Every worker has the right to go home safe at the end of every shift.
If something is unsafe at your workplace – whether it is faulty equipment, dangerous gas levels, dust exposure, chemical contamination, fatigue, bullying, or unsafe procedures – it must be reported.
Speaking up about safety saves lives.
At the Mining and Energy Union, we know that workers are often the first to identify hazards on site. Early reporting helps prevent incidents, injuries and long-term health impacts.
Unsafe conditions should never be ignored, and no worker should fear repercussions for raising safety concerns. Union workplaces are safer because workers have the confidence and support to speak up.
Read on to find out who you can report issues to and your rights.
What should be reported?
Safety & Health issues can include:
- unsafe plant, vehicles or machinery
- gas issues or inadequate gas monitoring
- exposure to dust, silica, welding fumes or other particles
- chemical spills, leaks or unsafe storage
- ventilation failures
- explosives issues
- fatigue risks caused by excessive hours or poor rostering
- electrical hazards
- ground instability and uncontrolled explosions
- near misses and high potential incidents
- bullying, harassment or psychosocial hazards
Gas and dust monitoring is especially critical in mining and energy workplaces, where hazards can include methane, carbon monoxide, welding fumes, diesel matter, coal dust, silica, and hazardous chemicals used in operations or maintenance.
Where monitoring equipment is faulty, calibration is overdue, readings are not being acted upon, or workers are not informed of results, workers need to withdraw themselves to a place of safety and those issues should be reported immediately.
How to report an issue
The first step is to speak to your Union – your MEU delegate and lodge officials are there to help.
They can then advise you on how to report the issue through your site’s established safety process in the relevant safety and health management system, including:
- your supervisor or leading hand
- your Site Safety and Health Representative (SSHR)
- your Health and Safety Representative (HSR)
- Industry Safety & Health Representative (Coal Queensland & New South Wales)
- site management or control room where relevant
Where there is an immediate risk to life or serious injury, work should cease until the hazard is made safe in accordance with workplace procedures and legal obligations.
Workers should also keep a record of:
- the date and time
- the location
- what was observed
- who was notified and the role they hold within the management structure (mining
- industry)
- any photos, readings or screenshots
- names of witnesses
Good documentation protects workers and strengthens any follow-up action.
Reporting to the regulator
If the issue is serious, ongoing, or not being properly addressed by management, it may need to be reported to the relevant regulator in your state or territory.
Reporting pathways vary by jurisdiction and industry.
These may include mine safety inspectorates, WHS regulators, or specialist resources regulators responsible for matters including but not limited gas, contaminants and reportable incidents.
The MEU continues to push for stronger reporting obligations across all jurisdictions, including expanded lists of reportable high potential incidents & all serious accidents.
If your employer is not acting
If management is ignoring the issue, discouraging reporting, or retaliating against workers who raise concerns, contact your MEU representative immediately.
Workers must have safe and independent avenues to report hazards without fear of victimisation or reprisal. This is a core principle already reflected across the Safety Hub’s approach to psychosocial and physical risks.
The union can assist with:
- escalating the issue
- engaging the regulator
- securing independent inspections
- supporting affected workers
- ensuring the employer complies with its legal obligations
Unsafe workplaces only change when workers stand together.
Your health & safety always comes first
No production target, deadline or cost-saving measure is more important than your health and safety.
If something doesn’t look right, report it.
If it isn’t fixed, escalate it.
Your union is here to back you every step of the way.
The Stronger the Union, Safer the Workplace