Dust monitoring data - mineral mines and quarries

All Queensland mine and quarry sites are required to report respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica sampling results to the Queensland Mines Inspectorate. The data are collated by Resources Safety & Health Queensland, and can be accessed below.

You can use this data to:

• review and update your safety and health management system (SHMS)
• assess and manage the risks of respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica
• target dust control strategies to high-risk areas and activities.

About the data

The data presented is for 'exceedances'. These are instances when the worker's personal dust sampling result exceed the occupational exposure limit (OEL) or the shift adjusted OEL.

The data is broken down by mine type, employee type, date and reporting classes. The reporting classes identify groups of workers who have the same general exposure to risk, for example because they perform similar tasks or use the same types of materials or processes.

Information that could identify individual mine sites has been omitted.

Viewing the data

Click on the link below to open the data dashboard. Toggle the double arrow at the bottom right to expand to the full screen view or to exit full screen view. You'll find instructions on using the dashboard in the top green panel.

Email QLDMinesInspectorate@rshq.qld.gov.au if you have any queries.

View monitoring data

Analysis and trends

Analysis of the data for the 2018-19 financial year show, for each reporting class, the areas reporting the greatest number of exceedances. These areas are the priority focus for change and Queensland Mines Inspectorate activities.

• Support of mining processes: over 80% of reported exceedances relate to maintenance activities.
• Open cut/surface operations: 50% of reported exceedances related to blast and drill activities.
• Processing: 50% of reported exceedances relate to crushing activities.
• Underground operations: 38% of reported exceedances relate to installation of services underground.

The overall exceedance rate for mines and quarries has improved for both respirable crystalline silica and respirable dust.

• Respirable crystalline silica improved from 5.1% in 2017/18 to 4.3% in 2018/19.
• Respirable dust improved from 0.7% in 2017/18 to 0.5% in 2018/19.

Exposure to respirable dust is not a reliable predictor of exposure to respirable crystalline silica. For every respirable dust exceedance reported, the data showed about 8 more respirable crystalline silica exceedances are reported.