Mining Drill & Blast Operations SWMS
Production drill and blast operations — drilling rig fume, RCS from rock dust, blast vibration, exclusion zones, and post-blast re-entry atmosphere. WHS (Mines) Regulation framework with state-mining-regulator overlays for NSW Resources Regulator, RSHQ, DEMIRS, NT WorkSafe.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Mining drilling and blasting drills a pattern of holes into rock and charges them with explosives to fragment the rock for excavation, in both surface and underground mines. Explosives are among the most hazardous materials on any mine, and the work concentrates a set of severe hazards: premature or unintended initiation of a charge, flyrock thrown beyond the blast area, misfires where a charge fails to detonate as planned and remains live, the toxic post-blast fumes produced by detonation, and the security and handling risks of the explosives themselves. This document is written on the basis that drilling and blasting is carried out by competent, licensed personnel under a defined blasting procedure, with the explosives controlled from receipt to firing and misfires managed as a critical hazard.
Drilling and blasting is governed by the dual mining regime and the explosives regime: under the model Work Health and Safety Regulations the use of explosives is high risk construction work requiring a safe work method statement; under the Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations the use of explosives is a principal mining hazard requiring a principal mining hazard management plan; and explosives are additionally regulated under the explosives legislation, which governs licensing, authorisation, storage and transport. Respirable crystalline silica from drilling and diesel particulate matter are controlled against their exposure standards. This document coordinates the explosives-handling, drilling, charging, firing, exclusion and misfire controls so the blast is fired safely and no live charge is left uncontrolled.
Hazards identified
9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Detonation while workers are present, causing fatal injury
Fatal impact injury to workers, the public or property outside the blast zone
A live, unstable charge in the muckpile or face endangering subsequent work
Poisoning where workers re-enter before fumes have cleared
Detonation triggered by drilling into undetonated explosive
Silicosis and respiratory disease from cumulative drilling-dust inhalation
Diversion of explosives, with serious public-safety consequences
Unintended initiation from incorrect storage, handling or static
Carcinogenic diesel exhaust exposure, particularly underground
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Engineering: use the explosive product and initiation system suited to the application and conditions, with drilling to the designed pattern, wet drilling or dust extraction to control respirable silica, and controlled charging and stemming.
- 2Engineering: clear exclusion zones for the blast sized to the flyrock and air-overpressure risk, with sentries and positive checks that all persons and plant are clear before firing.
- 3Administrative: a defined blasting procedure covering drilling, charging, tie-up, firing and post-blast re-entry, with the blast designed by a competent person to control flyrock, and a shotfirer licensed and authorised for the work.
- 4Administrative: a misfire-management procedure — identification, marking, exclusion, the waiting period, and the defined method of dealing with a misfire — and a check for misfired or live charges before drilling a new pattern.
- 5Administrative: post-blast re-entry only after the defined time and after fumes have cleared and been checked, and ventilation underground to clear post-blast fumes before re-entry.
- 6Administrative: prepare a principal mining hazard management plan for the use of explosives and a SWMS for the high risk construction work, and comply with the explosives legislation for licensing, authorisation, storage, transport and security.
- 7Administrative: air monitoring for respirable crystalline silica against the respirable crystalline silica workplace exposure standard of 0.05 mg/m3 (eight-hour time-weighted average), reframed as a workplace exposure limit from 1 December 2026, with exceedances reported to the regulator and diesel particulate against the diesel particulate matter exposure standard, currently 0.1 mg/m3 as an eight-hour time-weighted average measured as sub-micron elemental carbon, with a Workplace Exposure Limit of 0.01 mg/m3 measured as respirable elemental carbon applying from 1 December 2026, with health monitoring for silica-exposed workers and records retained.
- 8Administrative: all workers must hold a valid White Card (General Construction Induction Training, CPCCWHS1001) where construction work applies, and the mining inductions, statutory tickets and competencies required for the mine before entering the operation.
- 9Administrative: conduct a pre-shift toolbox talk covering the day's work, the principal mining hazards and their controls, atmospheric and ground conditions, plant movements, required PPE and emergency procedures, and record attendance in the consultation section.
- 10Administrative: consult workers and health and safety representatives on the work and its risks, record the consultation, and keep this document and the relevant plans available at the operation.
- 11PPE: underground or site high-visibility clothing, head protection, eye protection to AS/NZS 1337.1, hearing protection matched to the measured noise, gloves, and Class I or Class II safety footwear with protective toecap to AS/NZS 2210.3.
- 12Administrative: review and update this SWMS and the relevant principal mining hazard management plan whenever the work, the ground or atmospheric conditions, the plant or the controls change, after any incident or near miss, when a worker or health and safety representative raises a concern, or at minimum every 12 months.
Applicable Codes of Practice
The mining-specific regulations requiring identification of principal mining hazards and a principal mining hazard management plan for each, within the mine safety management system.
The risk management process and hierarchy of controls applied to the principal mining hazards of the work.
The risk assessment, silica risk control plan, air monitoring and health monitoring duties where the work generates respirable crystalline silica.
Controls and the exposure standard for the high noise levels generated by mining and processing plant.
Selection, fit testing, use and maintenance of the respiratory protection required for the dust, diesel particulate, silica and atmospheric hazards of the work.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Drilling and blasting uses explosives, which is high risk construction work under the model WHS Regulations requiring a SWMS before the work commences, and is also a principal mining hazard with its own management plan.
This work is governed by the dual mining regime. Under the model WHS Regulations it is high risk construction work — engaging the categories above — so a SWMS must be prepared before the work commences, kept readily accessible, reviewed as necessary, and given to the principal contractor if one is appointed. Under the Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations the mine operator must identify the principal mining hazards relating to the use, storage and initiation of explosives and prepare a principal mining hazard management plan for each, within the mine safety management system. Where the work generates respirable crystalline silica, the silica risk control plan, air monitoring and health monitoring duties apply, with the exposure standard reframed as a workplace exposure limit from 1 December 2026. Mining incidents in this category can be catastrophic, and breaches of the primary duty of care under the model WHS Act and the mines legislation are actively enforced, with offence categories running from failure-to-comply through to reckless conduct, and the most serious breaches carrying imprisonment for individuals. Body-corporate maxima are substantial and indexed; the current maximum follows the prevailing schedule of the responsible regulator.
Who this is for
- →Surface and underground drill and blast crews.
- →Licensed shotfirers and blast crew supervisors.
- →Charge-up and explosives-handling personnel.
- →Drilling and blasting engineers designing blast patterns.
- →Mine managers and supervisors overseeing the explosives principal mining hazard management plan and the SWMS.
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word document (.docx) fully compatible with Microsoft Word 2016 and newer, Google Docs, and LibreOffice Writer.
- ✓Title page with editable fields for the mine operator and PCBU name, ABN, site address, project name, principal contractor details, and document revision date.
- ✓Hazard register with the mining drilling blasting hazards — each with a documented consequence, inherent risk rating on a 5x5 likelihood-consequence matrix, hierarchy-of-control measures, and residual risk rating.
- ✓Blast-design and drilling-pattern prompts, a charging, firing and exclusion-zone section, a misfire-management procedure, and explosives-licensing, storage and security fields.
- ✓Principal mining hazard management plan reference prompts and, where relevant, a silica risk control plan aligned to the model crystalline silica Code of Practice referencing the 0.05 mg/m3 exposure standard.
- ✓Competency, statutory-ticket and induction verification fields, and a respiratory protection selection and fit-test record per AS/NZS 1715.
- ✓Worker consultation record and a worker sign-on register (blank, expandable).
- ✓Applicable legislation and Codes of Practice schedule pre-populated for the model WHS and mines jurisdiction with a state-variance reference table covering the harmonised states, plus Victoria.
- ✓Emergency procedure template and a revision log.
Worked example
A mine is drilling and blasting to fragment rock for excavation, drilling a pattern of holes and charging them with explosives. Because the work uses explosives, a SWMS is prepared, a principal mining hazard management plan for the use of explosives is in place, and the work complies with the explosives legislation for licensing, authorisation, storage, transport and security. Before drilling a new pattern, the area is checked for misfired or live charges from any previous blast. Drilling is to the designed pattern with wet drilling or dust extraction to control respirable silica, and the explosive product and initiation system suit the application. The blast is designed by a competent person to control flyrock and air overpressure, and a licensed shotfirer carries out the charging, tie-up and firing under a defined blasting procedure. Clear exclusion zones sized to the flyrock risk are established, sentries are posted, and positive checks confirm all persons and plant are clear before firing. A misfire-management procedure governs identification, marking, exclusion, the waiting period and the method of dealing with any misfire. Post-blast re-entry occurs only after the defined time and after fumes have cleared and been checked, with underground ventilation clearing post-blast fumes. Air monitoring tracks silica and diesel particulate. The plan, SWMS and blasting records are retained.
Related legislation
- Model Work Health and Safety Act — primary duty of care; the duty to consult workers; the reckless-conduct offence; and notifiable-incident provisions, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- Model Work Health and Safety Regulations — Section 291 high risk construction work and the SWMS preparation and review duties, and where relevant the crystalline silica high-risk processing, silica risk control plan, air monitoring and health monitoring provisions, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation / Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations — identification of principal mining hazards, principal mining hazard management plans, the mine safety management system and, for underground mines, ventilation control plans, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- Exposure standards: respirable crystalline silica 0.05 mg/m3 (eight-hour TWA), reframed as a workplace exposure limit from 1 December 2026; respirable dust and, in coal, the lower coal-mine dust standard; and diesel particulate matter, currently 0.1 mg/m3 (sub-micron elemental carbon) with a Workplace Exposure Limit of 0.01 mg/m3 (respirable elemental carbon) from 1 December 2026.
- Victoria, and other jurisdictions, operate their own mining safety and work health and safety legislation; in Victoria the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and Regulations 2017 and the relevant mining instruments apply in place of the model instruments.
Frequently asked questions
Why is drilling and blasting so hazardous?
Explosives are among the most hazardous materials on a mine, and the work concentrates premature or unintended initiation, flyrock thrown beyond the blast area, misfires where a charge remains live, toxic post-blast fumes, and the security and handling risks of the explosives. The use of explosives is both high risk construction work and a principal mining hazard, and explosives are additionally regulated under the explosives legislation.
What is a misfire and why is it critical?
A misfire is a charge that fails to detonate as planned and remains live in the muckpile or face, where it can detonate during subsequent work, including if drilled into. It is managed by a misfire-management procedure covering identification, marking, exclusion, the waiting period and the defined method of dealing with the misfire, and by checking for misfired or live charges before drilling a new pattern.
How is flyrock controlled?
Through blast design by a competent person to control flyrock and air overpressure, and clear exclusion zones sized to the flyrock and overpressure risk, with sentries and positive checks that all persons and plant are clear before firing. Flyrock thrown beyond the intended blast area can cause fatal injury to workers, the public or property, so the exclusion and design controls are central to the blasting procedure.
When can workers re-enter after a blast?
Only after the defined re-entry time and after the toxic post-blast fumes — including oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide — have cleared and been checked. Underground, ventilation is used to clear post-blast fumes before re-entry, because re-entering too early risks poisoning from the fumes produced by detonation.
What licensing and plans apply to mine blasting?
The use of explosives is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS, and a principal mining hazard, requiring a principal mining hazard management plan. Explosives are additionally regulated under the explosives legislation, which governs licensing and authorisation of shotfirers, and the storage, transport and security of explosives. Air monitoring covers respirable crystalline silica and diesel particulate.