Public consultation

Open consultations

Closed consultations

• Draft guides for doctors performing welding fume and isocyanate health surveillance

  RSHQ has developed two new draft guides to support doctors performing health surveillance under the Coal Mine Workers’ Health Scheme.

  The guides provide practical information for appointed medical advisers (AMAs) and examining medical officers (EMOs) to carry out health surveillance for workers exposed to welding fumes and isocyanates.

  These guides aim to support consistent, risk-based health surveillance and early detection of adverse health effects in coal mine workers.

  The draft Health surveillance for welding fume exposure – guide for doctors (PDF, 215KB) will support doctors assessing workers exposed to welding and other hot work processes. The draft guide complements Queensland Guidance Note 36: Managing exposure to welding fume in coal mines (QGN 36) (PDF, 2MB), which also outlines the risk management approach, exposure monitoring and control measures in coal mining operations.

  The draft Health surveillance for isocyanates exposure – guide for doctors (PDF, 206KB) will support doctors assessing workers exposed to polymeric chemicals containing isocyanates, commonly used in strata control and sealing applications. The draft guide aligns with the draft Recognised Standard 16: The use and control of polymeric chemicals at coal mines (RS16) (PDF, 5MB), which was recently out for consultation.

  RSHQ invited feedback on the draft guides and consultation closed on 11 October 2026.

• Recognised Standard 16: Use and control of polymeric chemicals at underground coal mines

  Following recommendations from the Queensland Coal Mining Board of Inquiry, a recognised standard tripartite working group was formed to draft an update to Recognised standard 16: Use and control of polymeric chemicals at underground coal mines (RS16) (PDF, 1MB)

  Submissions from industry were received on draft version 3 of RS16 (PDF, 5MB) through a first round consultation period: 15 June 2026 to 6 July 2026. The second consultation round closed on 5 October 2026.

• Underground mines rescue medical guideline

  Underground mines rescue operations are physically and psychologically demanding and may involve working conditions that would not normally be considered tolerable.

  The health assessment performed under the Coal Mine Workers’ Health Scheme for underground mines rescue personnel therefore needs to be more stringent compared to the requirements for normal mining work.

  The current Guideline for the medical assessment of mines rescue personnel was last updated in 2019. There have since been significant changes to clinical best practice and other jurisdictions have released new or updated standards and guidelines.

  RSHQ has reviewed the current guideline in consultation with the Queensland Mines Rescue Service and medical experts, including the Resources Medical Advisory Committee, and have developed the draft Underground mines rescue medical guideline.

  RSHQ invited feedback on the draft Underground mines rescue medical guideline from 24 November 2025 until 8 February 2026. Overall stakeholder feedback supported the revised Guideline, recognising the importance  of ensuring coal mine workers are medically suitable to perform underground mines rescue work.

  RSHQ thanks stakeholders for taking the time to review the draft and provide valuable, informative feedback to support this process. RSHQ has now released the revised Underground mines rescue medical guideline (PDF, 1MB). You can also refer to the Mine rescue medical page on the Business Queensland site for more information.

• Draft Guide to health surveillance for vanadium exposure

  RSHQ invited feedback on the draft guide, with consultation closing on Sunday 12 April 2026. Feedback is currently being considered.

  All submissions will be published on this page unless feedback clearly indicated the submission to be listed as anonymous or for internal RSHQ consideration only.

  For further information or enquiries, please email minershealth@rshq.qld.gov.au.

• Feedback on new draft Enforceable Undertakings guidance

  The Resources Safety and Health Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (the Act) introduces preventative and proactive reforms to improve the Queensland resources sector’s safety and health performance to reduce the occurrence of fatalities and serious accidents.

  The Act introduces enforceable undertakings as an alternative to prosecution and a flexible, responsive and tailored resolution to a contravention of a resources safety Act.

  Under the legislation, Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) is required to develop guidelines for accepting enforceable undertakings.

  Consultation on the draft guidance has closed.

  Guidance: Enforceable Undertakings is available here.

• Best practice guideline for prevention of explosives misfires in blasting applications

  The Explosives Inspectorate is seeking feedback on the draft of the second edition of the Best practice guideline for prevention of explosives misfires in blasting applications.

  Consultation is now open. Feedback should be based on any incorrect information or technical errors.

  Please provide your feedback by 11:59pm on Wednesday 21 January 2026 using the feedback form.

• Clarifying obligations to manage psychosocial hazards

  Discussion paper 1

  In 2023 Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) released a discussion paper (PDF, 325KB) presenting options to clarify obligations to manage psychosocial hazards in the Queensland resources industry. The majority of stakeholder feedback supported the option of modest legislative amendments, however also sought further detail about any potential changes.

  Discussion paper 2

  RSHQ released a second discussion paper (PDF, 2MB) on 4 April 2025 which provided more detailed policy proposals for clarifying existing obligations to manage psychosocial risks as well as reporting obligations related to psychosocial incidents and psychological injuries. The options provided covered Queensland’s mining, quarrying, and petroleum and gas sectors, and included a mix of industry-wide and sector-specific options, including clarifying:

  • the meaning of ‘health’ for the mine and quarry sectors, and ‘injury and illness’ for the petroleum and gas sectors
  • obligations for managing psychosocial risk within the prescribed risk management systems across Queensland’s resources industries
  • the approach for controlling psychosocial risks within Queensland’s resources safety and health legislation
  • mandatory reporting obligations in relation to serious accidents and high potential incidents involving psychosocial hazards that have, or may have, resulted in physical or psychological injury.

  RSHQ thanks stakeholders for taking the time to review the proposals and provide valuable, informative feedback to support this process. Stakeholders were generally supportive of making clarifying amendments to RSHQ legislation to provide better clarity about obligations for managing psychosocial hazards. RSHQ is considering next steps and will continue to communicate with stakeholders as further information is available.

  For further information or enquiries, please email psychosocial@rshq.qld.gov.au.

• Facilitating high reliability organisation behaviours in Queensland’s Resources Sector and Modernising Regulatory Enforcement

  Resources Safety and Health Legislation Amendment Act 2024

  

  The Resources Safety and Health Legislation Amendment Act 2024 was passed by the Legislative Assembly on 12 June 2024 and given Royal Assent on 18 June 2024.

  Find out more about the Resources Safety and Health Legislation Amendment Act 2024.

• Guideline for managing the risks of workplace sexual harassment

  Sexual harassment in any form is unacceptable and must not be tolerated anywhere, including in our workplaces. RSHQ recognises that workplace sexual harassment is a risk to the safety and health of resources industry workers, which needs to be managed effectively.

  RSHQ engaged external experts to develop the draft Guideline for managing the risks of workplace sexual harassment in the Queensland resources industry to support industry to manage these risks. The consultation paper provides further information on the approach taken to develop the Guideline.

  Consultation closed on Friday 12 July 2024 with 17 submissions received. Given the sensitive nature of the topic, these submissions have not been published.

  The finalised Guide to managing the risks of workplace sexual harassment in the Queensland resources industry was released on 7 February 2025.

  Note to readers – the Guide discusses topics that may be distressing. Help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you need support, please refer to the Queensland Regulator Map which has a range of support services and Government agencies that can provide assistance.

  For further information or enquiries, please email psychosocial@rshq.qld.gov.au or visit RSHQ’s psychosocial hazards and sexual harassment webpages.

• Code of Practice – Fireworks in Queensland

  Following the publication of the Queensland Code of Practice – Control of Outdoor Fireworks displays in 2003, the Explosives Inspectorate has undertaken a review and is seeking feedback on the draft of the second edition.

  Consultation on the draft of the second edition is now open. Feedback received will be considered when finalising the code.

  Responses are requested by 5pm (AEST), Sunday 2 March 2025.

• Recognised Standard 24: Spontaneous combustion management in underground coal mines

  Following a recommendation from the Queensland Coal Mining Board of Inquiry, the Recognised Standard Tripartite Working Group (RSTWG) has been formed to draft a Recognised Standard (RS) for spontaneous combustion management in underground coal mines.

  Submissions from industry were received through two consultation periods: 21 September 2023 to 27 October 2023 and 30 April 2024 to 31 May 2024. The RSTWG is now considering the most recent feedback. Once completed the RSTWG will submit a draft RS24 to the Coal Mining Safety and Health Advisory Committee (CMSHAC) for comment and then to the Minister for a decision.

• Recognised Standard 02: Control of risk management practices

  Following a recommendation from the Queensland Coal Mining Board of Inquiry, a Recognised Standard Tripartite Working Group (RSTWG) was formed to review the Recognised Standard for control of risk management practices (RS02).

  Submissions from industry were received through two consultation periods: 7 June 2023 to 6 July 2023 and 11 October 2023 to 6 November 2023. The RSTWG has now considered all of the feedback and will submit the draft RS02 to the Coal Mining Safety and Health Advisory Committee (CMSHAC) for comment and then to the Minister for a decision.

• Revised standards for acquiring chest X-rays

  In July 2023 RSHQ sought feedback from chest X-ray providers and radiologists on the draft revised Standards for acquiring digital chest radiography images for medical surveillance of Queensland mine and quarry workers (Chest X-ray standards).

  Consultation closed on 11 August 2023.

  The revised Chest X-ray standards were released on 29 November 2023 and incorporated technological advances, learnings from audits, updated legislation and standards, and stakeholder feedback received since initial implementation.

  For further information or enquiries, please email minershealth@rshq.qld.gov.au.