Candidate Advice Sample Exam

Board of Examiner’s certificate of competency written
legislation examination
From 1 January 2015
Advice to candidate, sample exam papers

and model answer
This publication has been compiled for the Board of Examiners.
© State of Queensland, 2014.
The Queensland Government supports and encourages the dissemination and exchange of its information. The
copyright in this publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY) licence.
Under this licence you are free, without having to seek our permission, to use this publication in accordance with the
licence terms.
You must keep intact the copyright notice and attribute the State of Queensland as the source of the publication.
For more information on this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/deed.en
The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The Queensland Government shall not be liable for
technical or other errors or omissions contained herein. The reader/user accepts all risks and responsibility for losses,
damages, costs and other consequences resulting directly or indirectly from using this information.
Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
Table of contents
Advice to candidates ..................................................................................................................................... 4
SSE - Section 1: situation questions ........................................................................................... 6
SSE - Section 2: short answer questions ................................................................................... 7
OCE - Section 1: situation questions ......................................................................................... 13
OCE - Section 2: short answer questions ................................................................................. 14
1CC and 2CC - Section 1: situation questions ......................................................................................... 20
1CC and 2CC - Section 2: short answer questions ................................................................................. 22
Deputy - Section 1: situation questions ......................................................................................... 26
Deputy - Section 2: short answer questions ................................................................................. 27
Model question ........................................................................................................................................... 33
Model answer ............................................................................................................................................. 33
Page 3 of 36
Advice to candidates
The new coal mining law exams test your ability to apply the legislation rather than just remember it. It
checks whether you understand how the law is applied in day-to-day operating mines. This type of law
exam has been used for first and second-class certificates of competency in underground coal mines
since May 2011.
The time for the exam is reduced from three hours to two. The number of questions has been reduced to
suit.
The changes were made as candidates were often getting high marks in the written exam, but doing very
poorly in the oral. They could recite the legislation, but could not apply it to the practical situations they
were examined on. Inspectors were reporting that Senior Site Executives (SSEs), who do not have an
oral exam, were not familiar with the requirements of the legislation.
The written examinations now focus on the knowledge that practitioners require to meet the requirements
of risk-based legislation.
This means study approaches have to change. Identifying the questions on the paper and learning those
off by heart no longer works. The exams change regularly. This change was required as a question used
for several months was changed and several candidates gave the answer for the old question, without
noticing the question had changed.
In order to sit for the exam you will need to study the whole of the Act and Regulations affecting the way
you work from day-to-day.
There are now three types of questions.
Long answer questions
Long answer questions bringing together sections from various parts of the Act and Regulations. Think
about major tasks a mine official would do:
• investigate a serious accident
• involve the site safety and health representative (SSHR) to achieve the objects of the Act
• carry out inspections in a working section
• carry out shotfiring activities.
There are many sections of the legislation that apply. To guide the candidate, we provide prompts.
For example, the sample paper for Underground Mine Managers has a question about SSHRs. The
prompts ask about their powers and functions, their competencies and responsibility for their training. It
asks, what arrangements must be made if they are not available and what must they do if they are not
satisfied with the response from an SSE.
Please carefully read all questions. The actual exam question might ask about what an SSHR must be
told or how their identity must be displayed. Do not rely on what other people tell you was in previous
papers.
Each of the parts of the question needs to be answered to get full marks. Do not add unnecessary
information on the topic as you will not get extra marks. We work on a sampling principle.
A question like this example could also be asked in an SSE, Open Cut Examiner (OCE) or deputy exam,
but will focus on the way people in the specific position apply the law.
As we now change the exam papers regularly, you need to know the whole legislation to have a good
chance of passing.
Page 4 of 36
Short answer questions
There are also about 30 short answer questions. We have tried to reduce the amount of writing required.
A few of the questions may be multiple choice or just ask for a few words to complete a section of the
legislation.
There are sample example papers on the DNRM web site.
It is important to read the whole question.
The examination asks questions that apply to the position being examined. It is important to understand
the obligations of the position.
For example, a deputy or OCE candidate needs to know about the content of inspections. If the
obligations says a holder of a deputy’s certificate must be present when hot work is being carried, expect
questions about hot work. While the underground mine manager (UMM) must give the notice to the
inspector, a deputy would be expected to know the risk assessment referred to in the notice must be
carried out before the hot work is started. The deputy would also be expected to know the notice exists
and may be involved in preparing it.
Many sections of the regulation require actions by the SSE or another particular person, such as the
ventilation officer or ERZ Controller. Candidates are expected to know about these requirements if they
affect their position. The SSE has obligations around reporting an accident and not interfering with the
site. An ERZ Controller or OCE will be involved in that process and is expected to know what the primary
information requirements are when the initial report is made to the SSE.
The purpose of the exam is to see if the law that applies to the position is known. When studying for the
exam, do it from the perspective of being a person doing that position
To study for the exam, look at the plans and notices that are displayed to comply with the legislation. How
is that position involved in either displaying or reading those notices? Watch how a current person doing
the position currently carries out an inspection. The best place to study for this exam is in a well-managed
mine.
Page 5 of 36
SSE - Section 1: situation questions

Total marks in this section – 65. Marks required in this section – 45
Time allowed for whole paper – 2 hours
Paper SSE - 2W
Question 1: Management structure

What information about senior positions must be included in the documented management structure?
How is a supervisor defined? What requirements must be met before a person is assigned the tasks of a
supervisor? Give three examples of people who must have specified qualifications or competencies
before being appointed to a position. What is the meaning of competence, as defined in the Act? (20
marks)
Under what circumstances must an SSE be replaced when absent? What responsibilities does the
replacement SSE have to take on? (5 marks)
Total possible marks 25
Question 2: Notices
List 5 notices that must be given to an inspector.
You may include notices that must be given before action is taken or reports that must be made after
something has happened. Indicate whether these must be given verbally or in writing or both and any
time limits that the legislation sets. Who must give the notice? What must the notice state?
Up to 5 marks each. Total possible marks – 25
Question 3: Fitness for work

You are reviewing the fitness for work provisions at an operating mine.
The safety and health management system must provide for certain things about personal fatigue for
persons at the mine. What provisions are required? (5 marks)
What consultation is required? How must disagreements about assessment criteria be handled? What
arrangements must be made if agreement cannot be reached? (5 marks)
If information is given or obtained about a person’s fitness for work, what restrictions apply to the use of
that information? For how long must records be kept about fitness for work? How does this differ for
different types of employees? (5 marks)
Total possible marks – 15
Page 6 of 36
SSE - Section 2: short answer questions

1 Who does the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999 apply to?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
2 List two ways in which the objects of the act are achieved in
relation to rescue and emergency response
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
3 If a Recognised Standard states a way of achieving an acceptable

level of risk, how can a person discharge their obligation? (Select
one option)
a) only by following the way stated in the recognised standard
b) adopting and following a way that achieves a level of risk that is equal to or better than the
way stated in the recognised standard
c) by choosing any appropriate way to discharge the person’s safety and health obligation in
relation to the risk
d) by taking reasonable precautions, and exercising proper diligence
Marks - 4
4 Which of the following are on-site activities? (Mark those that are)
a) activities carried on principally for winning coal
b) activities carried on principally for exploring for coal
c) airborne geophysical surveys
d) treating coal and disposing of waste substances
e) rehabilitating a place after coal mining operations
f) transporting product from a coal mine on public roads
g) maintaining and testing plant, equipment or machinery in connection with exploring for
coal
h) constructing and installing surface railways
Marks – 8
5 What is the meaning of “Serious Accident”?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
Page 7 of 36
6 How do you decide if the level of risk is within acceptable limits?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
7 What level of risk must operations be carried out at for the level
of risk to be acceptable?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
8 List 5 of the obligations of a site senior executive for a coal mine?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 5
9 Under what circumstances must an operator appoint a person to

act as an SSE during an absence?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
10 When must the SSE appoint a person to perform a person's

duties who is temporarily absent?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
11 What are the requirements if it is proposed to review a principal

hazard management plan at an operating coal mine?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
Page 8 of 36
12 List 2 actions that a site safety and health representative must

take immediately if an inspection indicates the existence or
possible existence of danger?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
13 How soon must a verbal notification be given to an ISHR about a

high potential incident (Select one option)
a) As soon as practicable after the SSE becomes aware
b) Within 24 hours
c) Within 48 hours after the incident happened
d) Within 48 hours after the SSE became aware
Marks - 2
14 List 4 things that must be done before an accident site is

interfered with
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
15 What rights does a coal mine worker have if they believe that
their safety and health is in immediate danger?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
16 For how long must the information and data on which a risk
assessment was based be kept at the mine?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
Page 9 of 36
17 What is the purpose of consulting a cross section of the

mineworkers involved in carrying out the task when a standard
operating procedure is being developed?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
18 Where must a copy of the current standard operating procedure

for a particular activity at the mine be kept?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
19 What must be tested by the emergency exercises conducted as

part of a mine’s SHMS?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
20 Give an example of an appropriate way that a visitor's fitness

level for self escape may be assessed
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
21 What must an SSE ensure regarding PPE given to a visitor?

__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
22 When must seat belts be fitted to mobile plant?

__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
23 In addition to assessments, what two other things must the SHMS

provide for about alcohol consumption for people at the mine?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
Page 10 of 36
24 If agreement cannot be reached on the assessment criteria for

fitness provision due to drugs, what criteria apply?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
25 How often must a health assessment be carried out for a person

who is employed at a coal mine?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
26 What must the SSE ensure regarding refresher training?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
27 When must the SHMS make provisions for minimising the

person’s risk of injury from falling
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
28 What provisions must be made for controlling risks near a body

of water at the mine if a risk assessment identifies a risk of a
person drowning?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
29 Who may give technical directions to an Open Cut Examiner?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
Page 11 of 36
30 Who may make a recommendation to the Commissioner that a

prosecution be commenced? (Mark all correct options)
a) A Site Senior Executive
b) An Industry Safety and Health Representative
c) An inspector
d) Any coal mine worker
Marks – 4
Page 12 of 36
OCE - Section 1: situation questions

Total marks in this section – 90. Marks required in this section – 63.
Paper OCE - 2W
Question 1: Strata failure

There has been a strata failure where a highwall has collapsed, placing 3000 cubic metres of rock within
25 metres of where an excavator was working.
Fortunately no one was injured. The excavator operator pulled the machine back about 75 metres and all
of the trucks are now at least 100 metres away from the collapse. There is still some dribbling of material
on the end of the collapse furthest away from where the machinery was working.
As OCE you have been contacted.

• What steps would you take? (5 marks)
• Who will have to be notified? Who must they notify? (5 marks)
• What information will they require when they make that notification? (5 marks)
• What steps must be taken before activities can resume in that part of the mine? (5 marks)
• What reports must be prepared? What must the reports include? Who must the report be given
to? Who else must be told about the things contained in the report? (10 marks)
Question 2: Inspections
As an OCE, list 10 requirements of the legislation which apply to your inspection of the part of the mine
between an operating excavator and a tip? The question does not apply to the area around the
excavator.
When and how often must the inspections be carried out? Who else must carry out inspections in this
part of the mine? Consider arrangements for fire, injury, fixed and mobile plant that is likely to be
operating in that part of the mine.
Question 3: Unplanned discharge of explosives

You are an OCE at an open cut operation and have just arrived for your shift. The drill and blast engineer
informs you an unplanned explosion has occurred in a coal shot that was being prepared.
The report at this time is that no persons were in the vicinity at the time of the premature explosion. What
action would you take, if it has not already been taken?
You will be expected to inspect the site and investigate the incident. The SSE and mining manager are
both away from site and have as yet not been informed. What action would you take? Consider the safety
of the mine, activities that can and cannot be undertaken, reporting requirements, investigations, ongoing
safety and resumption of operations.
Page 13 of 36
OCE - Section 2: short answer questions

31 What are the objects of the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act
1999?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
32 What is the meaning of “Standard Operating Procedure”?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
33 What is the meaning of High Potential Incident?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
34 Who is a supervisor, as defined in the Act?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
35 When is risk from coal mining operations at an acceptable level?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
Page 14 of 36
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
37 What is required to happen if the level of risk is unacceptable?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
38 How can obligations be discharged if no regulation or

recognised standards made?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
39 Under the Act, which person has the obligation to train workers
so that they are competent to perform their duties?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
40 What are the requirements if it is proposed to review a principal

hazard management plan at an operating coal mine?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
41 List the 5 matters that must be kept in a mine record.

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 5
Page 15 of 36
42 How must copies of reports of inspections carried out under the

Act be displayed at the mine?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
43 Under what circumstances could the site of an accident causing

serious bodily injury to a person be disturbed before permission
has been obtained from an inspector?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
44 What information about SOPs must be kept in a location that is

easily accessible by each coal mine worker at the mine?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
45 Who must be included in the investigation of accidents or

incidents for a surface mine?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
46 How must the assessment criteria be established for fatigue?

__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
47 What must the SHMS provide for to deal with a person’s current
use of medication that could impair the person’s ability to carry
out the person’s duties at the mine
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
Page 16 of 36
48 How can the results of assessments about a person’s

consumption of alcohol, or use of drugs be used?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
49 List 6 things the standard operating procedure must address

when dealing with hazardous substances.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 6
50 What training provisions must be included in the Standard

Operating Procedure for personal protective equipment?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
51 How often must the check for hazards on fixed and mobile plant
used at the mine be carried out?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
52 Who must carry out the check for hazards on fixed and mobile
plant used at the mine?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
53 When must the warning system on mobile plant operate?

__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
Page 17 of 36
54 List 4 matters that the mine isolation, lockout and tagging

procedures must provide
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
55 Who must be given refresher training?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
56 What must be done if the average concentration of respirable

dust in the atmosphere can not be reduced to the levels stated
in the regulation?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
57 What are the requirements regarding an Open Cut Examiner

being present when mining activities are being carried out in or
around the surface excavation?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
58 When must an open cut examiner inspect a surface mine

excavation and the part of the mine near the excavation where
activities, including mining activities, are to be, or are being
carried out?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
Page 18 of 36
59 What must the Open Cut Examiner do prior to carrying out an

inspection?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
60 List 6 mandatory standard operating procedures for the use of

explosives in a surface coal mine.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 6
Page 19 of 36
1CC and 2CC - Section 1: situation questions


Paper 1CC - 2W
1. Discuss the role of the site safety and health representatives.

In your answer, include their powers and functions, what they must be told, how they are selected, their
competencies and responsibility for their training. What arrangements may be made if they are not
available when required? What must they do if they are not satisfied that necessary action has been
taken?
20 Marks
2. What are standard operating procedures? List 10 that are

required under the regulation. What provisions are required in
one of these 10?
In your answer discuss the process for preparing an SOP. Who must be involved? What happens if
agreement cannot be reached? Where must SOPs be kept?
20 Marks
3. On the main plan of the mine workings show the location of all
gas monitoring points which are required under the Coal Mining
Safety and Health Regulation 2001. (Plan will be provided, if this
type of question is included – see note)
Auxiliary fans are located at the points marked (F).
Development units are marked (DEV). A longwall face is operating in the section marked (LW). The
Upcast Shaft is marked UC.
Mark the places with a (C) where continuous monitoring of the mine atmosphere is required to detect
methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and oxygen.
Mark the places with a (P) where continuous monitoring, using the mine’s gas monitoring system, is
required to detect products of combustion in the mine atmosphere.
Mark the places with an (S) where the safety and health management system must provide for sampling
of the mine atmosphere, using the mine’s gas monitoring system; and
Mark the places with an (M) where an automatic methane detector must be located. There is no need to
indicate detectors on mobile equipment powered by battery or internal combustion engines.
40 Marks
Note about questions dealing with plans:

If a question refers to a plan, the plan will be based on a realistic mine plan. It will be A3 size. For this
type of question, intake and return airways and conveyor roadways will be indicated.
The objective of the question is to see if the candidate can locate the required items on a realistic mine
layout. This question does not test the candidate’s skill in ventilation or mine design, but does test the
application of legislation.
Page 20 of 36
Plan will be professionally drawn, but very basic layout to test understanding.
Page 21 of 36
1CC and 2CC - Section 2: short answer questions

Paper 2W
1. What is the meaning of “Serious Accident”?

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
2. Who is a supervisor, as defined in the Act?

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 5
3. What level of risk must operations be carried out at for the level
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
4. How do you decide if the level of risk is within acceptable limits?

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
5. How can obligations be discharged if no regulation or

recognised standards made?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
Page 22 of 36
6. What activities may be carried out in an underground mine when

only one escapeway is available for use?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
7. List 5 of the obligations of a site senior executive for a coal

mine?
Marks: 5
8. When must the SSE appoint a person to perform a person's

duties who is temporarily absent?
Marks: 2
9. Under what circumstances must an operator appoint a person to

act as an SSE during an absence?
Marks: 1
10. What conditions must be satisfied for a person to be appropriate

to appointed as a Ventilation Officer?
Marks: 3
11. What must a Principal Hazard Management Plan do?

Marks: 2
12. List 4 things that must be done before an accident site is

interfered with
Marks: 4
13. What rights does a coal mine worker have if they believe that
their safety and health is in immediate danger?
Marks: 4
14. Where must a copy of the current standard operating procedure

for a particular activity at the mine be kept?
Marks: 2
15. List 5 positions where a person appointed to carry out specific

duties at a mine must have recognised competencies
Marks: 5
16. What must be tested by the emergency exercises conducted as

part of a mine’s SHMS?
Marks: 2
17. List 5 matters that the mine's safety and health management
system must provide for regarding fire?
Marks: 5
Page 23 of 36
18. List 4 requirements to be included in the safety and health

management system regarding personal fatigue.
Marks: 4
19. What assessments must be included in the system to manage

the risk associated with the use of drugs at the mine?
Marks: 3
20. When must a health assessment be carried out for a person who
is to be employed at a coal mine?
Marks: 1
21. When must the pre-start warning system on mobile plant

operate?
Marks: 1
22. What action must a Site Senior Executive take when they
become aware that certified equipment used at the mine does
not meet certification requirements or is likely to create an
unacceptable level of risk
Marks: 3
23. Who must be given refresher training?

Marks: 4
24. How often must a worker holding a supervisory position at the

mine be given refresher training?
Marks: 1
25. What must be done if the average concentration of respirable

dust in the atmosphere can not be reduced to the levels stated
in the regulation?
Marks: 2
26. List four things that the fire officer is responsible for at an
underground coal mine.
Marks: 4
27. How often must the operation of each airlock installed for an
entrance at the mine be tested, other than pressure tested?
Marks: 1
28. What details must be recorded about the temporary use of a self
rescuer at a mine?
Marks: 3
29. When must the emergency response strategies for mines rescue
services be capable of implementation?
Marks: 1
Page 24 of 36
30. What are the requirements for power supply and electrical
components in an underground mine's telephone system?
Marks: 2
Page 25 of 36
Deputy - Section 1: situation questions


Paper DEP - 2W
Question 1: Inspections by ERZ Controller

List the inspections, checks and tests that you would make when inspecting a continuous miner panel in
an underground mine. Include 15 items that you would inspect, test or check. Consider the items in
Schedule 5 and elsewhere in the regulation.
For each item, suggest an expected value that indicates a normal condition and value that indicates that
further investigation is needed.
Follow the examples given in this box:
1: Oxygen content in air

Normal is above 20%, up to 21%
Below 19% means that people must be withdrawn from the place.
2: Travelling surface of roadways

Normal is dry, very little dust from vehicles, level surface
Road may need to be watered if there is too much dust from vehicles.
Pumping may be required to keep the roadway dry. Potholes need to be
repaired soon after they first appear.
2 marks are given for each item that must be inspected, 1 more for the normal or expected values
and 1 more for the value that causes concern.
Question 2: Gas monitoring

List 5 places in a longwall section where gas monitoring must be installed. Include the whole of the
maingate and tailgate as part of the section.
What gases must be monitored at each of these points? What levels are set in the regulation and what
action must be taken when these levels are reached?
2 marks are given for each location, 1 more for each gas that is listed correctly, up to 10 marks, 1 more
for the level set in the regulation (up to 5) and 1 more for the action that must be taken (up to 5).
Total possible marks 30.
Page 26 of 36
Deputy - Section 2: short answer questions

1 What are the objects of the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act
1999?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
2 What is the meaning of “Standard Operating Procedure”?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
3 What is the meaning of High Potential Incident?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
4 Who is a supervisor, as defined in the Act?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
5 When is risk from coal mining operations at an acceptable level?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
Page 27 of 36
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
7 What is required to happen if the level of risk is unacceptable?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
8 Under the Act, which person has the obligation to train workers
so that they are competent to perform their duties?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
9 What must a Principal Hazard Management Plan do?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
10 How must copies of reports of inspections carried out under the

Act be displayed at the mine?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
11 Under what circumstances could the site of an accident causing

serious bodily injury to a person be disturbed before permission
has been obtained from an inspector?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
Page 28 of 36
12 You have been authorised to conduct a search for contraband

and a person refuse to be searched, what must the person who
has refused do?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
13 You have asked a coal mine worker to carry out a task. The coal
mine worker refused because of concerns about safety. You
believe that there is no immediate personal danger and you
require another person to do the same task, what must you do
and not do?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
14 What information about SOPs must be kept in a location that is

easily accessible by each coal mine worker at the mine?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
15 In an underground mine, if it is not practicable to involve the ERZ

Controller responsible for the zone who was on duty when the
accident or incident happened, who else must be involved in an
accident investigation?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
16 Name three activities where the regulation states that provisions

must be made for the use of Personal Protective Equipment
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
17 Who must be consulted in developing the fitness for work

provisions?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
Page 29 of 36
18 What must the SHMS provide for to deal with a person’s current
use of medication that could impair the person’s ability to carry
out the person’s duties at the mine
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
19 Where must the Register of Hazardous Substances be kept?

__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
20 What provisions must be included in the Standard Operating

Procedure for using hazardous substances?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 8
21 What training provisions must be included in the Standard

Operating Procedure for personal protective equipment?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
22 At what concentration, detected by an automatic methane

detector on a longwall shearer, must the electricity supply to the
cutters be automatically tripped? (Circle the right choice)
a) 1%
b) 1.25%
c) 2%
d) 2.50%
Marks 2
Page 30 of 36
23 What must happen if the methane concentration in the general

body around a longwall shearer reaches 1%? (Circle the right
choice)
a) The detector must automatically activate a visible alarm
b) The electricity supply to the cutters must trip automatically
c) The operator must trip the power to the machine
d) All power to the face must be switched off
Marks 2
24 Where must the visual alarm be visible when the automatic

methane detector located in the intake airway at the interface
between a NERZ and an ERZ1 detects the prescribed
concentration of methane in the general body? (Circle the right
choice)
a) at the interface
b) at a place on the surface that is attended while people are underground
c) at the place on the surface where people assemble before going underground
d) a place close to each switchgear used to isolate or control sections of the underground main
electricity distribution system
Marks 2
25 Who must carry out the check for hazards on fixed and mobile
plant used at the mine?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
26 How often must the check for hazards on fixed and mobile plant
used at the mine be carried out?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
27 List 5 matters that must be provided for in the mine's training

scheme
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 5
Page 31 of 36
28 How often must a worker holding a certificate of competency be

given refresher training under a mine's training scheme?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
29 What details of exposure to dust in the atmosphere must be

monitored and recorded?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
30 In addition to other checks and inspections, who must carry out a

check and examination of each coal mine worker’s specific work
area at an underground coal mine?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
Page 32 of 36
Model question
Consultation
List 4 matters that the SSE must consult with coal mine workers about.
For each of the four, say whether the cross-section is drawn from those doing the task or
from the whole workforce.
For each of the four, say whether any part must be agreed to by a majority of the workers at
the mine.
For each of the four, indicate what must happen if there is a disagreement with the cross-
section.
For those where agreement with the workforce is necessary, what must happen if that
agreement cannot be reached?
Model answer
You can pick any four of these:
Reg 10 – Preparing an SOP
Reg 41 - Developing fitness provisions for alcohol
Reg 42 – Developing fitness provisions for personal fatigue and other physical and psychological
impairment, and drugs
Reg 171 - Trigger points for emergency evacuation
Reg 368 – Search provisions
Reg 369 - Heat stress management provisions
Act 64 - Review of principal hazard management plans and standard operating procedures
Preparing an SOP
Nature of cross section
mine’s coal mine workers involved in carrying out a task under the proposed standard operating
procedure
Requirement for agreement of majority of workforce

Not required
Procedure for disagreement

SSE to seek advice from expert or recognised text
Consult again about additional advice
If still no agreement, SSE to decide
Disagreed matters to be recorded
Agreed matters to be included
If agreement cannot be reached with workforce

Not required
Page 33 of 36
Developing fitness provisions for alcohol

representatives of the mine’s coal mine workers

Not required


Not required
Developing fitness provisions for personal fatigue and other physical

and psychological impairment (but not drugs)
Develop fitness provisions in consultation with a cross-section of workers at the mine.

Establish the criteria for the assessment in agreement with a majority of workers at the mine


Keep trying
Developing fitness provisions for the improper use of drugs

Develop fitness provisions in consultation with a cross-section of workers at the mine

must make a reasonable attempt to establish the criteria for the assessment in agreement with
a majority of workers at the mine

Page 34 of 36

the criteria for assessment stated in a recognised standard apply until an agreement is reached
Trigger points for emergency evacuation


Not required


Not required. Individuals retain right to withdraw from place they regard as unsafe.
Search provisions

Not required


Not necessary
Heat stress management provisions

Not only those involved in carrying out the task

Not required

Page 35 of 36


Not required
Review of principal hazard management plans and standard operating

procedures
with coal mine workers affected by the plans and operating procedures

None.
Consultation defined in act as “discussion with intention of reaching agreement.”

None

Not required
Page 36 of 36

Candidate Advice Sample Exam

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Candidate Advice Sample Exam

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Board of Examiner’s certificate of competency written

From 1 January 2015

Advice to candidate, sample exam papers

There are now three types of questions.

Long answer questions

Short answer questions

There are sample example papers on the DNRM web site.

It is important to read the whole question.

SSE - Section 1: situation questions

Question 1: Management structure

Total possible marks 25

Up to 5 marks each. Total possible marks – 25

Question 3: Fitness for work

Total possible marks – 15

SSE - Section 2: short answer questions

3 If a Recognised Standard states a way of achieving an acceptable

5 What is the meaning of “Serious Accident”?

6 How do you decide if the level of risk is within acceptable limits?

8 List 5 of the obligations of a site senior executive for a coal mine?

9 Under what circumstances must an operator appoint a person to

10 When must the SSE appoint a person to perform a person's

11 What are the requirements if it is proposed to review a principal

12 List 2 actions that a site safety and health representative must

13 How soon must a verbal notification be given to an ISHR about a

14 List 4 things that must be done before an accident site is

17 What is the purpose of consulting a cross section of the

18 Where must a copy of the current standard operating procedure

19 What must be tested by the emergency exercises conducted as

20 Give an example of an appropriate way that a visitor's fitness

21 What must an SSE ensure regarding PPE given to a visitor?

22 When must seat belts be fitted to mobile plant?

23 In addition to assessments, what two other things must the SHMS

24 If agreement cannot be reached on the assessment criteria for

25 How often must a health assessment be carried out for a person

26 What must the SSE ensure regarding refresher training?

27 When must the SHMS make provisions for minimising the

28 What provisions must be made for controlling risks near a body

29 Who may give technical directions to an Open Cut Examiner?

30 Who may make a recommendation to the Commissioner that a

OCE - Section 1: situation questions

Time allowed for whole paper – 2 hours

Question 1: Strata failure

As OCE you have been contacted.

Total possible marks 30

Total possible marks – 30

Question 3: Unplanned discharge of explosives

Total possible marks – 30

OCE - Section 2: short answer questions

32 What is the meaning of “Standard Operating Procedure”?

33 What is the meaning of High Potential Incident?

34 Who is a supervisor, as defined in the Act?

35 When is risk from coal mining operations at an acceptable level?

37 What is required to happen if the level of risk is unacceptable?

38 How can obligations be discharged if no regulation or

40 What are the requirements if it is proposed to review a principal

41 List the 5 matters that must be kept in a mine record.

42 How must copies of reports of inspections carried out under the

43 Under what circumstances could the site of an accident causing

44 What information about SOPs must be kept in a location that is

45 Who must be included in the investigation of accidents or

46 How must the assessment criteria be established for fatigue?

48 How can the results of assessments about a person’s

49 List 6 things the standard operating procedure must address

50 What training provisions must be included in the Standard