Important Changes to NSW Order 41

The Coal Services Board has recently implemented changes to the health monitoring requirements for NSW which will result in the NSW Order 41 being superseded by the NSW Order 43. These changes are being implemented under the NSW Coal Industry Act 2001 and came into effect from the 1^st of July 2018.

All existing components of the NSW Order 41 remain the same, however the following additions have been requested:

• Increased Frequency of Chest X-Rays
• Underground coal workers must undergo a chest x-ray every three years;
• Open cut workers involved in the production, processing or maintenance of coal must undergo a chest x-ray every three years;
• Workers with a history of hazardous dust exposure must undergo a chest x-ray every three years;
• Other workers will undergo a chest x-ray every six years.
• Respiratory Fit Testing is now required for all pre-placement and periodic assessments.
• Exit Medical Assessments are now introduced.

NSW Order 43 assessments can now only be completed and signed off by an ‘Approved Medical Practitioner’. An Approved Medical Practitioner is defined as a Doctor who:

• Is registered with the Medical Board of Australia;
• Has completed the NSW Coal Industry Medical Induction Program;
• Has provided an Annual Calibration Statement to Coal Services;
• Has completed a course in audiometry interpretation;
• Has completed a course in spirometry interpretation;
• Is listed on the ‘Register of Approved Medical Practitioners’ that will be published on the Coal Services website.

Given the recent introduction of these changes, there is currently a significant shortage of Approved Medical Practitioners to perform Order 43 Medical Assessments.  As of today, there are only 32 Approved Medical Practitioners, the majority of which are in Regional NSW. What this means for your company is that many of your candidates will be required to travel (at times some distances) to an assessment centre so that an Order 43 can be completed.

We appreciate that this will initially cause significant inconvenience and delay for candidates and Recruitment Teams, however it is expected that this inconvenience for candidates to ease over the coming months as new Approved Medical Practitioners are added to the register.

If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact either of the below Account Managers.

Clark Hopley
National Account Manager
0407 611 037 | clark@kinnect.com.au

Courtney Hargrave
National Account Manager
0408 198 909 | courtney@kinnect.com.au