Mining & Resources

Metal ore mining: compliance checklist

Use this checklist to confirm your metal ore mining business (SIC division 07) meets its obligations. Work through the universal mine-operation items every mine shares, then the permits and consents for your specific operation. If you answer no to any item that applies to you, follow the linked guide before you proceed.

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Related guides in Compliance & Legal

Use this checklist to confirm your business meets its obligations. Work through each item and answer yes or no. Section 1 covers running the mine and employing people; Section 2 covers the permits and consents you need. If you answer no to an item that applies to you, follow the linked guide before you proceed.

Workplace health and safety is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive in Great Britain and by HSENI in Northern Ireland. Environmental permits are regulated by the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA in Scotland and the NIEA in Northern Ireland. Planning permission is granted by the mineral planning authority.

Section 1 — Running a safe mine and employing people

These workplace and employment duties apply to every metal ore mining operation. Confirm each one.

  1. 1

    Have you written your risk assessments and put safe systems of work in place?

    Your general duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of your people and others affected by your work. Risk-assess the working — ground movement, ventilation, dust, plant, access and egress — and put safe systems of work, training and supervision in place. If not, follow "Set up and run a safe metal ore mine".

  2. 2

    Have you appointed a mine manager and prepared your mine health and safety document?

    The Mines Regulations 2014 require a single duty holder (the mine manager) and a health and safety document covering the principal mining hazards. If not, follow the spine guide.

  3. 3

    Have you assessed and controlled your hazardous substances under COSHH?

    COSHH requires control of respirable crystalline silica, heavy-metal dusts from sulphide ores and fume from underground work, with ventilation, dust suppression and health surveillance where required.

  4. 4

    Is your plant safe under PUWER?

    Keep drilling rigs, excavators, crushers, conveyors, winding and haulage plant maintained, guarded and used by trained operators under PUWER, with LOLER for lifting and winding equipment.

  5. 5

    Have you assessed manual handling and managed fire safety?

    Reduce hazardous handling of tools, steels and materials; assess fire risk for surface buildings and operate the fire-safety regime for your nation.

  6. 6

    Do you hold employers' liability insurance and meet your equality and data duties?

    Hold at least £5 million of cover once you employ anyone; do not discriminate under the Equality Act 2010 (or separate NI equality law enforced by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland); and comply with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, registering with the ICO unless exempt.

Section 2 — Permits and consents

Confirm each permit or consent you need for your operation.

  1. 1

    Do you hold minerals planning permission?

    Working minerals requires planning permission from the mineral planning authority, with EIA, restoration and aftercare conditions, and periodic review of mineral permissions (ROMP). If not, follow "Get the permits and consents for metal ore mining".

  2. 2

    Do you hold the environmental permits for mine-water discharge and extractive waste?

    An operating metal ore mine needs environmental permits for mine-water and process-water discharges to controlled waters and for extractive-waste management under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016 (or devolved equivalents).

  3. 3

    If you blast: do you hold an explosives licence?

    Where the mine uses explosives, you need a licence or registration to store them under the Explosives Regulations 2014, with secure storage, separation distances and competent shotfiring.

  4. 4

    If you mine uranium or thorium ore: do you hold a radioactive-substances permit?

    Keeping and using naturally-occurring radioactive material and disposing of radioactive waste requires a radioactive-substances environmental permit, with worker radiation exposure controlled under the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017.

If you answered no to anything

Work through the guide linked in that item. The two task guides — the safe-mine spine and the permits and consents — set out what to do. Start from the router if you are not sure which apply to you.

Official sources

Authoritative mining regulation and permitting guidance.