New Rules for Mining Safety Equipment This Year

New Rules for Mining Safety Equipment This Year

In the mining industry, staying ahead of regulatory changes is critical — especially when it comes to mining safety equipment. In 2025, the regulatory landscape in Australia has seen several important updates which directly impact how mining operators source, deploy and maintain their safety equipment.

This article explores the key rule-changes, what they mean for equipment, and how you can ensure your operation meets the new expectations.

Why the changes matter

Mining is inherently high risk. The regulatory frameworks such as the Safe Work Australia WHS laws set the baseline for controlling those risks. With new rules around safety equipment, training, hazard management and reporting, operators must view mining safety equipment not simply as compliance tick-boxes, but as part of a proactive safety system.

Key new rule-areas affecting mining safety equipment

Here are some of the major changes this year and how they relate to equipment:

1. Enhanced risk management and critical controls

New legislation such as the Resources Safety and Health Legislation Amendment Act 2024 in Queensland requires mines to embed “critical controls” as part of their safety and health management systems.

For mining safety equipment, this means:

• Equipment must align clearly with designated critical controls (for example, PPE linked to high-risk tasks).
• Records must show that safety equipment is chosen, maintained and inspected as part of the risk-control chain.
• Buying cheaper equipment that doesn’t meet performance standards could mean non-compliance of the broader control system.

2. Updated regulation commencement and supplementary requirements

In Tasmania, for example, the Mines Work Health and Safety (Supplementary Requirements) Regulations 2025 commence 30 June 2025. This requires:

• Mines need to review their existing equipment inventory and check compliance with the new requirements.
• Any changes in standards or qualifications for equipment may require phased replacement or upgrading.
• Documentation of equipment fit-for-purpose is more important than ever.

3. More robust equipment standards, training & documentation

Across Australia the trend is towards stronger standards for safety equipment and increased clarity around worker training. This requires sufficient documentation for all equipment use and maintenance. This has the following implications:

• Equipment must be selected and maintained with reference to recognised standards.
• Training must cover equipment usage, inspection and limitations — both initial and refresher.
• Maintenance logs and inspection results must be available and auditable.

What the Rules Mean in Practice for Equipment Procurement & Management

Here are some actionable take-aways when you’re managing mining safety equipment under the new regulatory regime:

• • Review equipment to standard: Ensure every piece of safety equipment meets the recognised standard or benchmark required in your jurisdiction.

• • Link equipment to hazard controls: When your risk assessments identify a hazard, there should be a clear line to the equipment used to control it (e.g., respiratory protection for dust hazards, hi-vis and collision avoidance for mobile plant).

• • Document equipment history: Procurement date, standard/certification, inspection history, maintenance — all of this goes into demonstrating compliance.

• • Train and retrain: Equipment is only as good as its use. New rules place emphasis not just on having equipment but ensuring workers are competent in its use.

• • Maintain inspection regimes: Equipment must not just be present — it must be maintained, inspected and records kept (especially relevant for higher-risk equipment).

• Plan for change: With evolving regulations (like Queensland’s critical controls or Tasmania’s supplementary requirements), budgeting for equipment upgrades or replacement is prudent.

Conclusion

The evolution of mining safety regulation in 2025 means that mining safety equipment is more than a purchase decision — it is a component of the safety management system. For operators, suppliers and service providers it’s crucial your equipment is certified, matched to hazards, well-maintained, and backed by training and documentation.