“BHP audit on Tuesday. They asked who our SSE is and whether the appointment is current in SRS. Our nominated SSE retired six months ago. Nobody updated the register. Three of us are now panic-reading the WHS (Mines) Regs at 11pm.”
— Perth drilling contractor, $32M revenue, owner-operator
Schedule 26 Statutory Positions: What WA Mining Suppliers Owe After 30 March 2026
The 30 March 2026 deadline, in plain English
The Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022 introduced new competency and appointment requirements for the SSE and the other Schedule 26 statutory positions. Existing holders had a transition window to upgrade qualifications, sit the WHS legislation exam, complete approved risk-management units, and have their appointment reflected in the WorkSafe Safety Regulation System (SRS).
That transition window closed on 30 March 2026. From 31 March 2026, the WorkSafe (LGIRS) compliance bar is binary: either the appointment is current in SRS with verifiable competencies, or it is not.
If the answer to “is our SSE current and notified?” takes longer than 5 seconds, you have a problem.
The Schedule 26 positions you actually need to track
Site Senior Executive (SSE)
Every mine site needs an SSE — the person ultimately responsible for safety on site. They need a relevant qualification, mining experience, the WHS legislation exam, and the approved risk-management units. Plus a nominated alternate.
Quarry Manager
Required for surface extractive operations. Quarry-specific competencies on top of the SSE base requirements. Same SRS appointment + alternate model.
Underground Manager
Required for any underground operation. Underground-specific competencies (e.g. ventilation, ground control, emergency response) layered on top.
Exploration Manager
Required for greenfield exploration programs. The position that catches a lot of Perth suppliers off-guard — the SSE rules apply even when the program looks informal.
Every position needs a nominated alternate. Leave, illness, rotation, resignation — the position can never be vacant.
What WorkSafe actually checks at an inspection
SRS appointment record current
Is the named holder still in the position? When was the appointment last verified?
WHS legislation exam currency
Holder + alternate. Approved provider. Pass record on file.
Risk-management units of competency
From the approved national list. Issued by an RTO. Currency tracked.
MSMS reflects the appointment
Roles, responsibilities, and authorities documented. Org chart matches reality.
Alternate ready to step in
Same competencies as holder. Available on the rotation. Inducted to site.
Where Perth suppliers get caught
- SSE retired or rotated off and SRS was never updated
- Alternate nominated on paper but never inducted to site
- Risk-management units expired and quietly fell off the matrix
- MSMS shows a different person than the SRS record
- Exploration Manager position simply not appointed because nobody knew it was required
- Owner-operator IS the SSE but never sat the WHS legislation exam
How DrilLedger keeps Schedule 26 current
Statutory Positions Tracker
Each Schedule 26 position has its own tile: holder, alternate, qualification, WHS legislation exam date + currency, risk-management units status, SRS notification status, MSMS alignment flag. Green / amber / red at a glance.
SRS-aligned register export
One-click export of your statutory positions register matched to SRS field structure. Hand it to a WorkSafe inspector or paste it into a Tier 1 audit response.
MSMS-linked appointments
The Document Control agent links the Schedule 26 register into the MSMS index. When you update an appointment, the MSMS document automatically references the current holder — no more “the org chart says X but SRS says Y”.
Pre-inspection self-check
Before a WorkSafe (LGIRS) inspection or Tier 1 audit, run the 5-second self-check: holder current? alternate current? exams in date? RMUs in date? SRS notified? MSMS aligned? If any is amber or red, you know what to fix before the inspector arrives.
What this is worth in real numbers
Avoided WorkSafe improvement / prohibition notice
A direction to cease operations until the position is filled is a six-figure event for most suppliers
Avoided Tier 1 contract risk
BHP, Rio, FMG and Roy Hill routinely audit Schedule 26. A miss puts the contract on the table.
Time savings on audit prep
8 hours of scrambling per audit → 30 minutes — 4 audits / year = 30+ hours saved
Owner-operator confidence
“Is our SSE current and notified?” answered in 5 seconds, every time
Total: $25,000–$60,000+/year in audit prep, gate rejection prevention, and avoided compliance notices.
Frequently asked questions
What changed on 30 March 2026 with statutory positions?
The Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022 transition period for Schedule 26 statutory positions ended 30 March 2026. From 31 March 2026 onwards, the Site Senior Executive (SSE) and the other Schedule 26 positions — Quarry Manager, Underground Manager, Exploration Manager, and their nominated alternates — must be formally appointed in WorkSafe's Safety Regulation System (SRS), have completed the WHS legislation exam plus the approved risk-management units of competency, and the Mine Safety Management System (MSMS) must reflect the appointment. There is no further extension.
Which Schedule 26 positions does my operation actually need?
It depends on your operation type. Every mine site has an SSE. Underground operations need an Underground Manager. Quarries need a Quarry Manager. Greenfield exploration programs need an Exploration Manager. Each holder needs a nominated alternate who can step in during leave, illness, or rotation. Labour-hire suppliers and contractors who are PCBUs in their own right (running their own crews) usually need their own SSE; sub-contractors operating on a head contractor's mine site typically work under that operator's SSE but still need to be aligned with the head contractor's MSMS.
What competencies are required for an SSE under WHS (Mines) Regs 2022?
The SSE needs a relevant tertiary or trade qualification (mining engineering, metallurgy, or similar), demonstrated mining industry experience, the WHS legislation exam (administered through approved providers), and the risk-management units of competency from the approved national list. The MSMS must show how the SSE meets the Schedule 26 competency requirements, and the SRS appointment needs to reflect the verified credentials.
How does WorkSafe verify our statutory positions are current?
WorkSafe inspectors can request your statutory appointments register and the underlying SRS records during any site inspection. The most common gap is currency — someone who held the SSE position three years ago is still listed in SRS, or the alternate has retired and no replacement was nominated. WorkSafe expects you to maintain the SRS appointment in real time, not just review it annually. The Training & Competency Matrix tracks holder, alternate, exam currency, risk-management units, and SRS notification status so the answer is always 5 seconds away.
What happens if our SSE position is vacant or non-compliant after 30 March 2026?
A vacant or non-compliant SSE post is treated as a serious breach of the WHS (Mines) Regs 2022. WorkSafe can issue improvement and prohibition notices, which can include directing operations to cease until the position is filled and notified in SRS. Tier 1 clients (BHP, Rio Tinto, FMG, Roy Hill) routinely audit your statutory positions register — a non-compliant SSE record is a contract risk in addition to a regulatory one.