Building Competent Leadership: Why Quality Training Is Essential for Compliance and High-Performing Coal Operations

In Queensland’s coal mining sector, statutory requirements set the baseline – but safe, productive operations demand far more than simply meeting the minimum. Recognised Standard 22 (RS22) requires every mine to establish a Management Structure capable of developing and implementing an effective Safety and Health Management System (SHMS).
That responsibility relies heavily on competent people. Not just ticketed individuals, but leaders who understand risk, influence culture, and make decisions that protect workers and maintain acceptable levels of risk every day.
This is where high-quality, targeted training becomes a foundational part of an effective SHMS.

Training as a Strategic Component of the SHMS

A Safety and Health Management System doesn’t operate on its own. It relies on people who have the capability to interpret it, apply it, and improve it. Training is therefore not a “compliance task,” it is a structural element of how a mine manages risk.
At Core Crew Training, our approach is built around training that strengthens the system, not just the individual.
That means:

• Flexible online delivery that works with rostered mining schedules
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to validate existing experience while reducing downtime
• Assessment mapped to real operational and SHMS responsibilities
• A strong focus on leadership, governance, investigation quality, and risk management
• Delivered by competent and industry experienced operational leaders.

This style of competency development ensures that supervisors, managers, and SSEs can not only perform their statutory duties, but can actually influence how risk is controlled across the operation.

Beyond Tickets: Developing Leaders Who Can Manage Risk, Not Just Paperwork

Queensland’s coal mines operate in high-consequence environments. In this context, competence must move beyond collecting units or chasing statutory ticks.
Effective training should build:

1. Leadership capability – The ability to set expectations, identify emerging risks, lead teams, and maintain clarity in high-pressure environments.
2. System thinking – Understanding how controls, procedures, people, and equipment interact and how failures occur.
3. Statutory literacy – The practical ability to interpret legislation, understand obligations, and make informed decisions that stand up to audit scrutiny.
4. Performance mindset – Using training to support operational efficiency, workforce engagement, and better decision-making and not just compliance. Training becomes part of how a mine lifts its performance, not simply how it maintains it.

Meeting RS22 Expectations With Confidence

Under RS22, Site Senior Executives must ensure that all positions with SHMS responsibilities are supported by documented competencies. This includes leadership roles, safety positions, and anyone involved in managing risk or influencing workplace systems.
Targeted training gives your operation:

• Clear evidence of competence for audits and statutory reviews
• A management structure that meets legislative expectations
• Stronger governance around risk and system effectiveness
• Greater confidence in statutory appointments and succession planning

This is where structured, mining-specific qualifications including our higher-level management and leadership programs become essential. They give SSEs and senior leaders the statutory confidence and operational capability expected in a modern Queensland coal operation. You can read more about our tailored training solutions here.

From Compliance to Capability

“Compliance is the legal requirement. Capability is the operational advantage.”
Our training model helps mines transition from simply meeting RS22 obligations to building genuinely effective leadership teams who drive safer, more efficient operations.
By integrating training directly into the SHMS and strengthening the competency of your management structure, you create a workforce that is not only compliant but consistently high-performing.

To learn more about pathways for supervisors, emerging leaders, and SSEs, contact our team today.