Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Underground Safety Engineer

🎯 Role Definition

The Underground Safety Engineer is a site-focused safety professional responsible for designing, implementing and sustaining comprehensive health, safety and environmental (HSE) programs specifically for underground mining and tunnelling operations. This role combines technical mine engineering knowledge (ventilation, ground control, gas monitoring), regulatory compliance (MSHA/OSHA/NIOSH, local mining legislation), emergency response planning and leadership to protect people, assets and production continuity. The ideal candidate drives proactive risk reduction through inspections, hazard assessments, incident investigation, training, contractor management and continuous improvement of the safety management system.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Graduate Mining Engineer with safety rotations
Site Safety Officer / Mine Safety Officer
Geotechnical or Ventilation Engineer

Advancement To:

Senior Underground Safety Engineer
Safety Manager / SHE Manager (Site)
Regional Safety Lead or Head of SHE
Mine Manager / Operations Manager (with cross-functional experience)

Lateral Moves:

Environmental and Permitting Engineer
Risk & Reliability Engineer
Operational Excellence / Continuous Improvement Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, implement and maintain the site Underground Safety Management System (SMS) aligned to corporate policy and standards (ISO 45001, MSHA/OSHA/NIOSH requirements), ensuring documented procedures, controls and performance metrics are current and auditable.
Perform detailed underground hazard identification and risk assessments (JSA/JHA, HIRA, bowtie analysis) for development headings, production faces, backfill operations, conveyor/haulage routes and shaft works; prioritize and monitor control measures to reduce risk to ALARP (as low as reasonably practicable).
Lead and conduct regular underground inspections and safety walkthroughs (daily pre-shift inspections, weekly safety observations, monthly technical audits) to identify immediate hazards (roof falls, rib instability, water inrush, gas accumulations) and ensure corrective actions are tracked to closure.
Design, validate and continuously improve ground control and roof support strategies (bolting patterns, face support, steel sets, mesh, shotcrete) in conjunction with geotechnical engineers; review ground control plans before development and production operations.
Manage ventilation design and monitoring programs for underground workings: calculate ventilation requirements, set up and interpret airflow surveys, ventilation modelling, and control diesel particulate matter (DPM) and hazardous gases (CH4, CO, CO2, H2S); coordinate maintenance of fans and regulators.
Specify, deploy and audit gas monitoring systems, fixed and portable gas detectors, atmospheric monitoring networks and alarm thresholds; implement procedures for gas testing, isolation and evacuation when limits are exceeded.
Oversee and train mine rescue and emergency response teams: develop and exercise underground emergency response plans, conduct emergency drills (fire, entrapment, gas release, water inrush), manage rescue equipment and competency records.
Lead incident investigation and root cause analysis (RCA) for all underground incidents, near misses and high potential events; produce robust corrective action plans, share lessons learned across sites and verify effective implementation.
Authorize and manage Permit-to-Work (PtW) systems for confined space entry, hot work, electrical isolations, blasting and high-risk tasks; ensure permits, lockout/tagout (LOTO) and isolation procedures are strictly followed.
Maintain regulatory compliance including preparation for MSHA/OSHA inspections and coordination with regulators; respond to notices, ensure timely reporting of serious incidents and maintain statutory records and registers.
Develop and deliver competency-based safety training and toolbox talks specific to underground hazards: ground control, ventilation awareness, gas testing, confined space, explosives/blasting safety, mobile equipment interaction and behavioural safety.
Review and approve blasting and explosives safety plans for underground operations: blast design, stemming, initiation systems and post-blast testing; enforce exclusion zones and safe re-entry criteria.
Manage contractor safety programs: pre-qualification, contractor induction, compliance audits, performance monitoring and integration of contractors into site emergency procedures.
Establish, monitor and report on safety KPIs and leading indicators (inspections completed, safety observations, corrective action closure rates, training completions) and lagging indicators (injury frequency/severity rates) to site leadership and corporate safety.
Provide technical support and practical solutions during development and production planning meetings to ensure safety considerations drive engineering decisions, schedules and budgets.
Collaborate with maintenance and operations to implement mechanical and electrical isolation practices, ergonomic controls, machine guarding and safe maintenance procedures for underground mobile and fixed plant.
Drive continuous improvement projects to reduce exposure to identified hazards (pneumatic deterioration, diesel emissions, manual handling) using root-cause elimination, engineering controls and substitution where feasible.
Manage personal protective equipment (PPE) standardization and selection for underground crews including respiratory protection, helmets, fall protection and intrinsic safety equipment; ensure PPE competency and maintenance.
Coordinate environmental interface for underground operations: water inflow management, slurry and tailings interactions, ventilation exhaust control and ensuring HSE alignment for rehabilitation and closure activities.
Prepare and maintain emergency response resources and logistics: staging points, rescue chambers, communications systems (leaky feeder, two-way radios), and ensure redundancy and reliability for underground communications.
Plan and manage safety-related budgets, CAPEX and small projects (ventilation upgrades, refuge chambers, fixed gas systems) including specification, contractor management and verification of performance.
Participate in pre-start safety reviews and risk acceptance committees for all modifications to underground layouts, equipment or procedures; provide independent safety sign-off where required.
Mentor and coach frontline supervisors and crews to build a positive safety culture, promote hazard recognition skills and encourage participation in safety initiatives and reporting of near misses.
Stay current on emerging underground safety technologies, industry best practices and legislation, evaluate and pilot new tools (real-time gas telemetry, autonomous vehicle safety protocols) to advance site safety performance.

Secondary Functions

Support development and maintenance of safety documentation, including SOPs, risk registers, compliance calendars and inspection checklists specific to underground operations.
Participate in multidisciplinary project teams (ventilation upgrades, ground control trials, mechanized development) to embed safety into design and execution phases.
Provide input to operational planning and production scheduling to ensure safe sequencing of activities and reduced exposure during high-risk tasks.
Assist HSE analytics & reporting by providing underground-specific data for dashboards and trend analysis to support executive-level decision-making.
Liaise with human resources to support incident-related personnel matters, return-to-work planning and competency records management.
Contribute to procurement reviews to ensure new equipment or systems meet underground safety and intrinsic safety requirements.
Represent the site at industry safety forums, standards committees and local community stakeholder meetings related to underground safety.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment (HIRA, JSA/JHA, Bowtie) — demonstrated ability to translate findings into effective controls.
Underground Ventilation Design & Monitoring — airflow modelling, fan management, DPM control and ventilation surveys.
Ground Control & Geotechnical Interface — roof support design, bolt pattern review, rock mechanics awareness and slope stability.
Gas Detection & Atmospheric Monitoring — selection, calibration, network design and alarm management for CH4, CO, O2, H2S.
Emergency Response & Mine Rescue — planning, team leadership, rescue equipment, drills and regulatory requirements.
Incident Investigation & Root Cause Analysis (RCA) — conducting investigations to industry standards and delivering corrective actions.
Regulatory Compliance (MSHA, OSHA, NIOSH, national mining legislation) — preparing for inspections and responding to enforcement actions.
Permit-to-Work, Confined Space & LOTO Systems — administrating high-risk work controls and safe isolation procedures.
Blasting & Explosives Safety Management — understanding of underground blast design, ignition systems and re-entry criteria.
Safety Management Systems (ISO 45001, corporate SMS) — auditing, documentation and continual improvement.
PPE Selection & Respiratory Protection Programs — fit testing, selection and maintenance programs for underground environments.
Technical report writing & safety documentation — producing clear, compliance-ready procedures and investigation reports.
Safety KPIs, Data Analysis & Reporting — ability to use spreadsheets, dashboards and basic analytics to track performance.
Intrinsically Safe Electrical & Communications Systems — understanding of leaky feeder systems, intrinsically safe tools and certification requirements.
Contractor Safety Management & Pre-qualification — managing external workforce safety integration.

Soft Skills

Strong verbal and written communication — convey technical safety issues to operators, engineers and executive leaders.
Leadership and influence — ability to lead safety culture change and influence operational decision-making without direct authority.
Problem-solving and analytical thinking — apply structured approaches to complex underground safety challenges.
Coaching and mentoring — develop frontline supervisors and crews in safe work practices and hazard recognition.
Attention to detail — essential for inspections, audits and review of technical safety documentation.
Resilience and composure — remain calm and decisive during emergency response and incident management.
Collaboration and teamwork — work effectively across operations, maintenance, geology and corporate safety teams.
Project management — plan, prioritize and deliver safety upgrades and small capital projects.
Continuous improvement mindset — drive iterative improvement, testing and measurement of controls.
Cultural awareness and stakeholder management — engage contractors, regulators and community stakeholders professionally.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering, Safety Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Industrial Hygiene, or related engineering discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Mining Engineering, Occupational Health & Safety, or related field.
Postgraduate certificates in Occupational Safety (NEBOSH, IOSH), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), or equivalent.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Mining Engineering
Occupational Health & Safety / Safety Engineering
Geotechnical / Rock Mechanics
Environmental Engineering
Industrial Hygiene

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–10+ years of progressive safety experience, with at least 3–5 years focused on underground mining or tunnelling operations.

Preferred:

5+ years of direct underground safety engineering experience including ventilation, ground control, gas monitoring and emergency response.
Demonstrated experience managing MSHA/OSHA/regulatory inspections and responding to enforcement actions.
Proven track record delivering measurable safety performance improvements and leading incident investigations.
Certifications such as NEBOSH, CSP, MSHA Part 46/48, First Aid/CPR, Confined Space Rescue, HAZWOPER or equivalent considered strong assets.