What is a Statutory Supervisor? Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022

What is a Statutory Supervisor?

Part 10.7A of the Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022 [WHS (Mines) Regulations prescribes positions in relation to mines. These statutory positions are appointed by the mine operator to carry out specific functions in relation to the operations of a mine.

There are five key statutory positions:

exploration manager
underground manager (non-coal) if the mine is an underground non-coal mine
site senior executive
underground manager (coal) if the mine is an underground coal mine
quarry manager if required under the WHS Mines Regulations (Schedule 26, clause 14).

Statutory supervisors have the following functions for the place (the appointed place) at the mine to which they are appointed:

allocating tasks to the worker for that worker to carry out at the appointed place;
supervising and controlling workers and other persons at the appointed place;
if necessary, inspecting areas where workers and other persons travel to the appointed place for risks or hazards to those persons;
taking steps to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that workers and other persons are not exposed to risks or hazards in the appointed place;
if the supervisor is being replaced by another supervisor — providing written reports to the incoming supervisor under regulation 630.

A person is eligible to be appointed as a statutory supervisor for a place at a mine if the person:

works for at least 2 years as a supervisor or worker in a similar operation or industry that the mine is engaged in; and
successfully completes an approved WHS risk management unit for statutory supervisors;
and passes an applicable legislation examination for statutory supervisors.