How to become a mining supervisor in QLD: the guide to G189 (formerly S123)

Somebody’s noticed you’re ready for more.

Maybe your site manager has mentioned a supervisor role, or you’ve already been covering leading hand duties and are ready to make the next step official. Either way, there’s a qualification standing between you and that promotion.

For many people working towards a supervisory role at a Queensland coal mine, that qualification is the G189 Mining Supervisor course (formerly known as the S123).

This guide explains what the G189 Mining Supervisor course involves, the units of competency included, and the types of supervisory roles that may require this training.

What is G189?

G189 is the current name for Queensland’s Mining Supervisor course, which was previously known as S123. If you’re starting a supervisory role on a QLD coal mine, this is the training that gets you there.

The G189 course bundles three units of competency into the programme. You’ll graduate with all three units at once instead of having to complete each one individually. This is what they cover:

Unit	What you’ll learn	Examples
RIIRIS301E (G1) Apply Risk Management Processes	Risk management	Identifying hazards and mapping controls before work begins
RIIWHS301E (G8) Conduct Safety and Health Investigations	Incident investigations	Gathering evidence and finding root causes after an incident
RIICOM301E (G9) Communicate Information	Communication	Running pre-start meetings, toolbox talks, and crew handovers

You can complete a G189 course through a blended delivery format. You’ll work through an online theory module that you must complete within 30 days, then attend a one-day face-to-face practical training session to finish. If you’ve already completed your G189 certification and just need to refresh your competency, then you can take the G189 refresher course entirely online.

Why was S123 renamed to G189?

Training package codes get revised from time to time as part of updates to Australia’s VET system, and S123 became G189 as part of one of these routine revisions. Nothing about the content itself changed, just the label used to identify it.

You’ll still hear plenty of workers and employers call it S123 out of habit. If an employer asks for S123 qualifications on their training matrix, they’re almost certainly referring to the same G189 qualification.

Who needs G189?

Formal supervisors on a QLD coal site are the obvious ones. If your mine appoints you as a supervisor under section 56 of the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999, you need a G189 certification to meet the legal obligations of that role. These are the most common positions that require it:

• Statutory supervisors: Anyone appointed under section 56 needs one.

• Site Safety and Health Representatives: If your crew elects you to represent them on health and safety matters, you need a G189 qualification to carry out that responsibility.

• Leading hands and crew leaders: Many workers complete their G189 before they’re even chosen for a promotion. Being proactive about this shows your employer you’re ready for more responsibility.

None of these roles are individually named in legislation as requiring a G189 qualification specifically. What the act does is set out the safety obligations that come with each position. Completing G189 training is simply how coal mines expect workers to demonstrate they can meet those safety obligations.

How long does G189 remain valid?

There’s no universal expiry date attached to your G189 qualification. The units of competency you complete don’t come with a hard cutoff written into law.

That said, many Queensland mine sites require supervisors to refresh their G189 qualification every five years as part of their site compliance requirements. Your specific employer’s training matrix is what actually affects your refresh timeline, so check with them directly instead of assuming there’s a standard cutoff date for your qualification’s validity.

Career path: where G189 takes you

A G189 course is designed for supervisory roles, but it’s not the finish line. Many coal mine supervisors keep climbing the career ladder well past it. This is what that progression usually looks like on a QLD coal site:

1. Operator: You start here, running plant and putting in the hours that eventually get you noticed for leadership roles.

2. Leading hand: You take on a small crew and start carrying real responsibility before being formally appointed as a supervisor.

3. Mining supervisor: You can work a statutory supervisory role once you’ve completed your G189 qualification.

4. G2 risk facilitator: You start facilitating site-wide risk assessments once you’ve built up enough supervisory experience.

5. Open cut examiner: This is when you become responsible for inspection and compliance throughout surface operations.

6. Mining superintendent: This is the final operational leadership role, where you take charge of multiple supervisors and direct broader site strategy.

At Civil Safety, we deliver G2, G3, and G7 courses in addition to G189 training for workers planning their next move up.

Advance your mining career with Civil Safety

We deliver RTO-accredited G189 training designed for Queensland’s resources industry, with corporate on-site group bookings available in Brisbane, Mackay, and Moranbah. You’ll get a nationally recognised Statement of Attainment on completion so you can stay compliant with your Queensland coal site’s requirements.

Contact Civil Safety (RTO 32381) today to book your G189 course.

Frequently asked questions