"The number of lost time injuries fell to 403 compared with 449 in 2000-01, and the lost time injury frequency rate for 2001-02 was 8.3 lost time injuries per million hours worked, down from 10.3 in 2000-01," he said.
The figures are contained in the latest Queensland Mines and Quarries Safety Performance and Health Report 2001-02 released by the department.
Minahan said the severity rate also showed a significant improvement, down from 161 to 118 days lost per million hours worked in 2001-02.
"This positive trend stalled, however, with two fatalities - the same as last year - and several high potential incidents in the final quarter of the year. One fatality was in an open-cut coal mine and the other in an underground metalliferous mine.
"Fatalities are always unacceptable," Minahan said.
He said it was notable that many mining and quarrying operations did not report a single high potential incident during the year.
"This is disturbing in a naturally hazardous industry where risk management is the modern approach to dealing with safety and health issues.
"The department's Mines Inspectorate will be auditing accident and incident reporting processes at operations that reported no high potential incidents this year, because each incident could be a precursor to a fatal accident or other substantial loss," Minahan said.
Minahan praised the industry for its positive compliance with key aspects of the new safety and health legislation, the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999 and Regulations, and the Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999 and Regulations.
He also commended the work of the tripartite advisory councils set up between government, industry and the unions.
"The sustained improvement in safety performance and health in the mining and quarrying industry has been achieved against a background of mine expansion and increased production within several sectors of the industry, and higher employment levels," Minahan said.
This financial year 18,957 persons were employed in the mining and quarrying industry compared with 17,636 last year, a rise of 1321 employees.
"The introduction of new safety and health legislation as a result of the Moura No.2 mine tragedy eight years ago has also played a major part in improved safety performance," he said.
