Standards, codes of practice and guidance on dust
From 1 September 2020, the occupational exposure limits (OEL) for respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica (RCS) are 1.5mg/m3 and 0.05mg/m3 respectively.
The following information is provided to help meet your safety and health requirements.
Queensland Government
Legislation
- Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999
- Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2017
- Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999
- Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Regulation 2017
Recognised standards (coal mines)
- RS5: Quality of incombustible dust, sampling and analysis of roadway dust in underground coal mines (PDF, 247KB)
- RS14: Monitoring respirable dust in coal mines (PDF, 717KB)
- RS15: Underground respirable dust control (PDF, 1.9MB)
- RS20: Dust control surface mines (PDF, 2.3MB)
Guideline (mineral mines and quarries)
Guidance notes
- QGN14: Effective safety and health supervision (PDF, 367KB)
- QGN9: Reviewing the effectiveness of safety and health management systems (PDF, 116KB)
Safety alerts and bulletins
- Mine Safety Bulletin 134: Review of Queensland underground coal mines' stone dust application and sampling and analysis of roadway dust
- Mine Safety Bulletin 151: Preventing dust-related lung diseases
National standards and codes of practice
Under the Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Regulation 2017, you are required to follow relevant Australian and national standards for hazard monitoring and analysis. It also specifies the use of AS 2985 and AS 3640.
The Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2017 specifies the use of AS 2985.
- AS/NZS 1715:2009 Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment (available from SAI Global)
- AS 2430 Classification of hazardous areas (available from SAI Global)
- AS 2985:2009 Workplace atmospheres – method for sampling and gravimetric determination of respirable dust (available from SAI Global)
- AS 3640:2009 Workplace atmospheres – method for sampling and gravimetric determination of inhalable dust (available from SAI Global)
- AS/NZS 61241 Electrical apparatus for use in the presence of combustible dust (available from SAI Global)
- AS/NZS 3007:2013 Electrical equipment in mines and quarries – surface equipment and associated processing plant (available from SAI Global)
- Safe Work Australia, Model code of practice – abrasive blasting
- Safe Work Australia, Model code of practice – welding processes code of practice