A health and hygiene management plan (HHMP) provides a systematic process for managing agents at all stages of the mining operation. It is an integral part of an organisation’s safety management system and complements other major hazard management plans for the site (see Figure 1). It documents the agent, how hazards are controlled and what methods are used to verify that controls are effective.
The HHMP is more comprehensive than the dust and noise monitoring plan previously required by the department. A HHMP sets out a holistic, risk-based approach to managing all health and hygiene hazards that adopts changing technology and current scientific knowledge, and encourages innovation. The HHMP should demonstrate an understanding of the mining operation’s hazardous agents based on solid research and consultation with experts and workers. The HHMP provides objective guidance and instruction so that both the employer and workers understand the health risks in the workplace, what controls are in place and how the controls work. It documents the policies, procedures and reporting processes that will ultimately verify that the health of workers is not being adversely affected.