OH Consultant

Mining: WHS Management That Works When You're Not Looking

Mining faces the most concentrated WEL impact of any industry: silica drops 50%, coal dust drops 50%, diesel particulate gets a limit for the first time, and nitrogen dioxide drops 83%. These are not marginal changes — they represent a fundamental reassessment of what constitutes acceptable exposure in underground and open-cut operations, and they take effect on 1 December 2026.

-50%
Silica WEL reduction
Safe Work Australia WEL List
0.1 mg/m³
Diesel particulate WEL (NEW)
Safe Work Australia WEL List
-50%
Coal dust WEL reduction
Safe Work Australia WEL List

What keeps mining managers up at night

Silica and coal dust in an era of halved limits

RCS drops from 0.05 to 0.025 mg/m³ and coal dust from 3 to 1.5 mg/m³. Mining operations that were compliant at the old limits may find themselves non-compliant at the new limits with identical processes. The Managing Risks of RCS Code (February 2026) is the newest code in NSW and addresses mining-specific silica tasks. The silica worker register has been mandatory since October 2025.

WHS Regulation 2025, Part 8A.1; Code of Practice — Managing risks of RCS

Diesel particulate in underground operations

Underground mining with diesel-powered equipment has some of the highest diesel particulate exposures of any industry. With no prior WES, many operations have relied on ventilation design standards rather than personal exposure monitoring. The new 0.1 mg/m³ WEL creates a measurable, enforceable limit for the first time.

Safe Work Australia WEL List

Remote site compliance documentation

Mining operations in remote locations face challenges maintaining current documentation, training records, and inspection evidence. Paper-based systems deteriorate in harsh conditions, and administrative staff turnover at remote sites creates documentation gaps.

WHS Regulation 2025, multiple provisions

What's changing for mining in 2026

WEL Impact (4 substances affected)

SubstanceCurrent WESNew WELChangeEffective
Silica (RCS)0.05 mg/m³0.025 mg/m³-50%1 December 2026
Diesel particulateNo current WES0.1 mg/m³NEW1 December 2026
Coal dust3 mg/m³1.5 mg/m³-50%1 December 2026
Nitrogen dioxide3 ppm0.5 ppm-83%1 December 2026

Section 26A Applicable Codes (12)

Managing risks of respirable crystalline silica
The newest code (Feb 2026), directly applicable to drilling, blasting, crushing, and processing operations
Managing risks of hazardous chemicals
Governs the chemical register and risk assessment for silica, coal dust, diesel particulate, and all other hazardous substances
Confined spaces
Applies to underground workings, tanks, silos, and enclosed process equipment
Managing the risks of plant
Covers mobile plant, fixed plant, conveyors, and crushers — requires traffic management, exclusion zones, and pre-start checks
Managing noise and preventing hearing loss
Drilling, blasting, crushing, and processing operations generate noise levels well above 85 dB(A)

Penalty Exposure

Max Individual
$2,318,844 (Category 1) or $447,122 (Category 2)
Max Body Corporate
$11,150,183 (Category 1)
Uninsurable Since
10 June 2020
Recent Prosecution
Mining sector also subject to Resources Regulator (NSW) enforcement. Combined penalties can be substantial, with Category 1 prosecutions attracting multi-million dollar fines.

How EHS Atlas solves this for mining

FlaskConical
Silica, coal dust, diesel — all substances tracked
Every hazardous substance tracked with current exposure data and incoming WEL mapping. Silica worker register integration. Diesel particulate flagged as NEW substance gaining a limit for the first time.
Chemical register shows silica (RCS) as red (-50%), coal dust as red (-50%), diesel particulate as red (NEW). System generates prioritised action plan.
ShieldAlert
Underground, open cut, and processing risks
Structured risk assessments for underground operations, open-cut mining, and processing plants. Each assessment references applicable Codes of Practice and WEL requirements.
Underground diesel equipment risk assessment maps current ventilation design against new 0.1 mg/m³ WEL. System identifies areas requiring additional ventilation or equipment transition.
BarChart3
4 substances with major changes — prioritised
All mining substances mapped against incoming WEL. Four substances with major changes prominently displayed. Days-until-deadline counter. Traffic light prioritisation.
Dashboard shows 3 red substances (silica, coal dust, diesel) and 1 amber (NO2). Ventilation and monitoring priorities clearly displayed.
ClipboardCheck
Ventilation checks, dust monitoring, plant pre-starts
Scheduled inspections for ventilation systems, dust monitoring equipment, plant pre-starts, and emergency equipment. Works offline at remote sites — syncs when connectivity available.
Weekly ventilation inspection at underground face shows airflow below design specification. Corrective action assigned. Work area restricted until airflow restored.
GraduationCap
Silica awareness, RPE, emergency procedures
Track training for silica awareness, RPE fitting, emergency procedures, and site-specific inductions. Works across remote sites with offline capability.
New driller starts at remote site. System flags: silica awareness training, RPE fit test, and site-specific emergency procedures required before entering the pit.
AlertTriangle
Dust exposure events, gas detection alerts
Structured incident logging for dust exposure events, gas detection alarms, plant incidents, and near-misses. Notifiable incidents trigger immediate alerts with regulatory notification obligations.
Gas detector triggers NO2 alarm in underground heading. Incident logged. Area evacuated. Investigation identifies ventilation fault. Corrective action assigned.
Scale
12+ codes including newest RCS Code
Track compliance status for each applicable Code of Practice including the newest Managing Risks of RCS Code. Mining-specific codes and state-level requirements also tracked.
Managing Risks of RCS Code (Feb 2026) mapped to drilling and blasting operations. Tracker confirms compliance status for each silica-generating task.

Your mining compliance calendar

January
Annual ventilation system review — underground and processing
WHS Regulation 2025, Chapter 10 (Mines)
Ventilation is the primary control for dust and diesel particulate
March
Silica worker register update — new workers, new tasks, contractor review
WHS Regulation 2025, Part 8A.1
Mandatory since October 2025
May
Dust exposure monitoring — silica, coal dust across all operations
WHS Regulation 2025, Chapter 7
Baseline data required before WEL transition
June
Pre-July s.26A readiness — verify 12+ codes documented
WHS Act s.26A
Non-compliance from 1 July 2026 is a breach
July
Section 26A takes effect — codes legally binding
WHS Act 2011 s.26A
Must follow code or document alternative
September
Diesel particulate exposure assessment — underground operations
Safe Work Australia WEL List
NEW limit requires baseline monitoring
November
Final WEL readiness — all 4 substances assessed against new limits
Safe Work Australia WEL List
30 days to transition
December
WEL takes effect — all monitoring against new limits
WHS Regulation 2025 (as amended)
Immediate enforcement

See EHS Atlas configured for mining

Silica register integration, diesel particulate tracking, and your applicable Codes of Practice — 15-minute walkthrough.