Order 34

Overview

The general functions in the Coal Industry Act 2001 (NSW) (s. 10 (1) (i)) is ‘approving training schemes required for a safety management system under the Work Health & Safety (Mines) Act 2013’.

The Government Gazette Number 89 (Friday 6 July 2007) ‘Coal Services Approval of Training Schemes for NSW Coal Mine Operator Health and Safety Management Systems’ (Order 34) was issued to give operators of a coal operation direction on what is required in a training scheme for the health and safety management system. This is referred to as the coal operation’s Training and Competence Management Scheme (TCMS). The maintenance of competence scheme is a requirement to keep the knowledge and skills of individuals who hold a practising certificate to exercise specific statutory functions up-to-date.

Order 34 provides scope for Coal Services to issue ‘Guidelines’ on the required provisions to be included in a TCMS in order for it to be approved. This is referred to as the ‘Order 34 Guideline’.

The Order 34 Guideline is used as the basis for:

• the development of a TCMS by a coal operation
• Coal Services approval of a coal operation’s TCMS, and any revision to the TCMS – this approval is based on meeting the requirements of the ‘Order 34 Guideline’
• criteria for audits conducted by officers of Coal Services of the TCMS and associated training/competency systems and processes at coal operations.

Order 34 Guidelines and Tools

Below are a range of tools to help you utilise the Order 34 Guideline:

2026 Order 34 Audit and Workshop Information

Information for 2026 will be updated in February. Communications will be sent to Mine Site Training Contacts at this time.