Macarthur Coal Ltd WHS Audit

Running Head: MACARTHUR COAL LTD WHS AUDIT 1
Macarthur Coal Ltd WHS Audit
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MACARTHUR COAL LTD WHS AUDIT 2
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Industry statistics.............................................................................................................................4
Risks associated with the mining industry.......................................................................................5
Health and safety duties...................................................................................................................5
Duty of care.................................................................................................................................6
Acceptable risk............................................................................................................................8
The focus of the audit..................................................................................................................9
Industry research..........................................................................................................................9
Social factors.................................................................................................................................11
Workplace..................................................................................................................................11
Competition...............................................................................................................................11
Formal HRM and H&S Departments........................................................................................11
Unionized...................................................................................................................................12
Culture and employment type....................................................................................................12
Gender and risk..........................................................................................................................12
Customers..................................................................................................................................13
Pace of work..............................................................................................................................13
Main job tasks and the support..................................................................................................14
Inspection Results - Summary of Duties and Overall Compliance & Consultative Arrangements
.......................................................................................................................................................15
Summary....................................................................................................................................15
Duties.........................................................................................................................................15
The primary duty of care...........................................................................................................15
Consultative arrangements.........................................................................................................16
Inspection results – Hazards, Risks and Control...........................................................................17
Hazards......................................................................................................................................17
Risks..........................................................................................................................................17
Calculations of the risk..............................................................................................................17
Controls......................................................................................................................................18

MACARTHUR COAL LTD WHS AUDIT 3
References......................................................................................................................................19
Appendix........................................................................................................................................20
Table 1: Duties.......................................................................................................................20
Table 2: System of Risk Management...................................................................................21
Table 3: Consultation.............................................................................................................22
Table 4: Hazard Identification Register.................................................................................23
Table 5: Risk Identification Register.....................................................................................23
Table 6: Risk Assessment (see appended risk calculators for details)..................................24
Table 7: Controlling Risk - Legislative requirements...........................................................24

MACARTHUR COAL LTD WHS AUDIT 4
Introduction
Queensland is rich in coal and other common resources. Macarthur Coal Ltd is one of the biggest
companies that engage in intensive coal mining in Queensland’ Bowen Basin. The company
produces a low volatile pulverized injection coal (LC PCI) which is primarily used for
manufacturing steel. It is, in addition, the leading steel producer and coal exporter around the
world. The company was incorporated in October 1995, and Ken Talbot owns it. It employs
more than 400 locals from Queensland. The workers are active in the mines to extract the coals
from the mining sites. The workers are employed as miners, blast, and operation of mining
machinery and equally perform similar responsibilities for coal and ore extraction in
underground mines. The work also involves constructions of tunnels, passageways, and mining
shafts to enable mining works. The company also employs shaft sinking and tunnelling
specialists in the underground mines.
Industry statistics
Over the previous decades, the industry has made a notable health and safety improvement
which has resulted in a reduction in incidences of acute injuries and fatalities. Nevertheless, in
Australia, mining contributes to the most considerable numbers of fatalities and injury than any
other industry.
The fatalities' rate in 12 years to 2015, in the mining industry decreased by 65% wherein every
100,000 workers there were 12.4 workers in 2003, to 4.4 in 2005. In the mining industry, nine
workers die every year, making it the third highest fatality rate of any industry.

MACARTHUR COAL LTD WHS AUDIT 5
Risks associated with the mining industry
The workers in the mining industries are faced by a number of inherent risks ranging from body
stress, and disorders of the muscle and bones. The workers also risk slipping and falling inside
the mines and being hit by machinery and moving objects. The study has found that 39% of
employees experience muscular stress due to the handling of heavy objects, 25% reported falls,
trips and slips, and 18% represented those who were hit by machinery and other moving objects.
The study was conducted from 2001 to 2015(the Conversation, 2017).
Health and safety duties
Under this section, it is significant to recognize the distinguishing aspects linking an Act,
Regulation, and Code of practices in perspective to the Macarthur Coal Ltd. Also, important to
understand represent the relationships between the three principles in controlling work health and
safety. An act is a parliament legislation targeting regulates a specific official policy in the
governance of a country. On the other hand, regulations and codes of practice represent the
guiding principles for the application of the act (Comcare, 2016).
While auditing Macarthur, I will be guided by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the
Work Health and Safety regulation 2011. On the other hand, Hazardous Manual Task Codes of
Practice 2011 is the applicable code of practice in this audit. Therefore, all the company
stakeholders have specific duty to play in the fulfilment of the Act and the Regulation. The
duties of care are un-transferable under the WHS Act S. 14. However, those belonging to various
groups in the company, include other duties, for instance, a customer who is as well as a
supplier. The company uses the Act to recognize the responsibility of every stakeholder and also
make sure each one of them plays their part in ensuring safety in the workplace.

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The sole purpose of this WHS assessment is to ascertain whether MacArthur Coal Ltd complies
with the act and the regulations and the level of conformity. The assessment will try to identify
the potential hazards likely to affect the workers and how the company has put mechanisms to
address the risks and ensure the safety of its workers. In the company, I will assess how the
underground mines, tunnels, and shafts are safe for the workers and any emissions in the
workplace. Other hazards to the employees include slipping, run over by machines, noise, hit by
moving machinery, tripping, and suffocation. All these pose risks to the health of the worker and
the company need to protect them in accordance with the act and the regulations.
Duty of care
Under the transition to modern WHS legislation, regulators have largely removed explicit or
prescriptive regulation and require companies and workers to exercise a ‘Duty of Care’, which
means that:
 Employers are required to provide and maintain a working environment where, as far as
is practicable, employees are not exposed to hazards.
 All employees have a general duty of care to ensure their safety and health at work. They
also have a general duty of care towards others, to ensure that their actions or inaction do
not put others’ safety or health at risk.
 Self-employed people must ensure, so far as is practicable, that no-one will be adversely
affected by any of the work done at the mine, or hazards that may arise from it (DMP
2011)
Duty-of-care provisions of Acts and Regulations are built up under precedent, which has
developed over time as a result of decisions taken in courts of law. Prescriptive regulations are