)(d))

Answer 15

1. The Site Senior Executive must prepare it as the final Standard Operating Procedure.
2. For a disagreement that is not about a legal or technical matter – the Site Senior Executive must decide the disagreed matter and prepare the final Standard Operating Procedure.

Question 16

In developing SOP’s, what must the SSE have regard to when developing controls for hazards?
(Reg s.10(3))

Answer 16

1. Use risk assessment process recognised by the mining industry as an acceptable process for identifying & controlling hazards.
2. Have regard to the methods of controlling the hazard stated in the database. (Industry Hazard Database).

Question 17

What is the requirement regarding access to SOP’s at a mine?

Reg s.11

Answer 17

1. Kept in a location that is easily accessible.
2. Copy for a particular task is current and readily available to workers carrying out the task.
3. Kept in a format that’s easy to understand.

Question 18

What must the SSE ensure with regards to accessing Recognised Standards?
(Reg s.12)

Answer 18

The SSE for a coal mine must ensure—

a) List of the current Recognised Standards for the mine’s coal mining operations is kept at the mine in a location that is easily accessible by the mine’s coal mine workers.
b) A copy of the current Recognised Standard for a particular coal mining operation is available to, and easily accessible by, each coal mine worker engaged in the operation at the mine.
c) The list and each Recognised Standard is kept in a format that is easy to use and understand.

Question 19

What are the requirements for the election of a Site Safety and Health Representative for a coal mine or part of a coal mine that must be held under Section 93 of the Act?
(Reg s.12(k))

Answer 19

An election of a Site Safety and Health Representative for a coal mine or part of a coal mine must be held under section 93 of the Act if—

a) The office of a Site Safety and Health Representative for the coal mine or part is vacant or will become vacant before the election; and
b) A relevant coal mine worker—
i. Asks the Chief Inspector, in writing, for an election to be held; and
ii. Gives a copy of the request to the Site Senior Executive for the coal mine.

Question 20

What three (3) matters must a mine safety and health management system provide for in relation to incidents and accidents?
(Reg s.15(1))

Answer 20

1. Procedure for investigating accident and incident.
2. Making findings available.
3. Implementing corrective actions.