Queensland mining retains separate welding, silica and diesel treatment
Queensland's checked mining Schedule 5 treats welding fumes, respirable crystalline silica and diesel particulate matter separately from its general incorporation of the Safe Work Australia list. This entry records that sector-specific baseline without asserting a new commencement date.
Coal mining has a separate statute and schedule. A current numerical diesel-particulate baseline was not revalidated in this review.
- Legal status
- current sector specific baseline
- Source check
- Sep 17, 2026
- Topic
- Mining exposure limits
- Technical review
- Jiaxi · 2026-09-23
What changed
Previous requirement
2023 amendments preserved sector-specific treatment before national changes.
New requirement or current position
Current consolidation retains welding fume and RCS values separately; DPM is excluded from the generic SWA incorporation.
Who it affects
- Queensland mineral mines
- Queensland quarries
Dates and milestones
Commencement and compliance dates can differ. Read the conditions beside each date, including any stay or local adoption requirement.
- Announcement or publication
- Not established or not applicable
- Recorded effective date
- Not established or not applicable
Selected exposure values
These values need the scope, limit type and averaging period shown below. A proposed or advisory value is not a binding limit.
Welding fumes
5 mg/m3| Averaging period | 8-hour TWA |
|---|---|
| Limit type | general_exposure_limit |
| Scope | MQSH Regulation Schedule 5; adjust for worker circumstances under ss. 133-134 |
Respirable crystalline silica: quartz, cristobalite and tridymite
0.05 mg/m3| Averaging period | 8-hour TWA |
|---|---|
| Limit type | general_exposure_limit |
| Scope | MQSH Regulation Schedule 5; adjust for worker circumstances under ss. 133-134 |
What this could mean for your IH program
Do not load the national 1 mg/m3 welding or future DPM WEL automatically into this mining regime.
Confirm applicability with a qualified practitioner before changing your program.
Questions and qualifications
- Coal mining is a separate statute and schedule. Current QGN21 recommended DPM details were not revalidated; no numeric DPM baseline is asserted here.
Source evidence
- Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Regulation 2017, current consolidation
Queensland Parliamentary Counsel · Schedule 5; ss. 133-136
Schedule 5 retains welding fumes at 5 mg/m3 and RCS at 0.05 mg/m3; DPM, RCS and welding fumes are excluded from the general SWA-list incorporation.
- Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Amendment Regulation 2023 explanatory note
Queensland Parliamentary Counsel · pp. 1-2
Explains deliberate disconnection of these three contaminants from the SWA list and historical recommended DPM approach.
Managing your IH program
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