A-grade operation

Extractive operations with more than four workers.

Alluvial mine operator

Is a person who controls an alluvial mining operation and, in relation to a particular alluvial mining operation, means the person who controls that operation.

Alluvial mining operation

A mining operation carried out above ground and associated with:

• the extraction of gold from river deposits of sand or gravel
• the extraction of ironsand from sand or gravel.

ANFO

An explosive material consisting of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil.

Angle of repose

The angle of repose is the angle at which the material rests when simply dumped in a pile. This angle will vary somewhat depending on the size and shape of the constituent particles, how the material is dumped (for example how far it is dropped) and the amount of moisture in the material when it is dumped.

Authorised person

(for LOTO)

Is an individual who is qualified to control hazardous energy sources because of their knowledge, training and experience and has been given authority to apply LOTO.

B-grade operation

Extractive operations with four or fewer workers.

Back-break

Rock broken beyond the limits of the last row of holes in a blast.

Batter

The portion of a slope between benches.

Benching

A safety feature to catch any rocks or reeling material that falls from the high walls above. A horizontal ledge from which holes are drilled vertically down into the material to be blasted. Benching is a process of excavating where a slope is worked in steps or lifts.

Certified handler

A person who holds a compliance certificate that certifies that the person meets the competency requirements for certified handlers specified in Regulation 4.3 of the Hazardous Substances Regulations.

Competent person

A person who has the knowledge, experience, skills, and qualifications to carry out a particular task under the MOQO Regulations and has a relevant qualification or certificate issued by their employer showing this.

Confined space

A place which is substantially (though not always entirely) enclosed, and where there is a risk of death or serious injury from hazardous substances or dangerous conditions

(such as lack of oxygen). These can include storage tanks, silos, reaction vessels, enclosed drains and sewers, open topped chambers, ductwork and poorly ventilated rooms.

Control measure

A control measure is a way to eliminate or minimise (reduce) a risk to health and safety.

Crest

The top edge of a slope or batter where the ground levels out.

Dam

Has the meaning given in section 7 of the Building Act 2004 being: “dam:

1. means an artificial barrier, and its appurtenant structures, that:
   1. is constructed to hold back water or other fluid under constant pressure so as to form a reservoir, and
   2. is used for the storage, control, or diversion of water or other fluid, and
2. includes:
   1. a flood control dam, and
   2. a natural feature that has been significantly modified to function as a dam, and
   3. a canal, but
3. does not include a stopbank designed to control floodwaters”.

DBT

Dynamic brake testing.

De-energisation

The process used to disconnect and isolate a system from a source of energy in order to prevent the release of that energy. By de-energising the system, you are eliminating the chance the system could inadvertently, accidentally or unintentionally cause harm to a person through movement, or the release of heat, light or sound.

Duty

A duty is a legal requirement that must be met. Under HSWA, there are four groups with health and safety duties:

• persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs)
• officers
• workers
• other persons at the workplace.

See Section 30 of HSWA(external link)

EDM

Electronic distance measurement or electro-optic distance measuring. Used for geodetic surveys.

Eliminate

To eliminate a risk means removing the hazard (the source of harm). For more information see How to manage work risks

Emergency drill

A process of testing training, relating to emergency events, which is repeated from time to time.

Emergency

An unplanned event that is not controlled where there is a threat to life or the health and safety of people at or outside the operation.

Engagement, participation, and representation

A key part of health and safety involves PCBUs and workers working together. There are three parts to this:

• PCBUs talking with workers about health and safety (engagement)
• workers being able to raise health and safety concerns and suggest improvements (participation)
• workers being represented on health and safety matters. This could be by a Health and Safety Representative (HSR), a worker’s union, or a person that workers authorise to represent them (for example a kaumātua, or community or church leader) (representation).

For more information see Good practice for worker engagement, participation and representation

Face

The surface where extraction is advancing. May also be referred to as pit face or working face.

FOPS

Falling object protective structure. Protection for the driver and any passengers in a vehicle from falling objects.

FRAS

Fire resistant anti-static.

Freeboard (for dams)

The distance between normal reservoir level and the top of the dam.

Freeboard (for vessels)

The distance between the waterline and the main deck or weather deck of a ship or between the level of the water and the upper edge of the side of a small boat.

Haul vehicles

Vehicles used to haul product or material from the place of extraction to the processing plant, stockpile or tip.

Hazard and risk

A hazard is something that could cause harm. It could be an object, activity, event or even a person’s behaviour.

Risks to health and safety occur from people being exposed to hazards. Risk has two components – the likelihood that it will occur and the consequences (degree of harm) if it happens.

For more information see How to manage work risks

Hazardous substance

Hazardous substances are, unless expressly provided otherwise by regulations or an EPA notice, any substance with one or more of the following intrinsic properties:

• explosiveness
• flammability
• a capacity to oxidise
• corrosiveness
• toxicity (including chronic toxicity)
• ecotoxicity (with or without bioaccumulation), or
• which on contact with air or water (other than air or water where the temperature or pressure has been artificially increased or decreased) generates a substance with any one or more of the properties specified in the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996.

Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA)

The Health and Safety at Work Act is the key work health and safety law in New Zealand. It is often shortened to ‘HSWA’.

Health and safety inspector

A person employed by WorkSafe (or Civil Aviation Authority or Maritime New Zealand) to assess health and safety compliance and investigate work health and safety incidents. Inspectors have a range of powers under health and safety laws, including being able to enter and inspect a workplace, to require answers to specific questions, and to seize items for use as evidence.

Heavy vehicles

Includes haul trucks, loaders, scrapers, dozers, water trucks, graders, low loaders, cable reelers, draglines, shovels, backhoes, drills and similar equipment. Heavy vehicles are those that transport or extract materials, overburden or reject material.

Hierarchy of control measures

Using the hierarchy of control measures is a way PCBUs can manage health and safety risks.

Following this approach, PCBUs first consider if the most effective control measures can be put in place before considering less effective ones.

The first step is to try to eliminate a risk by removing the hazard. If a risk cannot be eliminated, the next step is to minimise the risk. This involves first trying to:

• substitute by swapping with something that has a lower risk
• isolate by separating people from the source of harm
• apply engineering control measures by changing physical components of the plant, structure or work area.

If there is still risk, put in place administrative control measures – using safe methods of work, procedures or processes.

The last step involves personal protective equipment (PPE) – using or wearing items (including clothing) to minimise risks to personal health and safety.

For more information see How to manage work risks

Inter-ramp slope

A succession of batters between two access ramp sections (or between a ramp section and floor or crest).

Intrusive maintenance

Maintenance that requires interruption to the process. It usually requires shutdown, isolation of hazardous energy, LOTO, opening or disassembly.

Large dam

Has the meaning given in section 7 of the Building Act 2004 being:

“large dam means a dam that has a height of 4 or more metres and holds 20,000 or more cubic metres volume of water or other fluid”.

Light vehicles

Includes wheel mounted light and medium duty vehicles of various sizes which are primarily used in the transportation of people, supplies, tools and fuel or lubricants. They include but are not limited to lube trucks, utes, SUVs, vans used as worker transporters, tyre mounted cranes, and forklifts, and so on.

LOTO

Lockout and Tagout.

Lockout and tagout systems are the placement of a lock and tag on an energy-isolating device.

Mineral

A naturally occurring inorganic substance beneath or at the surface of the earth, that:

• includes metallic minerals, non-metallic minerals, and precious stones, and
• does not include clay, coal, gravel, limestone, sand or stone.

Minimise

To minimise (reduce) a risk means to:

• reduce how serious the consequences are if it does occur or if a worker is exposed to the hazard (source of harm)
• reduce the chances of it occurring or a worker being exposed to the hazard.

For more information see How to manage work risks

Mining operation

A mining operation:

1. means the extraction of coal and minerals and the place at which the extraction is carried out; and
2. includes any of the following activities and the place at which they are carried out:
   1. exploring for coal
   2. mining for coal or minerals
   3. processing coal or minerals associated with a mine
   4. producing or maintaining tailings, spoil heaps, and waste dumps
   5. the excavation, removal, handling, transport, and storage of coal, minerals, substances, contaminants, and wastes at the place where the activities described in subparagraphs (i) to (iv) are carried out
   6. the construction, operation, maintenance, and removal of plant and buildings at the place where the activities described in subparagraphs (i) to (iv) are carried out
   7. preparatory, maintenance, and repair activities associated with the activities described in subparagraphs (i) to (iv); and
3. includes:
   1. a tourist mining operation
   2. a tunnelling operation; but
4. does not include:
   1. exploring for minerals
   2. an alluvial mining operation
   3. a mining operation wholly on or under the seabed on the seaward side of the mean high-water mark
   4. a quarrying operation.

Mine operator

The responsible person for a tourist mining operation, suspended mining operation or a coal exploration operation.

Misfire

When a blast does not fire correctly, or one or more blast holes do not fire.

Mobile plant

Plant that is capable of moving:

• under its own power while energised by an internal power source, for example a battery, compressed air, or an internal combustion engine
• while energised by a reeling cable or trailing cable.

Monitor

To check, supervise, observe or record the progress of an activity or procedure regularly in order to make sure it is being carried out.

MOSS

Maritime Operator Safety System.

MPU

Mobile processing unit. Purpose-built vehicles that delivers and manufactures bulk explosives directly into a blasthole.

Must

When ‘must’ is used in these guidelines, it means a legal requirement that must be complied with.

Near miss

An event that has the potential to cause injury or illness if circumstances, such as the interval of time of the event, were different.

Notifiable event

WorkSafe must be told when certain things occur that are related to the work you do. These are called notifiable events. There are three kinds of notifiable events:

• deaths
• certain injuries or illnesses (called notifiable injuries or illnesses)
• certain incidents (called notifiable incidents).

For more information see How to manage work risks

OEM

Original equipment manufacturer.

Officer

An officer is someone who has a specified position (like a company director).

An officer is also someone who has a strong influence over how a business or undertaking is run. An example is a Chief Executive. Officers have health and safety duties.

For more information see Officer duties

Opencast coal mining operation

Any mining operation associated with the exploration or extraction of coal and where no person works underground.

Opencast metalliferous mining operation

Any mining operation associated with the extraction of minerals and where no person works underground.

Other persons at the workplace

‘Other persons at the workplace’ is the term used to describe the people at a workplace who are not workers. This includes:

• customers or clients
• visitors
• passers-by
• casual volunteers (not volunteer workers).

Like workers, these people have health and safety duties. For more information see Other persons at the workplace

Overall slope

The full height of a slope from the toe to the crest which may comprise several batters separated by benches.

Overburden (mines)

In mining overburden (also called waste or spoil) is the material that lies above an area of economic interest. It is most commonly the rock, soil, and vegetation above a coal seam or ore body.

Overburden (quarries)

In quarrying overburden is the material that lies above the intended quarry site. It is most commonly the top-soil, sub-soil and vegetation.

Overlapping duties

Overlapping duties is the term WorkSafe uses to describe when a PCBU shares duties with other PCBUs.

Overlapping duties can occur in a shared workplace (for example, a building site or a port) where more than one business and its workers control and influence the work on site.

Also, PCBUs do not need to be at the same worksite to have overlapping duties.

For example, overlapping duties can also occur in a contracting chain, where contractors and subcontractors provide services to a head contractor or client.

For more information see Overlapping duties – quick guide

OVM

Original vehicle manufacturer.

PCBU

‘Person conducting a business or undertaking’ is a term used to cover all types of working arrangements.

PCBUs can ranges from businesses (large corporates, small-medium companies, partnerships, sole traders) to non-commercial organisations (like not-for-profit groups).

PCBUs have many health and safety duties.

Certain people/organisations are not PCBUs – including certain types of volunteer organisations.

For more information see Who or what is a PCBU?

PPE

Personal protective equipment are items used or worn by someone to reduce risks to their health or safety.

For more information see Personal protective equipment (PPE)

PFD

Personal flotation device. Typically a lifejacket, life vest, life preserver, buoyancy vest or buoyancy aid.

PHMP

Principal Hazard Management Plan

Plant

Defined in HSWA as any machinery, vehicle, vessel, equipment, appliance, container, implement or tool, as well as any component of those things or anything fitted to those things.

Powder factor

The amount of explosive used per unit of rock. Also called Explosive Loading Factor.

Pre-start check

A safety checklist that is undertaken prior to first use of machinery or vehicles for that day or shift.

PCP

Principal control plan. A plan required under Regulation 92 of the MOQO Regulations.

Principal hazard

Has the meaning given in Regulation 65 of the MOQO Regulations. While alluvial mines and quarries are not legally required to appraise risks to determine principal hazards, for the purposes of this guidance we have described risks where multiple fatalities could occur as a principal hazard.

Principal hazard management plan

Means a plan required under regulation 66 of the MOQO Regulations.

Prohibited zone

Zone or area where people are not allowed such as at the bottom of a working tip face, the loading zone around vehicles, or the area at risk from hazards such as vehicle fire with potential tyre explosion.

PTW

Permit to Work. A Permit to Work system is a formal documented process used to manage work identified as significantly hazardous by making sure all safety measures are in place before work starts.

Quarrying operation

A quarrying operation is an activity carried out above ground for:

• extracting any material (excluding coal or any mineral), from the earth, or
• for processing any material (excluding coal or any mineral) at the place where it was extracted or at a place adjacent to, or in the vicinity of, that place.

It includes the place where the extracting or processing was carried out.

Quarry operator

Means a person who controls a quarrying operation and, in relation to a particular quarrying operation, means the person who controls that operation.

Reasonably practicable

So far as is reasonably practicable

Certain legal requirements require you to do something ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’. ‘Reasonably practicable’ is the term used to describe what you need to think about when deciding how to meet certain health and safety duties. There are two parts to ‘reasonably practicable’.

You first consider what is possible in your circumstances to ensure health and safety. You then consider, of these possible actions, what is reasonable to do in your circumstances.

You need to achieve a result that provides the highest protection that is reasonably practicable in your circumstances.

For more information see Reasonably practicable

Responsible person

The responsible person for:

• a tourist mining operation, suspended mining operation or a coal exploration operation is the mine operator
• a quarry is the quarry operator
• an alluvial mine is the alluvial mine operator
• any other mining operation is the site senior executive.

Restricted area or restricted access

Area or zone where people or vehicles are not allowed unless certain conditions are met. For example, entry to an electrical switchboard room may be restricted to maintenance personnel under a permit to work; light vehicles may be restricted to entering a vehicle operating area when traffic has been stopped.

Riprap

A layer of large, quarried stone, precast blocks, bags of cement, or other suitable material, generally placed on the slope of an embankment or along a watercourse as protection against wave action, erosion, or scour. Riprap is usually placed by dumping or other mechanical methods, and in some cases is hand placed. It consists of rock pieces of relatively large size, as distinguished from a gravel blanket.

ROPS

Roll-over protective structure. Protection for the driver and any passengers from a vehicle overturning.

Safe work instrument

A written instruction that sets out how an activity is to be undertaken at an operation. It can be used for training or observing activities for monitoring or review.

SDS

Safety Data Sheet.

Shotfirer

The competent person in charge of, and responsible for, the loading and firing of a blast.

Should

When ‘should’ is used in our guidance, it means a recommended practice or approach.

Site

A place of work where extractive operations (mining and quarrying) and/or associated activities are carried out.

Sleep time

In relation to explosive use, sleep time is defined as the time between charging and firing the shot.

Soils and very weak rock

As defined by the NZ Geotechnical Society Incorporated Field Description of Soil Analysis Guideline (Dec 2005) Table 3.5 Rock Strength Terms being:

SSE

Site senior executive. A worker appointed as the site senior executive by the mine operator.

SOP

Standard operating procedure. The documented, often step-by-step, processes by which workers can perform each task or aspect of the operation.

Stockpile

Material placed, usually on a temporary basis, that is recovered and replaced.

Stronger rock

As defined by the NZ Geotechnical Society Incorporated Field Description of Soil Analysis Guideline (Dec 2005) Table 3.5 Rock Strength Terms being:

Structure

Defined in HSWA as anything that is constructed, whether fixed moveable, temporary or permanent – including buildings, masts, towers, frameworks, pipelines, bridges, quarries, shafts or tunnels – as well as any component or part of a structure.

Tip

May include an overburden tip or waste material tip of a permanent nature. Often called waste dumps or waste rock stacks.

Toe

The toe of the slope is the interior vertex where the bench face and bench floor intersect.

Tourist mining operation

means an operation that has the purpose of:

1. mine education
2. mine research, or
3. mine tourism.

Vehicle operating areas

Other vehicle operating areas are all areas on or at a site where operations involve the use of vehicles other than roads. For example, tip points, stockpiles or loading areas. It includes any vehicle operating areas used by the public within the site boundaries.

WLL

Working load limit. The maximum working load designed by the manufacturer.

Workplace

A workplace is where work is carried out. It includes any location where a worker goes or is likely to be while working.

Worker

A worker is someone who carries out work for a PCBU, like:

• employees
• contractors or sub-contractors
• employees of contractors or sub-contractors
• outworkers (including homeworkers)
• apprentices and trainees
• people gaining work experience or on a work trial
• volunteer workers
• self-employed people (who are PCBUs as well as workers).

Workers have health and safety duties. For more information see Worker duties

Working bench

The level on which the excavator is sitting on, or the trucks are running on.