Underground Development SWMS (Drill & Blast)
Underground drive development using drill-and-blast jumbo. Covers face inspection after blast (minimum 30-minute re-entry protocol), scaling procedure, ground support installation (resin bolts, mesh, fibrecrete), primer and detonator handling, face charge-up sequence, blast exclusion zone management, and DPM monitoring requirements.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Underground development using drill-and-blast jumbo is among the highest-risk activities in the Australian mining sector. Each cycle — face inspection, scaling, ground support installation, charge-up, and blasting — exposes workers to principal hazards including ground fall, explosive misfire, diesel particulate matter (DPM), and rockburst. This Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) addresses the full development cycle for jumbo-driven headings, including the mandatory 30-minute minimum re-entry exclusion after firing, scaling protocols under MDG 1014, resin bolt and mesh installation, fibrecrete shotcreting, and licensed shotfirer charge-up sequencing in accordance with AS 2187.2.
Under the Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulation 2022 (NSW) and equivalent state mining regulations, ground or strata failure and the use of explosives are designated principal hazards requiring a documented Principal Hazard Management Plan (PHMP) supported by SWMS at the task level. Section 19 of the WHS Act 2011 imposes a primary duty on the Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) to eliminate or minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable, and Regulation 299 requires a SWMS to be prepared before any High Risk Construction Work (HRCW) commences.
This SWMS is structured to satisfy regulator inspection (NSW Resources Regulator, Resources Safety & Health Queensland, WorkSafe WA Mines Inspectorate) and integrates with site Trigger Action Response Plans (TARPs) for ground conditions, ventilation, and DPM. It must be reviewed by the Underground Mine Manager or Statutory Quarry/Mine Manager before issue to the development crew.
Hazards identified
14 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Fatal crush injury; entrapment; multiple-fatality event
Fatal blast injury to shotfirer and crew
Delayed detonation during scaling or drilling next round — fatality
Acute toxic gas exposure; loss of consciousness; fatality
Lung cancer (IARC Group 1 carcinogen); cardiovascular disease
Catastrophic ground failure; fatal ejection of rock
Inadequate ground support; subsequent fall of ground fatality
Eye injury, alkaline skin burns, respiratory irritation
Fall from height; crush between basket and rib
Tissue necrosis; amputation
Noise-induced hearing loss exceeding 85 dB(A) 8-hr LAeq
Silicosis, lung cancer — exceedance of 0.05 mg/m³ WES
Fatal blast and flyrock injury
Crush, run-over, pinning fatality
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Mandatory 30-minute minimum re-entry exclusion after firing, extended until ventilation officer confirms NOx <3 ppm and CO <30 ppm by gas test at face — recorded in re-entry log
- 2Pre-work face inspection by authorised deputy/shift boss using MDG 1014 inspection checklist; sound the back with scaling bar before any worker approaches the face
- 3Mechanical scaling from jumbo basket completed before manual bar-down; no person to work under unsupported ground — ground support installed within one round of the face
- 4Ground support installed per geotechnical engineer's design: resin-encapsulated rebar bolts on pattern, weld mesh, and 50–100 mm fibrecrete to MDG 1014 and site Ground Control Management Plan
- 5Resin cartridges stored at 5–25°C, batch-checked against shelf life, and spin/hold times verified per manufacturer data sheet before each shift's bolting
- 6Charge-up performed only by Shotfirer holding a current state-issued Shotfirer's Licence (NSW Explosives Act 2003 / Qld Explosives Act 1999); two-person rule enforced
- 7All electric detonators tested with approved galvanometer; non-electric (Nonel) preferred where stray current risk is identified; mobile phones and UHF radios prohibited within 10 m of charged face
- 8Blast exclusion zone established with physical barricades, flashing beacons, and stench gas; guards posted at all access points; positive radio confirmation of clearance before firing per AS 2187.2 Section 9
- 9DPM controls: Tier 4 Final or DPF-equipped diesel engines, primary ventilation delivering minimum 0.06 m³/s per kW of diesel power, real-time elemental carbon monitoring with action level 0.1 mg/m³ EC
- 10Personal RPE (P2 minimum, PAPR for high-DPM tasks) with annual fit-testing per AS/NZS 1715; full PPE: hard hat, safety glasses, hearing protection (Class 5), cap lamp, self-rescuer, hi-vis, steel-cap boots, gloves
- 11Real-time seismic and convergence monitoring in seismically active ground; TARP triggers exclusion and re-support per site Principal Hazard Management Plan for ground/strata failure
- 12Respirable crystalline silica controls: water mist on jumbo drill, wet scaling, and quarterly personal air monitoring against the 0.05 mg/m³ WES per WHS Regulation Schedule 14
- 13Mobile plant separation: positive communication protocol, designated stand-clear zones, proximity detection on jumbo and IT, and traffic management plan for the heading
- 14Permit-to-fire system: shotfirer signs charged-face register, Mine Controller authorises firing, and post-blast clearance signed off before re-entry crew released
Applicable Codes of Practice
Section 19 primary duty of care; Section 28 worker duties; underpinning Act for all SWMS obligations
Principal hazard management for ground/strata failure and explosives; mandates documented control plans and SWMS
Mandatory standard for charge-up, firing, misfire management, and exclusion zones
Design and installation standard for resin bolts, mesh, and shotcrete in development headings
RPE selection and fit-testing for DPM and silica exposure
Hard hat standard for underground use with cap lamp bracket
Ventilation rates and DPM monitoring standards underground
Applies to jumbo basket operation during scaling and bolting
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Charge-up of the development face with primer, detonator, and bulk emulsion or ANFO is direct use of explosives. Requires a licensed shotfirer and full compliance with AS 2187.2 and the relevant state Explosives Act and Regulation.
Underground drive development is tunnelling work by definition. All activity occurs within a confined excavated heading with ground fall as a designated principal hazard under the WHS (Mines) Regulation.
The jumbo, agitator truck, integrated tool carrier, and LHD all operate in the same confined heading as workers installing ground support, creating a continuous powered mobile plant interaction risk.
Because this work involves three HRCW categories, Regulation 299 of the WHS Regulation 2025 requires a SWMS be prepared before work commences, kept available for inspection for the duration of the work, and retained for at least 2 years after a notifiable incident. Failure to prepare or comply with a SWMS is a Category 2 or 3 offence under the WHS Act, with penalties up to $1.8M for a body corporate. State mining inspectorates (NSW Resources Regulator, RSHQ, WorkSafe WA) may also issue prohibition notices halting development until compliance is demonstrated.
Who this is for
- →Underground metalliferous mine operators conducting jumbo development
- →Mining contractors (Barminco, Byrnecut, Macmahon, Redpath, PYBAR and similar) providing development crews
- →Statutory Mine Managers and Underground Mine Managers preparing PHMP supporting documentation
- →Licensed shotfirers and charge-up crews working under a permit-to-fire system
- →Geotechnical engineers and ground control supervisors auditing support installation
- →WHS coordinators and safety advisors managing HRCW SWMS registers
What you receive
- ✓Fully editable Microsoft Word (DOCX) SWMS with site, project, and PCBU fields ready for completion
- ✓State-specific legislation schedule covering NSW, Qld, WA, SA, NT, Tas mining and WHS regulations
- ✓Comprehensive hazard register with 14 pre-populated hazards, consequences, and risk ratings
- ✓Worker sign-on register with competency verification fields (shotfirer licence, jumbo operator ticket, statutory qualifications)
- ✓Pre-blast and post-blast checklist aligned to AS 2187.2
- ✓30-minute re-entry verification log with gas test fields (NOx, CO, O₂)
- ✓Ground support installation QA sheet referencing MDG 1014
- ✓DPM and respirable crystalline silica monitoring schedule template
- ✓SWMS review and revision log to satisfy Regulation 302 review obligations
Worked example
At a nickel sulphide mine in the Goldfields of WA, a contract development crew is advancing a 5.5 m × 5.5 m decline at -1:7 grade using a twin-boom electric-hydraulic jumbo. After the night-shift firing of a 4.2 m round, the oncoming morning crew assembles at the refuge chamber. The shift boss reviews this SWMS at pre-start, confirms the 30-minute re-entry timer has elapsed, and dispatches the ventilation officer to gas-test the face. NOx reads 2.1 ppm and CO reads 18 ppm — within re-entry limits — and the result is logged. The jumbo operator then mechanically scales the back and walls from the basket, and the offsider conducts a secondary bar-down inspection. Ground support is installed within one round of the face: 2.4 m resin-encapsulated rebar bolts on a 1.2 m × 1.2 m pattern with weld mesh, then 75 mm of fibrecrete applied by a remote-controlled spray rig. Later in the shift, the licensed shotfirer arrives with the charge-up crew. UHF radios are switched off within 10 m of the face, the round is loaded with bulk emulsion and Nonel detonators, and the firing circuit is tested with an approved galvanometer. The shotfirer signs the charged-face register, the Mine Controller establishes the exclusion zone with stench gas and barricades, and after positive radio clearance from all guards the round is fired at end-of-shift. Every step — re-entry, scaling, support, charge-up, firing — is captured on the SWMS sign-on and step-verification sheets, providing a defensible audit trail for the Resources Regulator.
Related legislation
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (model)
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025
- Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Act 2013 (NSW)
- Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022 (NSW)
- Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999 (Qld) and Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999 (Qld)
- Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 (WA) — transitioning to WHS (Mines) Regulations 2022 (WA)
- Explosives Act 2003 (NSW) / Explosives Act 1999 (Qld) / Dangerous Goods Safety Act 2004 (WA)
- Radiation Protection and Control Act 2021 (where uranium or radioactive ore present)
Frequently asked questions
Why is the 30-minute re-entry rule the minimum and not the maximum?
Thirty minutes is the regulatory minimum for fume clearance under most Australian mining jurisdictions, but actual re-entry depends on confirmed gas readings. The ventilation officer must verify NOx is below 3 ppm and CO below 30 ppm at the face by direct gas test before the crew is released. In poorly ventilated headings or after large rounds, re-entry can take 60–90 minutes. The SWMS instructs that gas readings — not the clock — authorise re-entry.
Does this SWMS replace the site Principal Hazard Management Plan (PHMP) for ground or strata failure?
No. Under the WHS (Mines) Regulation 2022, ground/strata failure and explosives are principal hazards requiring a PHMP authored by the mine operator and signed by the Statutory Mine Manager. This SWMS is the task-level document that implements the PHMP controls at the working face. Both documents must be available and consistent; the SWMS cross-references the PHMP.
Who is legally permitted to perform charge-up under this SWMS?
Only a person holding a current Shotfirer's Licence issued under the relevant state explosives legislation (e.g., NSW Explosives Act 2003, Qld Explosives Act 1999, WA Dangerous Goods Safety Act 2004). The shotfirer must also hold site-specific authorisation from the Mine Manager. The two-person rule applies — a competent assistant must be present. Unlicensed charge-up is a strict-liability offence.
How is diesel particulate matter (DPM) controlled and monitored?
DPM is controlled through a hierarchy: Tier 4 Final engines or retrofitted diesel particulate filters at the source; primary ventilation delivering at least 0.06 m³/s per kW of installed diesel power; real-time elemental carbon (EC) monitoring with an action level of 0.1 mg/m³; and personal RPE (P2 or PAPR) for residual exposure. Personal monitoring is conducted quarterly per MDG 29 and submitted to the Mine Manager and the worker.
How often must this SWMS be reviewed?
Under Regulation 302 of the WHS Regulation, the SWMS must be reviewed whenever the work method changes, after any incident or near-miss, when control measures are found inadequate, or when workers raise concerns. As best practice for HRCW, this SWMS should be reviewed at minimum every 12 months or at each PHMP review cycle, whichever is sooner. All reviews must be logged in the revision register included in the document.
Is this SWMS suitable for both metalliferous and coal underground development?
This SWMS is written for hard-rock metalliferous development. Coal mines are subject to additional principal hazards (gas, spontaneous combustion, coal dust explosibility) under the Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2017 (Qld) and equivalent state legislation, and require coal-specific SWMS and Principal Hazard Management Plans. Contact us if you require the coal development variant.