The program, called RISKGATE, enables coal industry personnel to better manage risks, associate professor and project manager Philipp Kirsch said.

“There has been input from Australia's six largest coal companies and I am confident it will lead to fewer incidents,” he said.

Tony Egan, from Xstrata Coal on behalf of the Australian Coal Association research program, said: “Australian coal companies focus significant resources in managing risk. With RISKGATE you will have the ability to bring the industries current knowledge into the room when you do a risk assessment.

“At the start of this project, the coal industry identified 12 key target areas. Through our work the project has expanded to target at least 17 areas of major risk to the industry,” Kirsch said.

The program documents high-risk areas, including tyres and rims, isolation, collisions, strata control, ground control, fires, explosives (underground), explosives (open cut), explosions, manual tasks and slips, trips and falls.