Ground Support SWMS (Rock Bolting, Mesh, Shotcrete)
Primary and secondary ground support — rock bolting (split sets, friction bolts, cable bolts), steel mesh, shotcrete/fibrecrete, scaling, re-entry after blasting. Aligned to WA Codes of Practice for Surface Rock Support in Underground Mines and Ground Control in Underground Mines.
SWMS variants reference your state's WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
This SWMS covers underground mine ground support work across metalliferous and coal operations — primary support installation with split-set, friction, and resin-anchored rock bolts, secondary support with cable bolts and long tendons, steel mesh and weldmesh installation, shotcrete and fibrecrete spraying (wet-mix and dry-mix), scaling and bar-down of loose ground, re-entry after blast or seismic events, and the statutory geotechnical mapping and support-design activities that underpin the site Ground Control Management Plan (GCMP). It is written for jumbo and bolter operators, shotcrete nozzlemen, scaler operators, cable-bolt crews, geotechnical engineers, ground-control practitioners, and the contractor workforce engaged on ground support under the site's Principal Hazard Management Plan. Every control has been authored against the WA Code of Practice — Surface Rock Support for Underground Mines (February 2025), the WA Code of Practice — Ground Control for Underground Mines, and the NSW WHS(MPS)R 2022 principal hazard framework.
Ground support is not a Schedule 1 High-Risk Construction Work category under the WHS Regulation — it is regulated as a principal mining hazard under the NSW WHS (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022, the QLD Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2017, the QLD Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Regulation 2017, and the WA Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022. Ground or strata failure is an explicitly nominated principal hazard in all major mining states; NSW added rock, coal, and pressure bursts to the principal hazard list in the 2022 regulatory update. The governing site document is the Ground Control Management Plan, which is authored by a competent geotechnical engineer and integrates support design, seismic monitoring, rehabilitation protocols, and re-entry procedures. This SWMS does not replace the GCMP — it sits underneath it and operationalises the day-to-day support installation and rehabilitation tasks at worker level, giving supervisors a defensible, auditable document for daily pre-start briefings, permit authorisation, and regulator inspections.
Hazards identified
12 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Fatal crush or impact from unsupported or partially-supported ground; the leading mechanism for Australian underground mining fatalities including the St Ives WA fatalities prosecuted by WorkSafe WA.
Fatal rockfall during the interval between face advance and primary support install; managed by canopy and remote-operated bolter design but remains the highest exposure window.
Sudden violent ejection of rock, dynamic loading on installed support, and fatal impact or entrapment in deep or stressed ground conditions.
High-velocity rod strike on the operator during break-out, pullback, or collar instability; serious blunt-force and penetrating injury.
Skin burn from alkaline grout, respiratory sensitisation from isocyanate in polyurethane injection, and chronic dermatitis from repeated resin cartridge handling.
Whipping hose end striking the crew at 40-70 bar; hose burst releasing dense particulate mix at head height; documented severe injury mechanism across Australian shotcrete operations.
Severe chemical burn to eyes, skin, and respiratory tract from fresh cementitious spray; compounded by fibre content in fibrecrete causing additional mechanical injury.
Chronic and accelerated silicosis from respirable crystalline silica inhalation; RCS exposure standard 0.05 mg/m³ 8-hr TWA with unchanged value under the WES-to-WEL transition from 1 December 2026.
Deep lacerations and tendon injury from individual wire strands springing under tension during cut-to-length, insertion, or tensioning operations.
Crush, amputation, and fatal entanglement from unguarded feed rails, rotating drifters, and hose routings on jumbos and bolters.
Fatal fall from jumbo basket, scissor-lift, or elevated rehabilitation platform above 2 metres; managed under AS/NZS 1891 and site WAH standards.
Noise-induced hearing loss; drilling and scaling typically generate 95-110 dB(A) at operator position, requiring double hearing protection and noise management plan compliance.
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Operate strictly within the site Ground Control Management Plan (GCMP) authored by a competent geotechnical engineer. Support patterns, bolt lengths, mesh specifications, and shotcrete thickness are defined in the GCMP and are non-negotiable; any deviation requires written geotechnical sign-off before implementation.
- 2Pre-advance geotechnical mapping at every face using rock-mass classification (Q-system, RMR, or site-specific) conducted by a competent person. Mapping outputs drive the engineered support pattern per the GCMP and trigger secondary support where rock-mass ratings deteriorate.
- 3Scale-down and bar-down of loose ground before any crew approach. Mechanical scaler preferred over manual scaling; where manual scaling is unavoidable it is conducted under canopy protection with a two-person rule and scaling bar of minimum 2.4 metres length.
- 4Remote-operated and canopied bolter design keeps the operator out from under unsupported ground during primary bolt install. Where a canopy bolter is not available, the install sequence advances mesh and bolt from supported ground only; no worker steps under un-rock-bolted back without geotech-approved temporary support.
- 5Primary support pattern typically 4 split-set or friction bolts of 2.4 metres length per round on 1.2 x 1.2 metre pattern with 75 x 75 mm weldmesh, adjusted per geotechnical design. Bolt pull-test program conducted at statistical frequency per GCMP — typically 1 in 50 bolts with minimum 50 kN holding force.
- 6Shotcrete and fibrecrete exclusion zone during spraying: minimum 10 metres downwind and crosswind from the nozzle; re-entry time per mix design, typically 2 hours minimum for wet-mix fibrecrete to achieve initial set. Nozzleman and pump operator maintain radio communication throughout.
- 7Wet drilling with on-board water feed and local exhaust ventilation at the collar to control respirable crystalline silica. Where dry drilling is unavoidable, respiratory protection minimum P2 half-face and exposure monitoring per worker on the critical roster.
- 8Resin cartridge management: storage per manufacturer SDS below 25 degC; chemical-resistant gloves and safety glasses mandatory for handling; isocyanate-based polyurethane injection requires full-face respirator with organic vapour cartridge and pre-health screening for respiratory sensitisation.
- 9High-pressure hose management: hose whip-checks at every connection, pressure-rated fittings matched to pump output, and pressure relief valves tested monthly. Hoses replaced on expiry per manufacturer lifetime; no worker in the hose run of fire during priming.
- 10Fresh shotcrete PPE: full-face shield over safety glasses, chemical-resistant long-sleeve overalls, full-length gloves, and P3 respirator for nozzleman. Immediate eye-wash access within 10 metres of spray zone. Skin decontamination and change-of-clothes facilities at the portal.
- 11Cable bolt handling: strand tails cut to length using hydraulic cutter, never angle-grinder; tails protected with PVC sleeve after cut; nominated cable handler wears cut-resistant gloves rated minimum EN 388 Level 5 and safety glasses with side shields. No manual handling of cable bundles above 25 kg without mechanical aid.
- 12Machinery guarding on all jumbos and bolters per AS/NZS 4024 machinery safety standard. Isolation procedure for rod changes per AS/NZS 4836: LOTO on the machine electrical and hydraulic isolators, verify dead at the actuator, and two-person rule for any rod change under pressure.
- 13Seismic monitoring and re-entry protocol per GCMP: minimum 30-minute exclusion after any seismic event registered above trigger threshold, geotechnical sign-off before re-entry, visual inspection of support condition, and progressive re-approach with scaling bar in advance of the crew.
- 14All ground support crew hold current underground mining competencies (RII30620 or equivalent), specific jumbo or bolter high-risk work licences where state-regulated, shotcrete nozzleman training per AS 3600 and manufacturer requirements, and first-aid certification.
- 15Psychosocial controls per WHS Regulation 2025 r55A-55D: 12-hour shift maximum for high-cognitive-load roles including jumbo operation and nozzleman, fatigue management plan integrated with the site FMP, mandatory micro-breaks during continuous spraying, and handover briefings at shift change covering ground conditions and any support anomalies.
- 16PPE baseline: hard hat with cap lamp, safety glasses plus face shield for shotcrete and resin work, hi-vis long-sleeve shirt and trouser, chemical-resistant gloves for grout and resin handling, steel-cap boots with metatarsal protection, double hearing protection for drilling and scaling (plugs plus muffs), P2 or P3 respirator per exposure, and fall-arrest harness for bolting at elevated positions.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Approved WA Code of Practice under the WHS Act; binding for all WA underground operations and governs support design, install, and inspection.
Approved WA Code of Practice governing the Ground Control Management Plan, geotechnical competency, and principal hazard management for ground failure.
Nominates ground and strata failure, including rock/coal/pressure bursts, as a principal hazard requiring a dedicated PHMP and GCMP.
Strata control and geotechnical management as principal hazards; site senior executive accountability for ground control.
Governs fall protection for bolter basket, elevated rehabilitation platform, and scaling from height operations.
Technical standard for jumbo, bolter, and shotcrete pump machinery safety including guarding, isolation, and emergency stop requirements.
Material standards referenced in the GCMP for cable-bolt strand, rock-bolt bar, and weldmesh specification.
Who this is for
- →Jumbo and bolter operators conducting primary rock-bolt and cable-bolt installation under the site GCMP.
- →Shotcrete and fibrecrete nozzlemen and pump operators engaged on surface rock support.
- →Scaler operators and manual scaling crews removing loose ground before advance.
- →Geotechnical engineers and ground-control practitioners authoring and auditing the GCMP and geotechnical mapping.
- →Mine managers, Statutory Site Senior Executives, and HSE leads preparing for regulator inspection, WorkSafe WA audit, or post-fatal review under state mining legislation.
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word (.docx) document delivered within 24 hours of payment.
- ✓Title page with mine name, ABN, Ground Control Engineer, SSE, and revision date fields.
- ✓Signed approval block for Mine Manager, SSE, Ground Control Engineer, and Underground Manager.
- ✓Hazard register with the 12 hazards above, each with consequence, inherent risk, controls, and residual risk scored on a 5x5 likelihood-consequence matrix.
- ✓Controls section cross-referenced to WA COP Surface Rock Support, WA COP Ground Control, and the site GCMP and PHMP.
- ✓Support pattern specification template with bolt type, length, mesh, and shotcrete thickness by ground class.
- ✓Scaling and re-entry procedure proforma for post-blast and post-seismic exclusion and re-approach.
- ✓Consultation record for HSR sign-off and worker input per Section 47 of the WHS Act.
- ✓Daily pre-start sign-on register with ground condition field and geotech correspondence log.
- ✓Legislation schedule pre-populated with state-by-state variance table (NSW, QLD, WA, SA, VIC, NT, TAS).
Worked example
A WA Goldfields underground nickel mine is rehabilitating a block-cave drawpoint that has experienced 300 mm of convergence and localised mesh tearing over 18 months of production. The ground control engineer completes this SWMS before mobilising the rehabilitation crew: the scope triggers ground support principal hazard management under the WA COP Ground Control for Underground Mines, requires geotech sign-off on the rehab support pattern, and must operate within the GCMP rehabilitation standard. The support pattern specifies 4 x 2.4 metre split sets per 1.2 x 1.2 metre round, 75 mm fibrecrete to 2 metres above the drawpoint backs, and 100 percent mesh coverage to the hangingwall intersection. The mechanical scaler leads the approach from supported ground, removes 180 kg of loose mesh and rock over a 4-metre advance, and the bolter advances behind scaler completion. Pull-tests on the first five bolts return 62, 58, 65, 61, and 59 kN — all above the 50 kN GCMP minimum. The nozzleman applies 75 mm fibrecrete over two passes with a 4-hour interpass interval; crew wear full-face shields and P3 respirators throughout spraying. The SWMS is signed by the Mine Manager, SSE, Ground Control Engineer, and Underground Manager; daily pre-start briefings record convergence readings and any new cracking observed. Reference: WorkSafe WA prosecuted the operator of the St Ives Mine following two separate fatalities — an October 2022 contractor fatality at the base of a ventilation shaft during reamer-head dismantling and an early-2024 21-year-old worker fatality; the WA maximum penalty for causing death in mining work is $3.5M, and the Dugald River QLD ground-fall incidents remain a reference for underground ground control across Australia.
Related legislation
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) — Section 19 primary duty of care; Section 27 officer due diligence; Section 47 worker consultation.
- WHS Regulation 2025 (NSW) — r55A-55D psychosocial hazards; r49-54 general risk management framework.
- WHS (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022 (NSW) — r26-33 principal hazard management plans; ground/strata failure is a nominated principal hazard requiring a dedicated GCMP.
- WA Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022 — r13.12 and following governing ground support design, install, and inspection.
- QLD Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2017 and QLD Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Regulation 2017 — strata control, geotechnical competency, and statutory site senior executive accountability.
- Mines Safety Inspection Act 1994 (WA) and Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999 (QLD) — parent legislation for mining safety inspectorate enforcement.
- Model Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks (SafeWork Australia) — relevant for cable bolt handling, mesh sheet handling, and scaling manual tasks.
- National Construction Code — applies to surface portal structures and integrated surface workshops but not underground support directly.
Frequently asked questions
Does this SWMS replace the site Ground Control Management Plan (GCMP)?
No. The GCMP is a statutory document authored by a competent geotechnical engineer under state mining regulations and sits under the PHMP. This SWMS operationalises the day-to-day support-install tasks beneath the GCMP; you must have a current GCMP in place before using this document, and any support pattern deviation from the GCMP requires written geotechnical sign-off.
Does this SWMS cover both surface and underground ground support?
The primary scope is underground. Some controls — scaling, bolting at height, mesh handling — transfer directly to surface portal and highwall support work, but surface slope-stability controls, batter geometry, and open-cut bench management are not covered and require a separate open-cut geotechnical SWMS.
Is a specific high-risk work licence required for jumbo and bolter operators?
State-dependent. QLD requires specific underground mining competencies under the CMSHR and MQSHR 2017; NSW and WA rely on the RII30620 metalliferous or coal equivalent plus site-specific verification of competence. Scissor-lift and EWP tickets are required where bolters work from elevated platforms above 2 metres.
How often does the support-pattern pull-test program need to be conducted?
The frequency is defined in the site GCMP and typically is 1 in 50 bolts (2 percent) with minimum 50 kN holding force on split-sets and 80 kN on resin-anchored bolts. Frequency may increase in high-stress ground, after seismic events, or where convergence monitoring detects deterioration. Pull-test results are logged and reviewed by the Ground Control Engineer monthly.
Can this SWMS be used during rehabilitation of previously-supported ground?
Yes. The controls for scaling, bolter approach, and re-entry apply directly to rehabilitation work. The support-pattern specification template includes a rehabilitation column where you specify secondary support, removal of damaged mesh, and additional bolt rounds per the GCMP rehabilitation standard.
Is this SWMS compliant with the 1 July 2026 Section 26A changes?
Yes. From 1 July 2026, 34 approved Codes of Practice become legally binding under Section 26A of the amended WHS Act. This SWMS cites the Codes that will become binding — Managing the Risk of Falls, Managing Noise, and Hazardous Manual Tasks — in addition to the state mining regulations that already apply to ground support. No amendment is required for the Section 26A transition.
Document details
More Mining sub-task SWMS
Each single-activity template is $149 AUD.