What Are Critical Controls in Workplace Safety? A 2025 Guide for Mining and Industry
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TL;DR- Critical Controls in Mining Safety:
• Critical controls prevent fatalities and serious injuries in high-risk industries.
• Examples: fall arrest systems, lockout/tagout, gas monitoring, traffic separation.
• Must be verifiable, have clear standards, and used by frontline staff.
• Impress Solutions helps define, verify, and strengthen these controls.
In high-risk industries like mining, energy, and heavy manufacturing, managing the risk of fatalities and serious injuries is non-negotiable. That’s where critical controls come in.
Critical controls in workplace safety are the specific barriers, systems, or actions that directly prevent high-consequence events such as falls from height, equipment collisions, or exposure to toxic gases. These are not general safety measures or administrative procedures. They are the handful of controls that absolutely must work, every time, to prevent catastrophic outcomes.
Examples of Critical Controls in Mining and Industrial Sites
You can typically find critical controls linked to principal hazards like:
- Working at heights → Fall arrest systems, exclusion zones, permit-to-work
- Uncontrolled energy → Lockout/tagout systems, isolation verification
- Mobile equipment interaction → Proximity detection systems, traffic separation
- Hazardous atmospheres → Gas monitoring, ventilation, escape equipment
These controls may take physical, procedural, or human form but what defines them is their direct link to fatality prevention and their need for regular verification.
What Makes a Control “Critical”?
To qualify as a critical control, the control must:
- Be directly related to preventing a fatal or permanent injury
- Have a clear performance standard that defines how it should work
- Be verifiable, meaning it can be regularly checked or tested
- Have assigned responsibility for implementation and monitoring
- Be actively used and understood by people on the front line
How Impress Solutions Helps Strengthen Your Critical Controls
At Impress Solutions, we support mining and industrial clients across Australia to:
- Identify high-consequence risks
- Define critical controls with performance standards
- Develop verification tools and role clarity
- Train workers and supervisors on what matters most
- Strengthen assurance processes to ensure controls work in the field
If you’re unsure whether your critical controls are defined correctly or functioning effectively, our consultants can guide you through a practical critical control assessment to close the gap between intention and execution.
Ready to Improve Your Critical Risk Management?
Book a free discovery call with the team at Impress Solutions to review your approach to critical controls and build a system that protects your people not just your paperwork.
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Ready to Save Lives at Work?
With Impress Solutions, you’re not just getting a service, you’re securing peace of mind with a partner you can trust. Book a free consultation today, and let’s map out how we can help you save lives at work.
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