December may feel like the quiet end to a busy year, but for mining and other high-risk industries, it’s one of the most powerful opportunities to strengthen workforce capability. Production slows, shutdowns begin, and operational teams step back, creating a rare window for compliance, training, and workforce support teams to clean up lingering issues that quietly erode efficiency throughout the year.
Instead of carrying compliance debt into January, organisations can use December to reset, tidy up, and enter 2026 with clarity, confidence, and a more capable workforce. These 12 Days of Compliance highlight practical, high-value improvements that add operational and productivity improvements without the fluff.
Day 1: Refresh Your Role-to-Competency Matrices
Throughout the year, operational needs shift and responsibilities evolve. Most sites experience some level of “role drift,” where the competencies attached to a role no longer perfectly match the real tasks performed. This misalignment drives unnecessary non-compliance, confusion for assessors, and inefficiency during onboarding.
A short review now ensures the competency framework supports the work planned for 2026.
• Validate that role requirements still reflect current site tasks and risks.
• Remove outdated competencies and add the ones now essential.
Day 2: Address Expiring Competencies Before They Disrupt Operations
Expired or soon-to-expire licences are a hidden source of operational friction. They lead to access denials, roster reshuffling, reactive retraining, and unnecessary constraints on supervisors.
December provides the perfect opportunity to get ahead of it.
• Run an expiry review and identify critical competencies due soon.
• Prioritise high-risk and mandatory licences for early scheduling.
Day 3: Clean and Standardise Contractor Profiles
Contractor data is usually the messiest part of any compliance system. Documentation varies between companies, evidence formats differ, and duplicate or incomplete records slip through during busy periods. All of this slows mobilisation and adds risk during audits.
Use December to bring contractor records up to the same standard as employees.
• Validate evidence for high-risk competencies and remove duplicates.
• Update or deactivate contractors no longer engaged onsite.
Day 4: Verify High-Risk Licences and Critical Certifications
EWP, Working at Heights, Confined Space, Gas Testing, First Aid, Load-Shifting, it only takes one outdated licence to create a serious risk or halt work. High-risk competencies underpin safe operations and must be correct, current, and verified.
A focused check ensures there are no surprises in January.
• Confirm all high-risk licences are valid and correctly assigned.
• Ensure VOCs or site-specific validations are correctly attached.
Day 5: Standardise Evidence Requirements Across RTOs and Assessors
When different assessors or external providers upload evidence in inconsistent formats, audits become difficult and internal verification slows down. Over time, this inconsistency clutters the system and lowers data quality.
December is an ideal moment to bring everything back to a clear standard.
• Define what acceptable evidence looks like and communicate it clearly.
• Archive incorrect or outdated submissions to improve data quality.
Day 6: Review Competency-Based Access Rules
Access control is only as accurate as the competency logic behind it. If the ruleset hasn’t been reviewed recently, there’s a strong chance it no longer aligns with the site’s actual risk zones, process areas, or equipment changes.
A quick audit strengthens both safety and operational flow.
• Confirm that competency requirements still match area risk profiles.
• Remove outdated rules and add any new mandatory requirements.
Day 7: Align Rostering With Real Competency Data
Rostering teams often operate with partial visibility into real capability. When competencies aren’t fully synchronised and up-to-date, supervisors unintentionally allocate workers who aren’t qualified, leading to delays, escalations, or reassignments.
Aligning rostering with accurate training data results in smoother, safer operations.
• Ensure competency data feeds into rostering in real time.
• Identify recurring roster issues caused by capability mismatches.
Day 8: Prepare January Mobilisation Lists Now
January is the busiest mobilisation period of the year—contractors returning, shutdown crews starting, and new workers onboarding. Any gaps in December create a ripple effect that slows work in Q1.
Preparing now removes that pressure completely.
• Validate training and evidence for all workers expected onsite in early 2026.
• Confirm contractor companies understand updated entry requirements.
Day 9: Review Workforce Capability Against 2026 Operational Plans
Production and project plans for 2026 may include expansions, shutdowns, new equipment, or process changes. Workforce capability must align with these expectations to avoid skills shortages or bottlenecks.
December is the ideal time to link your workforce capability to your 2026 plan.
• Identify skills under pressure based on planned work.
• Build a targeted Q1–Q2 training plan to close gaps early.
Day 10: Clear Out Old or Incomplete Assessments
Every training system accumulates assessment clutter: drafts, partial evidence uploads, assessments waiting on signatures, and accidental duplicates. These distort reporting, prolong audits, and confuse assessors.
A clean slate going into January improves quality and confidence.
• Finalise or close incomplete assessments and remove duplicates.
• Follow up with assessors where evidence is missing.
Day 11: Refresh Supervisor Dashboards and Reporting Views
Supervisors need fast, accurate visibility of compliance and workforce capability. But dashboards often become outdated as teams shift, roles change, and operational priorities evolve.
Refreshing these views in December ensures supervisors are equipped for 2026 from day one.
• Update dashboards to reflect current teams, roles, and reporting lines.
• Add visibility of critical roles, expiries, and training needs.
Day 12: Reset Your Workforce Compliance Strategy for 2026
With the clean-up complete, December is the perfect moment to step back and consider your broader strategy. What caused delays in 2025? Where did access issues, onboarding bottlenecks, or compliance gaps occur? What improvements are needed for 2026?
A short strategic reset ensures your systems and processes actually support operational success.
• Review 2025 trends and identify the highest-impact improvements.
• Prioritise automation, integration, and governance enhancements for 2026.
Small December Wins Deliver Major 2026 Advantages
The improvements above are not major projects, they are practical, high-value fixes that reduce risk, eliminate inefficiencies, and strengthen workforce readiness. By tackling these twelve items now, organisations enter 2026 with cleaner data, sharper visibility, smoother mobilisation, and fewer compliance surprises.
These wins compound, creating safer teams, more confident supervisors, and operational performance that starts strong and stays strong.
Start 2026 with a workforce that’s compliant, capable, and ready to perform.
Tutis helps mining and high-risk industries turn compliance into a strategic advantage, bringing real-time visibility of competencies, streamlined onboarding, stronger evidence management, and faster mobilisation across the workforce.
If you’re looking to reduce risk, lift operational readiness, and align capability with next year’s production demands, our team is here to support you.
Speak with us today to discover how Tutis can help you build a safer, smarter, and more efficient workforce in 2026.