Mine Ventilation Management SWMS (Underground)
Underground mine ventilation system management. Covers ventilation survey methods (anemometer traverse per AS 4024), auxiliary fan placement and duct leakage assessment, emergency re-entry procedure after blast event or fire, DPM monitoring by gravimetric elemental carbon analysis, methane threshold trigger action levels, and oxygen-deficiency monitoring in dead-end headings.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Underground mine ventilation management governs the delivery of breathable air, dilution of contaminants, and removal of heat across active workings, development headings, and production stopes. Ventilation is a recognised principal hazard under the WHS (Mines) Regulation 2022 Part 6, meaning the mine operator must prepare a Principal Hazard Management Plan supported by task-level SWMS for every activity that alters airflow, monitors atmosphere, or exposes workers to airborne contaminants. This SWMS covers anemometer traverse surveys, auxiliary fan and duct integrity assessment, gravimetric DPM sampling for elemental carbon, methane and oxygen monitoring in dead-end headings, and emergency re-entry following blast or fire events. Work occurs in confined return airways, near rotating fan plant, and in atmospheres that can transition from breathable to immediately dangerous to life or health within minutes. A SWMS is mandatory because this work meets multiple Schedule 1 high-risk construction work triggers and engages the principal hazard duty under s26 of the Mines Regulation.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Rapid unconsciousness, hypoxic brain injury, and fatality within minutes; coronial inquiry and regulator prosecution under s32 WHS Act
Ignition, flash fire, or explosion causing multiple fatalities, structural collapse, and statutory mine closure order
Acute respiratory irritation, long-term lung cancer (IARC Group 1 carcinogen), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chemical asphyxiation, pulmonary oedema with delayed onset 6-24 hours, and potential fatality during apparent recovery
Severe degloving, traumatic amputation, or fatality from contact with rotating blade tips at high peripheral velocity
Heat exhaustion progressing to heat stroke, cognitive impairment increasing secondary incident risk, and cardiovascular collapse
Fractures, spinal injury, or fatality from falls onto rib, floor, or into ore passes and raise bore openings
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Where reasonably practicable, eliminate worker entry into oxygen-deficient or post-blast atmospheres by deploying tele-remote gas monitoring drones before any personnel re-entry is authorised.
- 2Elimination — Eliminate diesel emission sources at the face by transitioning development fleet to battery-electric loaders and trucks, removing the underlying DPM hazard at its origin.
- 3Substitution — Substitute low-emission Tier 4 Final diesel engines with diesel particulate filters in place of legacy Tier 2 fleet to reduce elemental carbon generation at source.
- 4Substitution — Substitute rigid steel ducting for flexible layflat duct on auxiliary fan runs exceeding 200 m to reduce leakage and improve face quantity delivery.
- 5Engineering — Install fixed real-time tube-bundle gas monitoring with SCADA integration for CO, CH₄, NO₂, and O₂ at every active heading, with automatic trip of production at trigger action levels per Mines Reg Part 6.
- 6Engineering — Guard all auxiliary fan inlets and outlets to AS 4024.1 machine safety standard with interlocked mesh preventing impeller access during rotation and lockout verification before maintenance.
- 7Administrative — Conduct quarterly anemometer traverse surveys using calibrated vane anemometer per AS 2243.1 method, with results logged in the ventilation management plan and reviewed by the ventilation officer.
- 8Administrative — Enforce post-blast re-entry exclusion of minimum 30 minutes plus gas clearance confirmation by handheld multi-gas detector before any worker enters the blast zone, as per the emergency response procedure.
- 9PPE — Issue personal multi-gas monitors (O₂, CO, CH₄, H₂S, NO₂) with audible and vibrating alarms set to statutory trigger levels, worn in the breathing zone for every underground entry.
- 10PPE — Provide P2/P3 respiratory protection for DPM sampling tasks, self-rescuers (W65 or equivalent) on person at all times, and high-visibility flame-resistant coveralls compliant with AS/NZS 4824.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Mandates a Principal Hazard Management Plan for ventilation with documented trigger action response plans for methane, CO, and oxygen levels.
Prescribes guarding, lockout, and risk assessment requirements for auxiliary fan installations and maintenance access during duct leakage inspection.
Sets the 0.1 mg/m³ elemental carbon exposure standard, gravimetric sampling methodology, and required engineering controls for DPM management.
Governs calibration, sampling integrity, and respirator fit-test requirements for DPM elemental carbon analysis and personal exposure assessment.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Dead-end headings and unventilated return airways meet the confined space definition during oxygen monitoring and post-blast re-entry inspections.
Gravimetric DPM sampling and gas monitoring directly expose workers to Schedule 14 hazardous chemicals requiring biological and atmospheric health monitoring.
Deep underground workings present elevated wet-bulb temperatures and engineered atmospheres requiring forced ventilation to maintain breathability.
PCBU must consult workers under s47 WHS Act, retain SWMS for life of mine plus statutory period, and produce on regulator request; penalties for non-compliance are substantial and indexed, with the current maximum following the prevailing WHS schedule.
Who this is for
- →Ventilation officers and engineers on underground metalliferous mines
- →Mine deputies and shift supervisors authorising re-entry
- →Occupational hygienists conducting DPM gravimetric sampling
- →Underground electrical and mechanical fitters servicing auxiliary fans
What you receive
- ✓Editable DOCX template — Microsoft Word compatible
- ✓State-specific WHS legislation schedule (NSW/VIC/QLD/SA/WA/TAS/NT/ACT)
- ✓Hazard register with risk ratings + hierarchy-of-control mapping
- ✓Worker sign-on register, pre-start checklist, and incident escalation flow
Worked example
At a fictional underground gold mine in a remote operating region, the ventilation officer is scheduled to conduct a quarterly anemometer traverse of the main return airway and a DPM gravimetric sampling shift on the 1200-level development crew. At the 6:00 am pre-start brief in the surface crib room, the officer opens this SWMS on a tablet and walks the two-person team through the hazard register. They identify oxygen deficiency in the inactive 1180-level stub heading as a HIGH priority and confirm the control: tele-remote drone sweep before entry, supported by personal multi-gas monitors worn in the breathing zone. The team reviews the methane trigger action level of 1.25% and rehearses the withdrawal route. Each worker signs onto the SWMS digitally, confirming P3 respirator fit-test currency and self-rescuer inspection dates. Mid-shift, the auxiliary fan on the 1200 heading trips on overcurrent. The supervisor pauses the gravimetric sampling, refers to the SWMS administrative control requiring re-establishment of statutory air quantity before resumed entry, and isolates the fan to AS 4024.1 lockout standard before the fitter inspects the impeller. The SWMS is annotated in the field with the fan trip event, the revised sampling window, and the supervisor's signature — creating the contemporaneous record required for the ventilation management plan review.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- Code of Practice — Hazardous Manual Tasks