Mine Conveyor System Maintenance SWMS
Conveyor inspection, belt splicing, idler change-out, scraper adjustment. Entanglement and energy isolation under AS 4024.3603. Confined-space entry where transfer chutes apply.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Mine conveyor systems are among the highest-risk fixed plant on any surface or underground operation. Maintenance tasks — including belt inspection, vulcanised and mechanical splicing, idler and pulley change-outs, scraper adjustment, and transfer chute clean-outs — expose workers to entanglement, crushing, stored energy release, dust, noise, and confined space atmospheres. Fatalities continue to occur across Australian mining operations where isolation procedures fail, guards are bypassed, or workers enter chutes without proper permits.
This SWMS is built to satisfy the model Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and WHS Regulation 2025, alongside the jurisdiction-specific mining safety statutes that apply to your site: the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Act 2013 (NSW), the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999 (Qld), the Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022 (WA), and the Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Regulations 2011 (NT). Conveyor maintenance triggers multiple High Risk Construction Work categories under reg 291, and most Australian mine operators also classify it as a Principal Hazard under their Safety Management System.
Under s.19 of the WHS Act, the PCBU must eliminate or minimise risk so far as is reasonably practicable, and reg 299 requires a SWMS to be prepared, available at the workplace, and complied with before HRCW commences. This document provides a defensible, auditable framework that aligns with AS 4024.3603 (Conveyors — Safety) and the relevant Codes of Practice.
Hazards identified
10 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Amputation, crushing fatality, degloving injuries — historically the leading cause of conveyor fatalities in Australian mining
Belt runback or sudden movement crushing maintainer; fatal injury from unexpected start-up
Asphyxiation, engulfment in bulk material, oxygen deficiency — breach of reg 66 and AS 2865
Burns, fire, explosive atmosphere ignition (particularly in coal environments), solvent vapour inhalation
Acute back, shoulder and crush injuries; chronic musculoskeletal disorders
Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis, silicosis, accelerated lung disease — exceedance of WES (0.05 mg/m³ RCS, 1.5 mg/m³ coal dust)
Falls from height onto moving plant or lower levels — fatal or permanent disability
Noise-induced hearing loss; breach of reg 56 exposure standard
Electrocution, arc flash burns; non-compliance with AS/NZS 4836 and reg 291 Cat. 11
Crushing injury or fatality from unexpected take-up movement when isolation is incomplete
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Implement full energy isolation in accordance with AS 4024.3603 and the site's Isolation and Tagging Procedure: electrical lockout at MCC, mechanical blocking of belt against runback using approved belt clamps, isolation of hydraulic take-up systems, and verification by attempted start ('try-out') before any work commences
- 2Apply personal danger tags and locks to every isolation point — one lock per worker — under a Group Lock Box arrangement for crews; no work proceeds until the Permit Holder verifies zero-energy state
- 3For transfer chute and hopper entry, issue a Confined Space Entry Permit per AS 2865-2009 with continuous atmospheric monitoring (O₂, CO, CH₄ in coal, H₂S), standby person, retrieval system and rescue plan
- 4Engineer-out belt runback hazards on inclined conveyors using mechanical hold-back devices and verified belt clamps rated for the static and dynamic load; never rely on the brake alone
- 5Vulcanised splicing must be performed by competent persons with hot work permits; provide CO₂ extinguishers, fire watch for 30 minutes post-task, and gas testing in coal mines before, during and after
- 6Use mechanical lifting aids — idler change-out trolleys, davit cranes, or telehandlers — for any component over 25kg; prohibit team lifts of pulleys and drive assemblies
- 7Provide P2/P3 respiratory protection during dust-generating tasks, with fit-testing per AS/NZS 1715, and apply water suppression at transfer points where reasonably practicable
- 8Install and maintain compliant fixed guarding to AS 4024.3610 covering all in-running nips, return idlers within 1m of walkways, and drive components; guard removal requires a documented permit
- 9Fall prevention: use existing fixed guardrails on walkways; for work outside guarded areas use a travel-restraint or fall-arrest system anchored to engineer-certified points per AS/NZS 1891
- 10Electrical work to be performed only by a Licensed Electrical Worker with appropriate HV/LV authorisation; arc flash PPE rated to the calculated incident energy per AS/NZS 4836
- 11Pre-start risk assessment and toolbox talk every shift; review SWMS controls with all workers and record sign-on; stop work authority is mandatory and must be exercised if conditions change
- 12Pulley change-outs require a lift study, exclusion zones beneath suspended loads, dogger/rigger ticketed personnel, and tag lines on all loads over 500kg
Applicable Codes of Practice
Primary safety standard for conveyor design, guarding, isolation and maintenance access — referenced by mine regulators as the benchmark
Applies to entry into transfer chutes, surge bins and hoppers connected to the conveyor system
Sets out PCBU duties for plant inspection, maintenance and isolation under reg 203–215
Provides the regulatory framework for permit issue, atmospheric testing and rescue under reg 66–77
Required compliance for conveyor drive areas where exposure exceeds 85 dB(A) LAeq,8h
Governs electrical isolation and verification at drive motors and instrumentation
Applicable when work outside fixed walkway guarding requires fall protection
NSW mine-specific guidance on conveyor and stockpile interface hazards
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Transfer chutes, surge bins and hoppers connected to the conveyor meet the AS 2865 and reg 5 definition of confined space — restricted entry, potential for engulfment and atmospheric hazards
Conveyor drives operate at 415V–11kV; isolation verification, instrument calibration and fault-finding constitute energised work under reg 291(11)
Conveyor systems are powered plant; maintenance is performed in proximity to operational adjacent conveyors, mobile cranes during pulley change-outs, and front-end loaders during clean-up
Under reg 299 of the WHS Regulation, a SWMS MUST be prepared before any HRCW commences, kept readily accessible at the workplace, complied with by all workers, and reviewed if controls are revised or an incident occurs. Failure to prepare or comply with a SWMS is a Category 3 offence under s.33 of the WHS Act, attracting penalties up to $63,500 for an individual PCBU and $317,000 for a body corporate. Mine-specific legislation (e.g. NSW WHS(MPS) Act, Qld CMSH Act) imposes additional duties on Site Senior Executives and Statutory Officials, with personal liability for systemic failures.
Who this is for
- →Underground and surface coal mine operators conducting conveyor maintenance
- →Metalliferous and quarry operators with overland and processing-plant conveyor systems
- →Mechanical maintenance contractors and belt splicing specialists working on mine sites
- →Statutory Mine Mechanical Engineers and OEMs commissioning or servicing conveyor plant
- →Site Senior Executives, OCEs and Quarry Managers responsible for principal hazard management plans
- →Electrical Engineering Managers overseeing conveyor drive isolation procedures
What you receive
- ✓Fully editable Microsoft Word (DOCX) SWMS template, pre-populated and ready to site-customise
- ✓State-specific legislation schedule covering NSW, Qld, WA, NT, SA, Vic and Tas mining jurisdictions
- ✓Comprehensive hazard register with risk matrix scoring (likelihood × consequence) aligned to AS/NZS ISO 31000
- ✓Worker sign-on register with competency verification fields (HRWL, Confined Space, Working at Heights tickets)
- ✓Pre-start checklist for daily verification of controls before maintenance commences
- ✓Isolation certificate template aligned to AS 4024.3603 lockout-tagout requirements
- ✓Confined space entry permit template compliant with AS 2865-2009
- ✓Emergency response and rescue plan section, including chute entrapment and belt entanglement scenarios
- ✓Review and revision log to demonstrate continuous improvement under reg 38
Worked example
A maintenance fitter at a Hunter Valley open-cut coal operation is tasked with replacing six return idlers on the OLC-2 overland conveyor and adjusting the head-end belt scraper. Before commencing, the fitter and the Mechanical Supervisor review this SWMS at the pre-start, sign on, and walk the work area. Electrical isolation is performed at the MCC by the authorised electrician; the fitter applies a personal danger tag and lock to the group lock box. Belt clamps are installed each side of the work area to prevent runback on the 4-degree incline, and a 'try-out' start attempt confirms zero energy. The idler change-out trolley is used to remove and replace each idler — no manual lifts. When the scraper adjustment is complete and the fitter must briefly access the head pulley chute for clean-up, a Confined Space Entry Permit is raised, the atmosphere is tested for CH₄, CO and O₂, and a standby person with a retrieval winch is positioned at the entry. Mid-shift, the OCE conducts a workplace inspection and audits the SWMS against work observed. All controls are in place and signed off. At end of shift, locks are removed in reverse order, belt clamps withdrawn, and the conveyor is returned to service through the formal Permit-to-Operate handback. The completed SWMS, permits and sign-on sheet are filed in the site's compliance system, providing a defensible audit trail for the NSW Resources Regulator if requested.
Related legislation
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth model) — s.19 primary duty of care, s.33 failure to comply
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 — reg 291 HRCW, reg 299 SWMS requirements, reg 66–77 confined spaces
- Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Act 2013 (NSW) and Regulation 2022
- Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999 (Qld) and Regulation 2017
- Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999 (Qld) and Regulation 2017
- Work Health and Safety (Mines) Act 2022 and Regulations 2022 (WA)
- Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011 and Regulations 2011 (NT)
- Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 (WA) — transitional provisions
- Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2004 and associated state electrical safety legislation
Frequently asked questions
Does this SWMS cover both underground and surface conveyor maintenance?
Yes. The hazard register and controls address both environments, with specific provisions for methane testing and intrinsically safe equipment in underground coal applications, and for heat stress, UV and dust suppression in surface operations. You will need to delete the sections that don't apply to your specific site.
Is this SWMS compliant with the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999 (Qld)?
Yes. The SWMS aligns with the CMSH Act's risk management framework and integrates with the site's Safety and Health Management System (SHMS) and Principal Hazard Management Plans (PHMPs). It supports — but does not replace — site-specific Standard Operating Procedures developed by your Site Senior Executive.
Do I need a separate Confined Space Entry Permit if my workers enter transfer chutes?
Yes. The SWMS includes a confined space permit template, but each entry requires a permit to be raised, atmospheric testing conducted, and a standby/rescue arrangement in place per AS 2865-2009 and reg 67. The SWMS is the over-arching method statement; the permit is the point-in-time authorisation.
How often must this SWMS be reviewed?
Under reg 299(2), a SWMS must be reviewed if controls are revised, an incident occurs, a worker raises a concern, or there is a change in the work or workplace. As best practice, we recommend annual review at minimum, plus review before any non-routine task such as a major belt replacement or splice campaign.
Can this SWMS be used by a labour-hire contractor on a host mine site?
Yes, but the contractor PCBU must consult, cooperate and coordinate with the mine operator under s.46 of the WHS Act. The contractor's SWMS must align with the mine's SHMS, PHMPs and isolation procedures. Use this document as your starting point and integrate site-specific requirements identified during induction.
Does $149 cover unlimited use across our sites?
Yes. Once purchased, the editable DOCX is licensed for use across all sites and projects within your organisation. You may customise, brand and re-issue it as needed. Resale or redistribution outside your organisation is not permitted.