Industry consultation: draft NSW Coal Industry Sleep Health Standard

Development of the Sleep Health Standard 

The Coal Services Standing Health Committee has developed a draft NSW Coal Industry Sleep Health Standard, which is the third in a series of health standards created specifically for the NSW coal industry.  The draft Sleep Health Standard is now being circulated for broader industry feedback.

Purpose of the Sleep Health Standard

Sleep disorders can pose significant health and safety risks for coal mine workers. They can cause excessive sleepiness, reduced concentration, impaired judgement and slowed reaction times, increasing the risk of errors, incidents and hazards for the coal mine worker and/or others in the workplace.

The Sleep Health Standard is designed to support approved medical practitioners conducting Order 45 health assessments to make consistent, evidence-based decisions regarding a coal mine worker’s sleep health and fitness for work. Its purposes include:

• to assess whether a coal mine worker has adequate sleep health to undertake their position and risk category within a NSW coal mine.
• to proactively identify coal mine workers at increased risk of a sleep disorder.
• to ensure coal mine workers with a known sleep disorder are appropriately identified, monitored and managed to minimise potential health and safety risks.

Review and feedback process

We invite you to review the draft Sleep Health Standard and provide your feedback by emailing the Standing Health Committee at [email protected]

Feedback will be accepted until 5pm on Friday 30 January 2026.

All feedback received will be reviewed and considered by the Standing Health Committee for inclusion in the Sleep Health Standard.

Next steps

Following industry consultation, the Sleep Health Standard will be reviewed and endorsed by the Coal Services Clinical Governance Committee and an independent occupational physician.

Industry forums are planned for February and March 2026 to provide further information and education ahead of the release of the Sleep Health Standard.

A range of resources including fact sheets, explainer videos, FAQs and a sleep health promotion campaign will also be released to support the Sleep Health Standard.