The pre-shift inspection is the beating heart of the Open Cut Examiner (OCE) role. Done well, it catches hazards before crews are exposed to them and creates a defensible statutory record. Done poorly, it becomes a tick-and-flick exercise that satisfies nobody — least of all a regulator after an incident. Here is a practical checklist framework for OCE pre-shift examinations on Queensland open cut coal mines.
Why the pre-shift inspection matters
Under the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999, the open cut workings must be examined and confirmed safe before people work in them. The OCE’s signature on that examination is a legal statement. A structured checklist ensures nothing is missed and that the record stands up to scrutiny.
The core pre-shift checklist
Ground and geotechnical conditions
- Highwall and lowwall stability — cracking, tension gaps, scaling or fresh fall material
- Batter and bench condition against design
- Evidence of wall movement or monitoring alarms since the last examination
- Water accumulation, seepage or sump levels
Roads, access and mobile plant
- Haul road condition, windrows, edge protection and signage
- Ramp grades, intersections and sight lines
- Dust and visibility conditions
- Parking-up areas and go-lines
Environmental and other hazards
- Weather — rain, lightning, heat or wind that may change conditions during the shift
- Blasting exclusion zones and misfire controls
- Electrical apparatus, trailing cables and isolation points
- Spontaneous combustion indicators where relevant
Link every hazard to a TARP
A checklist that only lists hazards is incomplete. The value comes from connecting each finding to a Trigger Action Response Plan (TARP) so that when a condition crosses a trigger — say, a monitoring prism accelerates or rainfall exceeds a threshold — the required actions are unambiguous and already agreed. Good OCEs use TARPs to turn observation into decisive action.
Record it properly
The statutory record should capture what was examined, the conditions found, the controls in place, any hazards raised, and who was notified. Legible, complete and timely records are as important as the inspection itself — they are the evidence that the examination happened and that the mine was safe to enter.
Common findings that slip through
- Overnight rain changing wall and road conditions before day shift
- Windrows below height at active dump edges
- Deteriorating sight lines at busy intersections
- Housekeeping and trip hazards around workshops and go-lines
Digitising the pre-shift examination
Increasingly, mines are moving pre-shift examinations onto digital and visual hazard-management tools — geotagging findings, attaching photos, and giving supervisors live visibility of conditions. This makes records more consistent, easier to audit and faster to act on.
Want to lift the standard of examinations and safety leadership on your site? Red Lion Safety provides OCE mentoring, SOP & risk-assessment support and independent SHMS audits — grounded in more than 20 years of coal mining experience. Enquire today.
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