Competency requirements for site senior executives at underground mineral mines updated

Commissioner for Resources Safety and Health and Chair of the advisory committee Kate du Preez said the updated competencies would ensure that the most senior people employed at underground mineral mines would have the necessary experience and qualifications required in their roles.

“The revised competencies add the requirement for the SSE to have working experience and qualifications requirements in activities that are defined as operations by the Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999,” Kate said.

“The change brings competencies for SSEs at underground mineral mines into line with those for surface mines and for SSEs at coal mines, meaning there is more consistency across the wider industry.

“The new competencies have a six-month transition period and come into effect on 31 October 2023 for all new SSEs.

“An SSE who holds an SSE Notice before the transition date has a three-year window to obtain the listed competencies and will not be required to meet the experience requirements.”

An SSE employed at an underground mineral mine employing more than 10 people is required from 31 October 2023 to meet all of the following competencies:

• 5 years experience in one or more activities that are operations as defined by the Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999 of which at least 2 years have been in a supervisory role
• an AQF5 or greater qualification relevant to one or more activities that are operations as defined by the Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999
• RIIRIS501E Implement and maintain management systems to control risk (previously RIIRIS501D), or an equivalent or superior qualification
• BSBWHS521 Ensure a safe workplace for a work area (previously BSBWHS501), or an equivalent or superior qualification.

There are additional requirements if blasting is to take place. An SSE employed at these mines must meet the following competencies:

• a recognised shot-firers licence

or

• one of the following 3 competency units
  • RIIBLA301E Conduct surface shot firing operations (previously RIIBLA301D)
  • RIIBLA303E Conduct underground development shot firing operations
  • RIIBLA304E Conduct underground production shot firing operations

  and

• RIIBLA205E Store and handle and transport explosives (previously RIIBLA205D); and RIIBLA305E Conduct secondary blasting (previously RIIBLA305D)

or

• a recognised Safe Drilling and Blasting course.

An SSE employed at an underground mineral mine other than an opal or gem mine that employs 10 or fewer people must meet all of the following competencies:

• 2 years experience in one or more activities that are operations as defined by the Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999 over the previous 5 years
• Completion of the following training courses
  • Introduction to safety management systems
  • Effective Risk Management
  • Incident investigation
  • Electrical awareness.

There are additional requirements if blasting is to take place. An SSE employed at these mines must meet the following competencies:

• a recognised shot-firers licence

or

• one of the following 3 competency units
  • RIIBLA301E Conduct surface shot firing operations (previously RIIBLA301D)
  • RIIBLA303E Conduct underground development shot firing operations
  • RIIBLA304E Conduct underground production shot firing operations

  and

• RIIBLA205E Store and handle and transport explosives (previously RIIBLA205D); and RIIBLA305E Conduct secondary blasting (previously RIIBLA305D)

or

• a recognised Safe Drilling and Blasting course.

The table of competencies recognised by the Mining Safety and Health Advisory Committee is published on the Commissioner for Resources Safety and Health website.