ABSTRACT

The Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 of Western Australia includes in its associated Mines Safety and Inspection Regulations 1995 geotechnical regulations for underground and open pit mining. The intent of the geotechnical regulations is briefly discussed. Recent safety performance of the Western Australian underground mining industry is reviewed and compared with that in Ontario and South Africa. The general approach taken with underground metalliferous mining geotechnical regulations in Ontario, South Africa and Western Australia is reviewed. The audit methodology developed to determine the level of compliance with the underground geotechnical regulation in Western Australia is described. The level of compliance achieved by industry is discussed.