In NSW coal mines, who is responsible for reporting hazards and near misses and what record is maintained?

• A. Workers report hazards and near misses; supervisors record them and ensure corrective actions; maintain hazard/risk register.
• B. Supervisors report hazards; workers record them; maintain incident log.
• C. External inspectors report hazards; no internal record is kept.
• D. Managers report hazards; maintain safety policy binder.

Answer: (A)

In NSW coal mines, reporting hazards and near misses is a process that starts with workers on the mine face who spot issues and raise them promptly. Supervisors then record these reports, ensure corrective actions are identified and followed up, and monitor the progression until the hazards are addressed. The formal record kept for this process is the hazard/risk register, which lists identified hazards or risks, the controls in place, and the status of any corrective actions.

This fits because the system relies on frontline reporting by workers, with supervisors handling documentation and action, and the hazard/risk register serving as the central record of identified risks and their treatment. External inspectors don’t manage internal reporting, and a safety policy binder or a simple incident log does not capture the ongoing management and tracking of hazards and their controls.