New regulations for exposure to CO2 in underground mines take effect

New amendments to the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2014, in relation to the exposure standard for carbon dioxide in underground coalmines, have come into effect. The amendments prescribe the current exposure for carbon dioxide of 12,500 ppm (time-weighted average) and 30,000 ppm (short-term exposure level) that is published in the Workplace Exposure Standard for Airborne Contaminants.

The amendments also include minor changes to references to other regulators, removal of redundant provisions, clarification of information to be included in a work health and safety report and a transitional arrangement to enable mine operators to refer to either the 1995 or 2020 version of the Geocentric Datum of Australia when preparing their mine survey plans.

A copy of the amended regulation can be accessed here.

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