Overview
Background
David Cliff was Professor of Occupational Health and Safety in Mining and Director of MISHC from 2011 to 2016. In January 2017 he was appointed Professor of Risk and Knowledge Transfer, reverting to Professor of Occupational Health and Safety in Mining in 2018. His primary role is providing education, applied research and consulting in health and safety in the mining and minerals processing industry. He has been at MISHC over fifteen years.
Previously David was the Safety and Health Adviser to the Queensland Mining Council, and prior to that Manager of Mining Research at the Safety In Mines Testing and Research Station. In these capacities he has provided expert assistance in the areas of health and safety to the mining industry for over twenty three years. He has particular expertise in emergency preparedness, gas analysis, spontaneous combustion, fires and explosions, including providing expert testimony to the Moura No.2 Warden’s inquiry, the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry and the Pike River Royal Commission. In recent times he has also devoted a lot of energy to fitness for duty issues particularly fatigue management. He has been a member of the organising committee for the level one emergency exercises in Queensland underground coal mines since their inception in 1998. He has also attended or provided assistance in over 30 incidents at mines. He has developed expertise in the development of Trigger Action Response Plans.
David has also extensive experience in providing training and education in OHS in mining to in many countries.
He has published widely in the area of occupational health and safety in mining including not just the physical hazards but also on the processes for the effective management of these issues. Examples of this include reviews of the annual safety performance report for the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines and assistance to the Mine Safety Advisory Council of NSW in developing Health Management Plans (HMP) and key performance indicators for HMP.
In recent years he has collaborated closely with Nikky LaBranche researching respirable dust particularly coal dust and silica.
Availability
- Professor David Cliff is:
- Not available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Research interests
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Occupational Health and Safety in Mining
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Principal Hazard Management in Mining
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Gas Analysis and interpretation in mining
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Artisanal Mining OHS
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Emergency Management
Research impacts
David has been active in providing education, training and advice on OHS issues to many countries including: India, Mongolia, Peru, Chile, Colombia, South Africa, Ghana, Papua New Guinea, The Philippines, China, the United States of America and Indonesia. In many of these countries he has provided support to government agencies as they struggle to cope with the demands of rapidly expanding minerals extraction industries. A key area of focus has been on the small scale and artisanal mining sector in these countries. He has established relationships with universities and government agencies in many of these countries.
Works
Search Professor David Cliff’s works on UQ eSpace
2001
Other Outputs
Fitness for duty a scopying study - Issues and research needs
Cliff, D. I., Bofinger, C, Mahen, E and Heiler, K (2001). Fitness for duty a scopying study - Issues and research needs. Brisbane, Australia: Australian Coal Assoc Research Program.
2001
Conference Publication
Fitness for duty a scoping study
Bofinger, C, Mahen, E, Cliff, D. I. and Heiler, K (2001). Fitness for duty a scoping study. Queensland Mining Council Industry Health & Safety Conference, Townsville, Australia, Aug 2001. Brisbane, Australia: Queensland Mining Council.
2001
Edited Outputs
Fly-in Fly-out operation - Issues and management
D. I. Cliff and M. Roche eds. (2001). Fly-in Fly-out operation - Issues and management. Fly-in Fly out operation - Issues and management, Townsville and Brisbane, Australia, Feb 2001. Brisbane: Queensland Mining Council.
2001
Conference Publication
Working time arrangements in the resource sector
Pinnock, M and Cliff, D. I. (2001). Working time arrangements in the resource sector. Australian Mining & Minerals Assoc (AMMA) Conference, Brisbane, Australia, July 2001. Brisbane, Australia: AMMA.
1985
Journal Article
NOx generation from the combustion of Australian brown and subbituminous coals
Cliff, D. I. and Young, B. C. (1985). NOx generation from the combustion of Australian brown and subbituminous coals. Fuel, 64 (11), 1521-1524. doi: 10.1016/0016-2361(85)90366-7
1984
Journal Article
Products from rapid heating of a brown coal in the temperature range 400-2300 °C
Cliff, David I., Doolan, Kenneth R., Mackie, John C. and Tyler, Ralph J. (1984). Products from rapid heating of a brown coal in the temperature range 400-2300 °C. Fuel, 63 (3), 394-400. doi: 10.1016/0016-2361(84)90018-8
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor David Cliff is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Characterising the Nature of Respirable Dust in Underground Coal Mines to Inform the Assessment and Management of Respiratory Health Risks to Coal Mine Workers
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Kelly Johnstone
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Doctor Philosophy
Safety leadership and its impact on serious injuries and fatalities
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Danellie Lynas, Professor Maureen Hassall
Completed supervision
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Characterising the Nature of Respirable Dust in Underground Coal Mines to Inform the Assessment and Management of Respiratory Health Risks to Coal Mine Workers
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Kelly Johnstone
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Developing risk management practices and protocols for the African Mining and Energy Infrastructure Industries
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jill Harris
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Improving organisational learning from incidents through effective incident investigations: A study of the Ghanaian mining industry
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Maureen Hassall
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
Integration of Health and Safety Risk Management into the Implementation of Gold Processing Technology in Artisanal and Small Scale Mining (ASM) Communities in the Philippines
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Maureen Hassall
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
"Design and development of a methodology to monitor PM10 dust particles produced by industrial activities using UAVs"
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Peter Erskine
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
Improving fire safety and asset loss control in mining: Evaluation and development of a video based fire detection system
Principal Advisor
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
The impact of non-technical issues on decision-making by coal mining incident management teams
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Robin Burgess-Limerick
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2010
Doctor Philosophy
Establishing a safety-based risk control effectiveness score as an alternative to conventional acceptable risk analysis and evaluation methods
Principal Advisor
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Managing whole-body vibration at surface and underground coal mines
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Robin Burgess-Limerick
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2014
Doctor Philosophy
The relationship of gas evolution and odour to the stages of coal self-heating
Associate Advisor
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor David Cliff directly for media enquiries about:
- Coal mine fires
- Dust - mine site safety
- Emergency procedures - mining
- Explosions - mines
- Fires and mining
- Fitness for duty - minerals industry
- Gas analysis - mining
- Health and mining work
- Incident management - mining
- Mine fires
- Mine site safety
- Minerals industry safety
- Occupational Health and Safety - minerals industry
- Occupational health and safety in mining
- Occupational hygiene - mines
- Respirable dust - mine site safety
- Safety - minerals industry
- Spontaneous combustion
- Work hours - mining
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