The amendments will come into effect in June 2008.
Some of the issues covered in the amended Act are the notification and declarations that certain exploration activities are underground gasification activities, the clarification of the powers of inspectors, inspection officers and authorised officers relating to investigations, specification of the information to be supplied as soon as possible about an accident, incident or death by the site senior executive to an inspector, industry safety and health representative or district workers representative and specification of information that an inspector, inspection officer or authorised officer may require a person to provide about an accident, incident or death.
The amendments relating to underground gasification activities will allow clarification of the roles of the Mines Inspectorate and the Petroleum and Gas Inspectorate of the Department of Mines and Energy when underground gasification of coal seams is proposed during exploration.
Minor amendments to the functions and powers of inspectors, inspection officers and authorised officers will make it clear that they may investigate any matter affecting the successful management of risk to persons.
Amendments to sections of the Acts relating to notification of accidents, incidents and deaths were introduced following a death at a Queensland mine when the investigating officers had difficulty in finding out the accurate location of the accident.
As a result of this difficulty, it was not until 28 hours after the accident that the scene could be inspected. The amendments require site senior executives to provide relevant information (known as primary information) to Mines Inspectorate officers, industry safety and health representatives and district workers representatives. Similar primary information must also be supplied by any person with the information if requested to do so by a Mines Inspectorate officer.
The primary evidence is not admissible in evidence against the person providing the evidence in any criminal proceeding.
Roger Billingham
Chief Inspector of Mines Vision
Queensland Department Mines and Energy
info@dme.qld.gov.au
www.dme.qld.gov.au