A decision to extend the transition period to complete mining statutory position certification from March 30 2025 to March 30 2026 has headed off a situation that could have left WA mines unable to operate because of a shortage of key personnel.

The introduction of the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 on March 31 2022, started a clock ticking for miners in statutory positions to meet the requirements to maintain their certifications. 

Those positions include site senior executives; exploration, underground and quarry managers; electrical, underground, and statutory advisers; mine air quality officers; and surveyors.

Their statutory positions were held only for the three-year transition period. Beyond that, they needed to get statutory certificates.

To do that they had to complete some Work Health and Safety units of competency and pass an exam.

The exam is not easy either. It is open book and involves demonstrating an understanding of the Work Health and Safety Act. Questions need to be answered in relation to the correlating section of the act.

This was all supposed to be completed by March 30 2025 or the person could no longer hold their statutory position.

Think about that. Somebody who was a statutory position holder under the previous act would no longer hold that statutory position until they had completed the units and passed the exam by the end of next March. That could stop a mine from operating.

This affects both miners and contractors.

Major miners such as BHP and Rio Tinto have their own training units, which will help their statutory position holders get through the courses.

Exam stress

However, everyone faces the same challenge: booking to sit the exam.

Just scheduling the test has proved challenging.

Future Institute of Australia general manager Karyn Grant told Australia's Mining Monthly that there were no exam slots available until April.

"If a statutory position holder fails any of the units they have three goes to pass," Grant said.

"They have to do those one month apart."

Grant said Future Institute Australia had created a preparatory exam to help people prepare.

She said many of the people in these statutory positions were finding the exams challenging.

"The risk is we could lose a lot of senior people because they haven't been in a classroom for so long," Grant said.

"We had a senior person sit the exam and fail it."

Extension comes

According to Worksafe, the transition period was being extended for another year.

It is also working to expand its examination venues and expects to have more information on that available in coming weeks.

The statutory position requirements have also been extended to statutory surveying positions.

They are now required to be certified in work health and safety risk management, which will bring surveyors into line with other statutory positions.