In NSW, mobile plant controls sit within the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022 and the mine’s principal hazard management arrangements. The inspection needs to address the machine’s physical condition as well as how it is introduced, operated, isolated and recorded at the mine.
Mining Inspection Australia provides independent mobile plant inspections for Hunter Valley coal operations, Western NSW and non-coal sites. We use NSW MDG guidance where it is relevant to the machine and clearly distinguish a statutory requirement from a recognised engineering control.
New South Wales requirements
- Regulator
- The NSW Resources Regulator oversees mining safety, with SafeWork NSW administering the broader WHS plant framework and high-risk plant requirements outside the mining regulator’s specific remit.
- Mining regulations
- The Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022 requires mine operators to manage plant risks through the mine safety management system and principal hazard management plans. MDG guidance, including MDG 15 and MDG 41, provides practical NSW mining context for mobile and transportable plant and hydraulic systems.
- Registration and notification
- NSW mining acceptance and plant records are not the same as general plant item registration. Prescribed high-risk plant can require design or item registration under the WHS scheme, while the mine’s management system controls introduction, inspection, notification and defect close-out for the asset.
- Mobilisation
- Hunter Valley and regional NSW visits are planned around coal mine induction, machine isolation, access roads and the mine’s nominated inspection records. Where MDG guidance or a principal hazard management plan is referenced by the site, the report records how the inspection addressed it.
State-specific inspection focus
- Principal hazard controls
- The inspection considers mobile plant interaction, loss of control, structural failure and hydraulic energy in the context of the site’s principal hazard management plans.
- MDG 15 mobile plant
- Mobile and transportable plant controls are checked against the applicable MDG 15 guidance and site requirements, including visibility, access and maintenance evidence.
- MDG 41 hydraulic systems
- Hydraulic hoses, stored energy, isolation and failure controls are reviewed where the machine scope makes MDG 41 relevant.
- Mine record evidence
- The report identifies serial numbers, inspection basis, defects, photographs and release conditions for the NSW mine safety management system.
Applicable standards and regulations
| Reference | Title | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| NSW WHS (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022 | Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022 | NSW mine safety management, principal hazard and plant control context. |
| NSW MDG 15 | Guideline for mobile and transportable plant | NSW mining guidance for mobile plant design, guarding, access, visibility and safe operation. |
| NSW MDG 41 | Guideline for fluid power system safety at mines | Hydraulic energy, hose failure, isolation and fluid power safety controls. |
| NSW Resources Regulator | NSW mining safety regulator | Regulatory expectations for mine plant management and evidence available for inspection. |
Inspection checkpoints
- The machine is assessed against the NSW mine’s principal hazard management and safety management arrangements.
- MDG 15 and MDG 41 are applied only where relevant, with the report stating the specific control or evidence checked.
- Structural, braking, hydraulic, visibility and interaction controls are recorded with photographs and clear release conditions.
- The final record supports the NSW mine’s plant register, defect close-out and any regulator or principal contractor review.
Frequently asked questions
Do you use NSW MDG guidance in every mobile plant inspection?
We use MDG 15, MDG 41 and other guidance where it applies to the asset and site. The report explains the basis used rather than presenting guidance as a universal statutory checklist.
Is mine acceptance the same as NSW plant registration?
No. Certain high-risk plant can require design or item registration under the general WHS scheme, while the mine separately controls introduction, inspection and records through its safety management system.
Can you inspect plant at Hunter Valley coal mines?
Yes. We mobilise to Hunter Valley and other NSW operations, coordinating the visit around induction, isolation, access and the site’s inspection record requirements.