Representing miners in arrangements for health and safety in coalmines: A study of current practice

This article explores the operation of regulatory provisions for worker occupational health and safety (OHS) representation in coalmining in Australia. Using data on inspections, combined with qualitative interviews, it looks at what occurs in a generally hostile labour relations climate and what supports or constrains representation in this scenario. It finds evidence of the engagement of worker representatives with serious risks in coalmining. By using the various means with which they are provided by regulatory measures, they make a significant contribution to the operation of the regulatory strategy of enforced self-regulation of OHS management. They are successful in doing so despite the unsupportive climate of labour relations in which they are frequently situated. However, the study poses questions concerning the fit of this approach with increasingly dominant versions of OHS management pursued by large and globally active corporations and discusses some implications of this for policy and further study.