Mining Conveyor SWMS (Belt Conveyor Operation)

Belt conveyor operation, inspection and minor maintenance at Australian mining operations exposes workers to severe mechanical, fire and confined-access hazards governed by the WHS (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation NSW 2022 and the model WHS Regulation 2025. Conveyor work routinely involves proximity to in-running nip points at tail pulleys, drive drums and idler rollers; accumulated combustible material loadings; and energised electrical and hydraulic tensioning systems. Because the work involves powered mobile plant with entanglement potential and, in underground workings, a credible belt-fire ignition source, it meets the definition of High Risk Construction Work and Notifiable Plant Work. A Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory before work commences, must be developed in consultation with workers under s47 of the WHS Act, kept at the workplace under s299 of the WHS Regulation, and reviewed after any incident, control change or belt modification. This SWMS satisfies those duties and aligns task steps with AS 1755:2000 and AS 4024.3610 guarding requirements.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.

1. 1Elimination — Eliminate hot work and physical access to live conveyor structure by scheduling all inspection and minor maintenance during planned isolation windows with belt fully de-energised.
2. 2Elimination — Remove personnel from nip-point zones by using fixed CCTV and thermal-camera inspection runs to assess idler condition without entering the structure envelope.
3. 3Substitution — Substitute manual spillage clean-up with installed belt scrapers, skirt rubbers and self-cleaning tail pulleys to reduce fines accumulation requiring human intervention.
4. 4Engineering — Install fixed mesh guarding on tail pulley, drive drum and return idlers compliant with AS 4024.3610 reach-distance tables, interlocked to trip the belt on guard removal.
5. 5Engineering — Fit linear heat detection cable, CO sensors and deluge suppression along underground belt runs as required by AS 1755:2000 clause 5 and mine ventilation officer directive.
6. 6Engineering — Provide lanyard-actuated pull-wire emergency stops at maximum 30 m intervals along both sides of the conveyor with audible and control-room annunciation.
7. 7Administrative — Apply group lockout-tagout under permit, verify zero energy at local isolator, dissipate take-up stored energy, and confirm radio handshake with control room before access.
8. 8Administrative — Conduct documented pre-start inspection of belt tracking, idler temperature, spillage loading and guarding integrity; record on the SWMS sign-on sheet each shift.
9. 9PPE — Wear flame-resistant overalls, steel-cap mining boots, cut-5 gloves, hard hat with cap lamp, P2 respirator for dust and self-rescuer within reach in underground sections.
10. 10PPE — Use hearing protection rated for belt-drive noise levels above 85 dB(A) and high-visibility retro-reflective vest meeting AS/NZS 4602.1 for mobile plant interaction zones.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

At a pre-start brief in the surface workshop of a regional NSW coal handling preparation plant, the maintenance supervisor opens this SWMS on the toolbox tablet before a scheduled idler change-out on the overland conveyor. The crew walks through Section 2 hazard identification and confirms tail-pulley nip points, stored take-up energy and spillage loading are all present today. Reviewing the controls, the supervisor confirms the conveyor has been isolated by the control room, group lockout box is established, take-up counterweight is chocked and zero-energy verified at the local isolator — matching the engineering and administrative controls listed. Each crew member signs on, acknowledging they have read the SWMS and have the FR overalls, cut-5 gloves and self-rescuer required. Mid-task, a fitter notices a smouldering odour from a return idler outside the planned work area; the SWMS escalation protocol directs the crew to stop work, withdraw to the muster point, notify the control room and re-assess. The supervisor amends the SWMS in the field to add thermal-camera scanning of all return idlers within 50 m before resumption, has the crew re-sign the amended document, and logs the change for review by the mine's mechanical engineer at the end of shift.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• AS 2550 — Cranes, hoists and winches; AS 1418 series

Frequently asked questions