Western Australian Current Regulations

WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY (MINES) REGULATIONS 2022 - REG 657

657 .         Coal dust explosion

        (1)         In this regulation —

        intake roadway means a roadway used for the intake of air to mine workings;

        return roadway means a roadway used for the removal of air and airborne contaminants from mine workings.

        (2)         In complying with regulation 617 in relation to coal dust explosion, the mine operator of an underground coal mine must —

            (a)         limit coal dust generation, including its generation by mining machines, coal crushers and coal conveyors and at conveyor transfer points; and

            (b)         suppress, collect and remove airborne coal dust; and

            (c)         remove excessive coal dust accumulations on roadways and other surfaces in mine roadways; and

            (d)         limit coal dust accumulation on roadways and other surfaces in mine roadways to ensure that the amount of incombustible material contained in roadway dust at the mine is kept at or above the following concentration levels —

                  (i)         for dust in a panel roadway within 200 metres outbye the last completed line of cut-throughs in the panel — 85%;

                  (ii)         for dust in any 200 metres section of panel roadway within 400 metres of a longwall face — 85%;

                  (iii)         for dust in a panel roadway within 200 metres of the main roadway, if subparagraphs (i) and (ii) do not apply — 80%;

                  (iv)         for dust in a return roadway if subparagraphs (i) to (iii) do not apply — 80%;

                  (v)         for dust in an intake roadway if subparagraphs (i) to (iii) do not apply — 70%;

                and

            (e)         determine the stonedust or other explosion inhibitor application rate necessary to minimise the risk of a coal dust explosion and apply that rate; and

            (f)         restrict the propagation of any coal dust explosion so that other areas are not affected.

        Example for this subregulation:

                Use of explosion barriers.

        Note for this subregulation:

                See also regulation 646 in relation to gas and dust explosions in underground mines.

        (3)         Subregulation (2)(d) does not apply in relation to dust in a roadway if there is sufficient natural make of water associated with the mining operations to prevent a coal dust explosion.

        (4)         The mine operator must also establish procedures in relation to the following —

            (a)         the regular inspection, sampling and analysis of roadway dust layers, including laboratory analysis for incombustible material content;

            (b)         the applying of stonedust or another explosion inhibitor for suppressing coal dust explosion;

            (c)         the intervals at which dust sampling and analysis referred to in paragraph (a) must be carried out.