The movement and interaction of vehicles, mobile plant and pedestrians can present significant health and safety risks across mining operations, including associated facilities such as processing plants, mine site accommodation villages and tailings dams.
Effective road and traffic management helps mine operators identify hazards and manage risks, while supporting the safe movement of vehicles, mobile plant and pedestrians across mine sites.
For guidance on establishing and implementing traffic management systems, refer to the Road and traffic management at Western Australian mines: Code of practice.
Why is traffic management important?
Roads and other areas where mobile plant operate are classified as principal mining hazards under the Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022. Traffic-related incidents can result in serious injuries, fatalities and damage to equipment and infrastructure.
Mining environments are dynamic and involve interactions between:
- heavy mobile plant
- light vehicles
- workers and pedestrians
- fixed infrastructure
- other mobile equipment.
Effective traffic management helps identify hazards, manage risks and establish safe systems of work to reduce the likelihood of collisions and other vehicle-related incidents.
Traffic management plans
A site-specific traffic management plan (TMP) should be developed and implemented as part of the mine’s principal mining hazard management plan (PMHMP and mine safety management system (MSMS).
The TMP is a key tool for managing traffic-related risks and should provide a central reference point for the systems, procedures and controls used across the operation. It should be regularly monitored and reviewed to ensure it remains effective and reflects changes to site activities, infrastructure and risks.
A TMP should address matters such as:
- traffic-related risk management and control measures
- road design, maintenance and traffic arrangements
- vehicle, mobile plant and pedestrian management
- traffic rules, site access and movement controls
- communication and traffic monitoring systems
- competency, supervision and responsibilities
- emergency response and recovery arrangements
- incident management, monitoring and continuous improvement
- management of change and emerging technologies (where applicable).
Managing traffic related risks
Mine operators must manage traffic-related hazards and risks using a risk management approach. Traffic management controls should focus on minimising or eliminating interactions between vehicles, mobile plant, pedestrians and infrastructure.
The How to manage work health and safety risks: Code of practice provides practical guidance to PCBUs on how to manage risks to health and safety.
Key elements of traffic management
Effective traffic management requires a systematic approach that considers four key elements.
Monitoring and review
Traffic management systems should be regularly monitored, audited and reviewed to ensure they remain effective.
Monitoring activities may include inspections, observations, maintenance programs, worker feedback and verification of control measures. Audits can assist in determining whether traffic management arrangements are being implemented as intended and whether legal requirements are being met.
Reviews should be undertaken following:
- incidents or near misses
- significant operational changes
- audit findings
- deficiencies identified through inspections, audits or reviews.
Consulting with workers and health and safety representatives during reviews can help identify opportunities for improvement and support the ongoing effectiveness of traffic management controls.
Resources and guidance
- Road and traffic management at Western Australian mines: Code of practice
- Mine safety management system: Code of practice
- How to manage work health and safety risks: Code of practice
- Safe mobile autonomous mining in Western Australia: Code of practice
- Emergency management for Western Australian mines: Code of practice
- The Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table (EMESRT)
- Vehicle interaction improvement body of knowledge, EMESRT