Queensland lifting equipment is controlled by the mine’s safety and health management system as well as the general plant and high-risk work framework. A crane or EWP can have a current certificate and still need site-specific acceptance, log book or defect controls before the Site Senior Executive allows it to operate.
Mining Inspection Australia inspects cranes, EWPs, telehandlers, forklifts and lifting gear across coal mines, mineral mines and quarries. We set the inspection basis around the Queensland operating context and the applicable AS 2550, AS 1418, AS 2359 and lifting gear standards.
Queensland requirements
- Regulator
- RSHQ regulates mining and quarrying safety. WorkSafe Queensland administers the general WHS, plant registration and high-risk work framework that can also apply to equipment used on a mine site.
- Mining regulations
- CMSHR 2017 and MQSHR 2017 require risk-based controls, competent inspection and records through the relevant safety and health management system. The technical inspection regime is normally taken from the applicable AS 2550, AS 1418, AS 2359, AS 3775 or AS 4991 requirement.
- Registration and notification
- Queensland plant design and item registration applies to prescribed high-risk plant, but it is not a substitute for mine acceptance or the site lifting register. Coal operations may also require evidence through the SHMS and SSE controls before equipment is introduced or reassembled.
- Mobilisation
- Bowen Basin and regional Queensland visits are coordinated around coal mine or quarry induction, isolation, access and load-test arrangements. Major inspection work is pre-scoped so any disassembly, NDT or engineering review is practical within the site window.
State-specific inspection focus
- Coal mine or quarry pathway
- The report identifies whether the equipment is controlled under a coal SHMS, a mineral mine system or a quarry’s risk management arrangements.
- SSE and site acceptance
- Annual and major inspection evidence is presented for the Site Senior Executive or site owner’s acceptance process, not as a replacement for that decision.
- Registered plant
- Prescribed crane and EWP design or item registration is checked separately from log books, operator licences and the lifting equipment register.
- Below-the-hook equipment
- Lifting gear is identified and assessed against the relevant Queensland site register and AS 3775, AS 4497, AS 4991 or other governing standard.
Applicable standards and regulations
| Reference | Title | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| CMSHR 2017 / MQSHR 2017 | Queensland coal and mining and quarrying safety regulations | Queensland mine safety and health management system context for lifting assets. |
| AS 2550.1 / AS 2550.10 / AS 2550.19 | Safe use of cranes, EWPs and telescopic handlers | Periodic, annual and major inspection requirements by equipment type. |
| AS 2359 / AS 3775 / AS 4991 | Powered industrial trucks and lifting equipment | Forklift and below-the-hook inspection and discard criteria. |
| RSHQ / WorkSafe Queensland | Queensland mining and general plant regulators | Regulatory pathway and evidence requirements vary by site and prescribed plant category. |
Inspection checkpoints
- The equipment’s coal, mineral or quarry context and the site’s SHMS or acceptance pathway are confirmed.
- Registration, log book, annual or major inspection history and lifting register entries are reconciled.
- Structural members, hooks, ropes, safety devices, load charts and controls are assessed against the relevant equipment standard.
- The report gives the SSE or site owner a clear hold, release or rectification basis without replacing their statutory decision.
Frequently asked questions
Do Queensland coal sites need more than an annual crane certificate?
Often, yes. The certificate is one part of the evidence. The coal site may also require SHMS controls, log book entries, site acceptance and defect close-out before the crane is released.
Who handles plant registration in Queensland?
WorkSafe Queensland administers the general plant registration pathway, while RSHQ regulates mining and quarrying safety. We identify which records apply to the equipment and operating context.
Can you inspect lifting equipment at a Queensland quarry?
Yes. MQSHR 2017 and the quarry’s risk management system provide the operating context, with the technical inspection based on the equipment’s applicable Australian Standard.