Public consultation

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Consultation on the draft guidance has closed.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.

In 2023 Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) released a discussion paper 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.

RSHQ has released a second discussion paper which provides 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 cover Queensland’s mining, quarrying, and petroleum and gas sectors, and include a mix of industry-wide and sector-specific options regarding 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 invites feedback on the discussion paper questions listed at the end of Chapters 4 to 7. Submissions can be made via Microsoft Forms or email to psychosocial@rshq.qld.gov.au.

Consultation is open until 5pm 6 June 2025.

All submissions will be published on RSHQ’s public consultation webpage unless feedback clearly indicates the submission is to be listed as anonymous or is for internal RSHQ consideration only. Please indicate in your response if the feedback shared is an individual view or on behalf of an organisation.

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

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.

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.

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.

Following a recommendation from the Queensland Mines Inspectorate, a Recognised Standard Tripartite Working Group (RSTWG) was formed to review the Recognised Standard for tyre, wheel and rim management (RS13).

Submissions from industry were received through two consultation periods: 23 June 2023 to 1 August 2023 and 22 November 2023 to 21 December 2023. The updated Recognised Standard 13 was gazetted on 21 June 2024.

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.

Following a recommendation from the Queensland Mines Inspectorate, a Recognised Standard Tripartite Working Group (RSTWG) was formed to review the Recognised Standard for underground electrical equipment and electrical installations (RS01).

Submissions from industry were received through two consultation periods: 4 November 2022 to 16 December 2022 and 24 April 2023 to 25 May 2023. The updated Recognised Standard 01 was gazetted on 21 June 2024.

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.

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.

Please provide your feedback to the Explosives Inspectorate using the feedback form linked here.

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