Coal Services Pty Limited (CSPL), an industry-owned, workplace focused, specialist organisation, today announced that workers' compensation premium rates for the New South Wales coal mining industry continue the established trend of annual decreases following the confirmation of a targeted rate of 3.6 per cent for 2010/2011.

The 8 per cent drop in 2010/2011 premium rates compared with the targeted scheme rate for 2009/2010 of 3.9 per cent, is in line with a trend that has seen premium rates fall from as high as 11.3 per cent in 2001/2002 and 11.5 per cent in 2002/2003.

Coal Services' chief executive Mark Coyne said, "Evolving workplace practices have delivered marked improvements in occupational health and safety performance in New South Wales' coal mines. The performance of mine operators is a direct driver of premium rate reductions and Coal Services is proud to be associated with this industry-wide improvement in New South Wales."

The current lower premium rate regime reflects the positive impact of a wide range of measures introduced by the mine operators and the New South Wales coal industry during this period, according to a statement from Coal Services.

Dr Nikki Williams, chief executive of the NSW Minerals Council, a CSPL shareholder, said that the results are a testament to the commitment of NSW mining industry employers to the health and safety of the 32,000 men and women in the State's coal sector workforce.

"The mining industry in NSW is a world leader in health and safety, but we won't be complacent. NSW mining industry employers will continue to innovate and embrace new ways to proactively address the key areas of fatigue, health management and culture on our journey toward zero harm," he said.

Mr Coyne said that mine operators were committed to continuous improvement in this area and "this is demonstrated by their ability to foster an industry culture which is focused on delivering excellence in the service provision and the outcomes achieved in the critical areas of health, safety and employee well-being."

Underlying the trend in premium rate reductions, the NSW coal mining industry has seen a significant reduction in open claims over the past decade, with a marked decline in the frequency rate (the number of lost time injuries and diseases for each one million hours worked at coal mines in NSW).

"The positive trend in claims reduction evident over the past decade continued last year, where we saw a historical low claims frequency rate of 10.92 per cent, highlighting a responsible commitment from coal mine operators. To put this into context, these claims frequency rates were above 25 per cent in 2001/2002," said Mr Coyne.

In addition to the premium rate reduction, Coal Services has introduced a number of other initiatives aimed at delivering improved insurance products for the coal mining industry in New South Wales.

Among these, Coal Mines Insurance (the Coal Services insurance service) operates a premium incentive scheme for the industry. A key component of the incentive scheme is for an employer to have their injury management systems reviewed. Following this review, mine operators are provided with a report on how their operation is positioned, and evidence-based recommendations for improvement where appropriate are provided.

"Participation by industry in the incentive scheme is a reflection of the commitment by mine operators to continually improve injury prevention and injury management systems within the industry for mine workers," said Mr Coyne.