Maintenance of Competence Scheme
The NSW Resources Regulator, in consultation with the Mines and Petroleum Competence Board (the board), has developed a framework and descriptions of statutory functions that require a practising certificate or competence certificate. The Maintenance of Competence Scheme is designed to keep the knowledge and skills of individuals who hold a practising certificate to exercise specific statutory functions up to date.
- The NSW Maintenance of Competence Scheme for Practising Certificates is detailed, and it is important that the NSW Quarries are aware of the changes and ongoing requirements.
- Failure to comply with the scheme may result in suspension or cancellation of a practising certificate. This would prevent the individual from being able to fully exercise their statutory function.
In general, those holding a Quarry Manager Practising Certificate are required to undertake a minimum number of hours of professional development, over a 5 year period.
Learning must be undertaken in the following areas of competence:
- Mining and WHS
- Emergency Management
- Legislation
- Leadership and Management
- General WHS (including a mandatory 8-hour Learning from Mining Disasters course developed by the regulator)
Minimum and maximum hours apply for topic areas, types of learning and specific learning activities.
Minimum 50% of total hours must be allocated to formal learning. (Internal training courses conducted within an organisation cannot account for more than 50% of formal learning hours claimed).
Other acceptable types of learning activities and maximum hours applicable are outlined in the guide published by New South Wales regulator.
For more information on the Competence Scheme for Practising certificates, please review the following:
Risk Profiling Tool
The Resources Regulator has introduced a tiering system for quarries that will affect individuals issued with practising certificates with conditions.
The Resources Regulator will no longer issue practising certificates with a restriction to a specific site. Instead, Practising Certificates will be issued, which will allow the holder to exercise the statutory function at all Tier 2 sites. A transition arrangement is in place until 30 September 2022.
The tier of a quarry is determined by assessing the hazards of the site using a risk profiling tool.
The tool has been developed by the New South Wales Resources Regulator in consultation with the Mining and Petroleum Competence Board and Industry Representatives.
The Risk Profiling tool enables the user to calculate a mine's hazard burden and help determine the qualification for nomination as the Quarry Manager.
To obtain a copy of the Risk Profiling Tool, please click here.