Report - Coal - uncontrolled movement of ground or strata - February 2025 to December 2025

This report provides the findings of an assessment program at underground coal mines focussing on the principal hazard ground or strata failure.

Sector	Coal - underground
Principal hazard management plan	Ground or strata failure
Material unwanted event	Uncontrolled movement of ground or strata underground
Topic	Ground or strata failure underground

Operation type assessed

Operation type	Number of mines assessed
Underground	18
Total	18

Criteria assessed

Critical control	Criteria
The mine (layout, sequence, method and support) is designed to geotechnical, strata and hydrogeological conditions.	How does the mine verify they are accurately executing design and updating design for identified hazards?
Use of ground support (designed and executed to maintain stable ground).	Inspect ground support installed. Is the ground support in good condition? Do workers and supervisors understand the ground support systems and their ability to install additional ground support as they deem necessary?
Engineered operator protection devices.	Verify inspections, maintenance and defect management in relation to engineered operator protection devices. Choose two machines and verify that the engineered operator protection devices are in good working order?
Drill and blast management.	How do workers ensure that drilling and blasting is conducted safely with regards to current ground conditions?
Workers are restricted / removed from high risk areas.	Do workers and supervisors understand the systems in place to restrict or remove people from high risk areas? Does the mine effectively identify and exclude workers from areas with geotechnical hazards?

Findings with issues identified - underground

Critical control	Findings of concern	Findings of contravention	Total findings with issues
The mine (layout, sequence, method and support) is designed to geotechnical, strata and hydrogeological conditions	-	-	-
Use of ground support (designed and executed to maintain stable ground)	-	1	1
Engineered operator protection devices	-	-	-
Drill and blast management	-	-	-
Workers are restricted / removed from high-risk areas	3	1	4
Total findings with issues	3	3	5
Other topic findings – not related to ground or strata failure	12	5	17

Compliance notice type issues during the program

Notice type	Notices	Percentage of notices issued
WHS(MPS)A s23 notice of concerns	14	61%
WHSA s191 improvement notice	9	39%
WHSA s195 prohibition notice	0	0%
Total	23	100%

Note: This data represents all notices issued during the program and may include notices other than fire or explosion topics.

Recommendations

Operators of underground coal mines should review their site principal hazard ground or strata failure management plan and the critical controls assessed for the topic of ground or strata failure underground:

Review the site principal hazard ground or strata failure management plan to ensure:
- controls measures are adequately identified in the plan
- ground support is designed and installed to maintain stable ground
- workers are restricted or removed from areas identified as a high risk of ground or strata failure
- mining supervisors (for all shifts) have access to review recent historical data obtained from strata monitoring devices for the mining area they are inspecting for ground or strata failure
- effective communication systems for relevant mine workers of geological/mining conditions and geological structures expected to be encountered during mining operations for the duration of the shift.

References

Program fact sheet

Principal hazard - ground or strata failure (underground)

Recent related safety alerts

Rock falls from unsupported face, hitting worker - June 2025

Recent related safety bulletins

Rockfall injuries to workers increase in underground mines - June 2023