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A mine safety checklist is a structured check used on a mine or quarry to confirm hazards are controlled and procedures are followed: pre-starts on mobile plant, ground and workplace inspections, haul road and berm checks, ventilation and air quality, isolation, emergency equipment and fitness for work. It turns the mine’s safety management system into consistent daily practice.
Mine Safety Checklists: Practical Checks for Mines and Quarries
Mines and quarries combine heavy mobile plant, unstable ground, explosives, dust, remote locations and long shifts. The controls in a mine’s safety management system only work if they’re checked in the field, every shift. This guide covers the legal framework, the main hazards, the checklists most sites rely on, and how to keep records that show controls are working.
Key points
- Mines must have a safety management system, and many hazards have specific requirements.
- Mining laws vary between states, so check the rules that apply to your site.
- Vehicles and mobile plant are among the highest risks on most sites.
- Daily pre-starts and workplace inspections are the backbone of field checks.
- Every defect needs an owner, a fix and a record.
Mine safety laws
Mine safety is regulated by the states and territories, and the rules differ. Several jurisdictions apply the WHS laws with mining-specific regulations, such as Western Australia’s Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022, while Queensland and New South Wales have their own mining safety laws. Common requirements include a safety management system, management of principal mining hazards, competent supervision, emergency planning, and reporting of incidents to the mines regulator. Check with your state’s mines inspectorate for the requirements that apply to your site.
Principal hazards
| Hazard | Examples of controls to check |
|---|---|
| Vehicles and mobile plant | Pre-starts, traffic management, berms, road conditions, proximity detection |
| Ground failure | Ground inspections, scaling, support, highwall and batter condition |
| Fire and explosion | Fire suppression on plant, hot work permits, fuel storage, explosives management |
| Air quality and dust | Ventilation, dust suppression, gas monitoring, respiratory protection |
| Inundation | Water management, pumps, bund and dam condition |
| Fatigue and remote work | Rosters, fitness for work checks, communications and journey management |
Essential mine safety checklists
- Mobile plant pre-starts: haul trucks, excavators, loaders, dozers and light vehicles. See our excavator pre-start checklist.
- Workplace inspections: ground conditions, edges, access and housekeeping at each work area.
- Haul road and berm checks: road condition, berm height, signage, dust and drainage.
- Isolation checklists: for maintenance on fixed and mobile plant. See our guide to LOTOTO.
- Fitness for work: fatigue, alcohol and drug checks as set by site procedures.
- Emergency equipment: fire extinguishers, suppression systems, first aid, refuges and communications.
- Hazard and incident reports: including near misses, with follow-up actions.
Making checklists work
- Link to your SMS. Base each checklist on the controls in your safety management system and principal hazard plans.
- Keep them site-specific. Tailor checklists to the equipment, work areas and conditions on your site.
- Make them easy in the field. Short, clear items that work offline, with photos for defects.
- Set fail rules. Define which defects stop work or take plant out of service.
- Assign and follow up. Every defect gets an owner, a due date and a close-out record.
- Review trends. Use results to find repeat problems and improve controls.
Mine safety checks on the phone
Mine sites often have patchy coverage. With DIGI CLIP, operators and supervisors complete pre-starts and inspections on a phone or tablet offline, with photos, and the checks are submitted with a tap once back online. Each form is location- and time-stamped. Defects create actions in the Action Log, so they’re assigned, fixed and closed out with evidence.
Illustrative scenario: a haul road berm
During a morning haul road check at a quarry, a supervisor finds a section of windrow worn down below the required height after heavy rain. He fails the item in DIGI CLIP with a photo, and the section is coned off. An action goes to the grader operator, the berm is rebuilt that morning, and the action is closed out with a photo before the road reopens.
This scenario is illustrative. It shows how a mine or quarry could use DIGI CLIP and is not an account of a specific customer.
See also our heavy equipment inspection app and our guide to fatigue management.
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Frequently asked questions
What checklists does a mine need?
Most sites use mobile plant pre-starts, workplace inspections, haul road and berm checks, isolation checklists, fitness for work checks, emergency equipment checks, and hazard and incident reports.
Who regulates mine safety in Australia?
The states and territories, through their mines regulators or inspectorates. The laws differ between jurisdictions, with some applying WHS laws plus mining regulations and others having separate mining safety laws.
What are principal mining hazards?
Hazards with the potential to cause multiple deaths or serious harm, such as vehicle and mobile plant interactions, ground failure, fire and explosion, air quality and inundation. Mines must manage them with specific control plans.
How often should mobile plant be checked on a mine?
Before each shift through a pre-start check, plus scheduled maintenance and inspections as set by the manufacturer and the mine’s safety management system.
Do mine safety checklists work without mobile coverage?
They should. In DIGI CLIP, checks can be completed offline and submitted with a tap once the device is back online.
Can mine safety checks be done on a phone?
Yes. In DIGI CLIP, pre-starts and inspections are completed on a phone or tablet with photos, and defects become actions in the Action Log.
About DIGI CLIP Mobile Forms
DIGI CLIP is an Australian-built mobile checklist and inspection platform. Inspections. Actions. Evidence. Teams complete checks on a phone or tablet, turn defects into assigned actions, and keep the proof that each one was fixed and verified.
See our Form Library for ready-made templates.
