Principal hazard management plans (PHMPs) are intended to be the backbone of how a mine site manages its most serious risks. Under the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulations 2022 (Government of Western Australia, 2022), a mine operator must prepare a PHMP for each principal hazard. The plan must identify, analyse and assess the associated risks and include standard operating procedures (SOPs) and other control measures. In practice, many PHMPs have become compliance documents written for the regulator rather than working tools, consulted mainly during audits and after incidents.