Reporting explosives incidents

Under the Explosives Act 1999, the Chief Inspector of Explosives must be contacted by phone immediately following certain events. A written follow-up notification must then be submitted within 48 hours.

These notifications are essential to allow us to respond appropriately, for example by sending an inspector to the site. Timely reporting also helps us address safety and security issues and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

What needs to be reported

You must call the Explosives Inspectorate immediately on 1300 739 868 if one of the following events occurs in relation to an explosive:

• actual or apparent loss or theft of explosives
• attempted theft or security threat
• accidental explosion, fire or spillage
• death of or an injury to a person
• unexpected damage to property
• misfire or other event that has the potential to cause any of the above.

Examples of explosives incidents that need to be notified are:

• explosives stolen or missing from a magazine
• inventory records that don't agree with stock on hand
• misfires during the firing of a shot
• significant fume event
• flyrock that goes beyond the exclusion zone.

Call the Explosives Inspectorate on 1300 739 868 for advice if you have any doubts about whether an event needs to be reported.

Who is responsible for the notification

The notification must be made by either:

• the authority holder whose explosives are involved in the incident
  or
• the person who was in custody or control of the explosives at the time of the incident.

How to notify the Explosives Inspectorate

Initial phone notification

Immediately after the incident, call the Explosives Emergency Hotline (1300 739 868) to report it.

Make a note of the time and date you notified us and the name of the inspector you spoke to.

Follow-up written notification

No later than 48 hours after the incident, you must complete and submit the approved incident notification form.

Before completing the form, have the following information available:

• address or GPS coordinates of the incident location
• date and time of the incident
• details about the initial phone notification (time and date, name of inspector)
• description of the incident, including person's actions, equipment involved, the activity being undertaken and any other relevant factors
• name of explosive involved and as much information about the explosive as possible (e.g. quantity involved, UN number, class/division, batch number, manufacturer, date of manufacture)
• information regarding emergency services and other agencies involved, evacuations, security, media presence, witnesses and any vehicles involved if known
• any photos or documents relevant to the incident to attach and upload.

Other reporting requirements

In addition to notifying the Explosives Inspectorate, you may also need to provide a separate notification to:

• Mines Inspectorate, if the incident occurred at a mine
• Petroleum and Gas Inspectorate, if the incident occurred at operating plant or relates to gas devices.

Separate notifications may also be required to the Queensland Police Service, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, and other government departments or agencies.

Requirements of safety and security management systems

Your safety and security management system (SSMS) should include clear procedures for incident reporting and investigation, including:

• a standard incident report form
• incident reporting contact numbers and email addresses
• process to support the incident reporting system.

You should also:

• Keep a record of all incidents.
• Ensure incidents are investigated at the appropriate level.
• Follow-up to make sure recommendations are implemented.

An incident should trigger a review of your:

• processes
• the plant or equipment involved
• personnel training and interface
• security plan (for security incidents).