Event Overview

Queensland's mining industry operates within an increasingly complex safety and regulatory environment, where the prevention of fatalities, serious injuries and high-consequence incidents remains a fundamental responsibility of mine operators, executives, technical specialists and frontline leadership.

​

The 2026 Mining Safety, Critical Risk & Psychosocial Risk Summit, presented by Mines & Environment and Safety Managed,  brings together mining industry leaders, safety professionals, technical experts and regulatory specialists for a focused, one-day examination of the critical safety challenges facing Queensland's coal, metalliferous mining and quarrying sectors.

​

The Summit will explore the intersection of critical risk management, operational safety, legal accountability, emerging technologies and psychosocial hazards, with particular emphasis on strengthening the effectiveness of safety controls and preventing serious and catastrophic incidents.

​

Against a backdrop of evolving regulatory requirements, significant legal developments and increasing operational complexity, the program moves beyond conventional safety compliance to examine how mining organisations can demonstrate that their safety systems, critical controls and governance arrangements are effective in practice.

​

Through specialist presentations, practical industry insights and facilitated discussions, attendees will examine high-consequence operational hazards, emerging risks and the responsibilities of those charged with maintaining safe mining operations.

​

The Summit also recognises that effective mining safety management must address both physical and psychological risks, particularly as automation, workforce demands and changing operational models reshape the mining environment.

​

Background | Why This Summit Matters in 2026

Mining safety in Queensland is entering a period of heightened accountability, with increased attention being directed towards the effectiveness of critical controls, corporate governance, operational decision-making and the prevention of serious injuries and fatalities.

​

Significant developments in 2026 have reinforced the need for mining organisations to review how they identify, manage, verify and respond to high-consequence risks.

​

Industrial Manslaughter, Corporate Liability & Executive Accountability

The $7 million industrial manslaughter conviction involving Mastermyne Crinum Operations has brought renewed attention to the legal consequences of serious safety failures, corporate criminal liability and the responsibilities of those overseeing mining operations.

The implications extend beyond legal compliance, raising important questions about executive due diligence, safety governance, operational supervision and the evidence required to demonstrate effective risk management.

Critical Control Management & Verifiable Assurance

Queensland's strengthened critical control management requirements, with the transition period concluding on 1 June 2026, have placed increased emphasis on the practical verification of controls intended to prevent fatalities and serious harm.

Mining organisations must consider not only whether critical controls have been identified and documented, but whether they are functioning effectively under actual operating conditions.

This represents an important shift towards measurable performance standards, field verification, accountability and evidence-based assurance.

High-Consequence Operational Hazards

Explosives and blasting activities, underground geotechnical instability, shafts and winding systems, and other safety-critical infrastructure continue to present substantial operational risks.

Recent Queensland explosives safety alerts and incident learnings reinforce the importance of effective hazard identification, competent supervision, contractor coordination and reliable operational controls.

Automation, Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Safety Risks

The increasing adoption of autonomous equipment, artificial intelligence, remote operations and digitally connected safety systems is changing how mining risks are identified, monitored and managed.

While these technologies offer opportunities to improve safety performance, they also introduce challenges involving system reliability, human oversight, decision-making authority, workforce competency and the management of emerging operational and psychosocial risks.

Psychosocial Hazards, Fatigue & Workforce Resilience

Queensland's mining workforce continues to face pressures associated with demanding rosters, FIFO and DIDO arrangements, remote operations, fatigue, psychological distress and organisational change.

Psychosocial risk management is increasingly recognised as an essential component of effective mining safety governance, requiring attention to work design, leadership capability, workforce support and the conditions under which people undertake safety-critical work.

​

The Summit provides an opportunity to examine these interconnected challenges and consider practical approaches to improving safety performance, organisational accountability and workforce resilience.

​

Key Themes & Program Focus

The 2026 Summit will examine:

​

• Industrial Manslaughter & Executive Accountability: Queensland's significant industrial manslaughter prosecution, corporate liability, criminal negligence and the legal consequences of safety system failures.

• Critical Control Management & Fatal Risk Prevention: Queensland's 2026 requirements, material unwanted events, operational verification, critical control performance and demonstrable assurance.

• Explosives & Blasting Safety: Misfire management, unplanned detonations, exclusion zone breaches, incident learnings and contractor accountability.

• Underground Mining Safety & Geotechnical Risk: Ground stability, strata failures, ground support systems, monitoring technologies and the prevention of high-consequence underground incidents.

• Shafts, Winding Systems & Underground Transport: Mechanical integrity, inspection, maintenance assurance and catastrophic equipment failure prevention.

• Mental Health Response Capability: Strengthening industry-specific workforce skills to recognise psychological distress, respond appropriately and support early intervention.

• Psychosocial Consequences of Intelligent Mining Systems: Human authority, accountability, cognitive demands and operational risk arising from automation and AI.

• FIFO, DIDO & Remote Workforce Wellbeing: Fatigue, roster pressures, psychological health, leadership responsibilities and workforce sustainability.

• Automation, AI & Digital Safety Systems: Emerging technology risks, sensor and system failures, digital dependencies, human oversight and operational resilience.

​

The program includes opportunities for questions, discussion and engagement with industry specialists and fellow attendees.

​

Who should attend?

The Summit is designed for professionals with responsibility for mining safety, operational risk, regulatory compliance, workforce wellbeing, engineering integrity and the management of high-consequence hazards.

• Mining Companies & Operational Leadership

• Mine owners, operators and senior executives

• Site Senior Executives (SSEs) and mine managers

• General Managers – Mining Operations

• Underground and surface mining managers

• Production, operations and maintenance managers

• Mining superintendents and frontline operational leaders

• Safety, Risk, Governance & Compliance Professionals

• Heads of Health, Safety & Environment (HSE)

• WHS, OHS and mining safety managers

• Critical Risk and Critical Control Management specialists

• Principal Hazard Management professionals

• Risk, assurance, governance and compliance managers

• Safety systems, audit and incident investigation specialists

• Corporate legal counsel and executive risk advisers

• Mining Engineering & Technical Specialists

• Mining and geotechnical engineers

• Ground control and strata management specialists

• Underground mining and ventilation engineers

• Shaft, winding and mechanical integrity specialists

• Drill-and-blast engineers and explosives safety professionals

• Asset integrity, reliability and maintenance engineers

• Automation, digital systems and operational technology specialists

• Contractors & Specialist Service Providers

• Mining contractors and contract mining companies

• Drill-and-blast contractors and shotfirers

• Explosives and blasting service providers

• Underground mining and engineering contractors

• Technical consultants and specialist risk advisers

• Mining equipment and safety technology professionals

• Workforce Health, Human Factors & Psychosocial Risk Professionals

• Psychosocial risk and workplace mental health specialists

• Occupational health and wellbeing managers

• Human factors and organisational safety professionals

• Workforce planning and human resources leaders

• Fatigue and fitness-for-work specialists

• Training, competency and workforce development managers

• Government, Regulators & Industry Organisations

• Mining safety and explosives regulatory personnel

• Government representatives involved in resources safety

• Mining industry associations and professional bodies

• Researchers and academic specialists in mining safety, engineering and workforce health

​

A Focus on Practical Safety Outcomes

The 2026 Mining Safety, Critical Risk & Psychosocial Risk Summit is designed to support informed industry discussion, technical knowledge sharing and practical approaches to improving safety outcomes.

​

By bringing together expertise across regulatory accountability, critical risk prevention, engineering, emerging technologies and workforce health, the Summit aims to strengthen understanding of the interconnected factors that influence mining safety performance.

​

The central focus is clear: preventing serious injuries and fatalities, strengthening accountability, verifying the effectiveness of critical controls and supporting safer, more resilient mining operations across Queensland.

​

Join Mines & Environment in Brisbane on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, for a dedicated industry forum examining the critical risks, responsibilities and emerging safety challenges shaping Queensland mining.