White Card Victoria

Posted Oct 16 2011 by admin in VIC with 0 Comments

White Card Victoria

Overview

In the construction industry, people work in a dynamic environment. Hazards and risks change frequently on a site as construction work progresses and as workers move from project to project. A large majority of the industry’s workforce is employed by sub-contractors who undertake work on many different sites managed by different contractors, and often within different sectors of the industry.

The instruction and training required to ensure people can work safely on construction sites needs to recognise the pattern of employment and the way the construction industry operates. Therefore, three (3) types of Occupational Health and Safety induction training are required:

Construction induction training (formal class room training)
Site induction (on the job training)
Job specific induction (on the job training)

WorkSafe Victoria implemented National Code of Practice for Induction for Construction Work. Therefore, from 1 July 2008, construction induction training is delivered through national unit of competency “CPCCOHS1001A Work Safely in the Construction industry”.

Construction induction training

Construction induction training aims to provide people new (or returning) to construction work with an understanding of:

Their rights and responsibilities under OHS law
Common hazards and risks in the construction industry
Basic risk management principles, and
The standard of behaviour expected of workers on construction sites.

Who needs to participate?

Employers must ensure that anyone employed to do construction work has completed construction induction training before they start work.

This is relevant for all persons involved in construction work, including:

Persons with control of construction projects (e.g. principal contractors, project managers, main contractors, builders, employers, self-employed persons)
Persons with control of construction work (e.g. employers, self-employed persons, principal contractors, main contractors, sub-contractors)
Persons carrying out construction work (e.g. employees, contractors, labour-hire workers)

It also applies to:

All persons who access operational construction zones unaccompanied or not directly supervised by a person who holds valid construction induction card
All persons whose employment causes them to routinely enter operational construction zones.

It also includes any employee who has not done any construction work in the past two (2) years, even if they have previously completed an induction.

There may be other activities that relate to construction work where general induction training may be necessary. The person in control of the construction project or work should determine this by examining:

The nature of the work to be performed and the level of risk associated with those tasks
The circumstances in which the work will be undertaken, e.g. the parts of the site that the person is required or permitted to access, the stage of construction during the period of such access and the level of direct interaction with the construction process, and
The level of supervision.

Who is NOT covered by the construction induction requirement?

The construction induction requirements do not apply to:

Visitors to the site provided that they are accompanied at all times by a person who has received construction induction training. Visitors include client and other people who are not involved in the construction work. The person accompanying the visitor must have the visitor in sight at all times, and must be able to intervene immediately if any health and safety incident arises.
People who are temporarily at the site to deliver plant, supplies or materials. If they are untrained, these people are only permitted to remain on the site for the time reasonably needed to make their delivery. Otherwise, they must be accompanied in the same way as other visitors. Persons whose employment causes them to routinely enter operational construction zones, such as a driver delivering concrete to different sites, are not part of the exemption and they should be trained.

Training provider requirements

Construction induction training can only be provided by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO).

RTO must have national training unit of competency “CPCCOHS1001A Work Safely in the Construction Industry” on their scope of registration. Also, RTO has to be approved by WorkSafe Victoria.

Formal 6 hour face-to-face training is only accepted method of delivery in Victoria.

Online training is not permitted in Victoria.

Evidence of training

The employer must accept any of the following things as evidence that the worker has done construction induction training:

A ‘Red Card’ which shows that the person completed the previous Victorian Construction Industry Basic Induction Course, which existed before 1 July 2008
A construction induction card issued by WorkSafe following successful completion of induction training by an RTO
A construction Statement of Attainment issued by an RTO, pending processing of a construction induction card, or
Recognised evidence of construction induction training (e.g. a statement or card issued under similar requirements in another Australian state or territory)

Employers must ensure that a record is kept of the construction induction card of each worker employed by them. This record (which may be a photocopy on file) is to be kept for the duration of their employment.

Obtaining a Construction Induction Card

If a person carrying out construction work does not already have one of the forms of evidence listed previously, they must obtain a Construction Induction Card.

In order to obtain a Construction Induction Card, a person must:

Attend formal 6 hour face-to-face “CPCCOHS1001A Work Safely in the Construction Industry” training session delivered by Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
Successfully complete training and assessment requirements and receive ‘Statement of Attainment’ and “Certificate of Completion’ issued by Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
Within 8 weeks period, WorkSafe Victoria will process application and mail Construction Induction Card (‘White Card’) to participant.

‘Statement of Attainment’ can be used as an evidence of training and ‘Certificate of Completion’ acts as a temporary ‘White Card’.

As long as they have ‘Statement of Attainment” and ‘Certificate of Completion’, a person is can do construction work while waiting to receive their construction induction card.

Construction induction card validation period

Construction induction cards remain valid while the holder continues to do construction work. However, if a person does not do any construction work for two (2) years, their construction induction card becomes invalid.

Lost or stolen construction induction cards

WorkSafe will replace a lost, stolen or destroyed construction induction card if the holder provides a copy of their statement of attainment or other written evidence.

To arrange a replacement, contact WorkSafe Victoria Licensing department (Phone: 1300 852 562 Fax: 1800 060 72; Email: licensing@worksafe.vic.gov.au)

Temporary exemption

A person can do construction work for 28 consecutive days without being inducted if:

They have not done any construction work in the past two (2) years, and
The employer has arranged and paid for them to do construction induction training.

The purpose of the exemption is to enable a person to work while awaiting a training opportunity.

A person who has been exempted for 28 days must be directly supervised at all times and be given the information and instruction they need to work safely.

Construction Induction Cards issued and/or recognised in Victoria

All Construction Induction Cards listed below are recognised in Victoria and all other states and territories.

All Construction Induction Cards must include:

Name
Date of birth
Signature of cardholder
Date of issue
Card registration number

Construction Induction Cards issued in ACT, NT and QLD must also include the RTO number.

WorkSafe Victoria recognises and accepts following Construction Induction Cards:

Victoria

The Victorian Construction Induction Card is issued by WorkSafe Victorian and has WorkSafe Victoria logo.
Victorian Red Cards (pre-1 July 2008) are still recognised in Victoria.

Queensland

The Queensland Construction Induction Card is issued by the Queensland Department of Employment and Industrial Relations and has the Queensland Government, Department of Employment and Industrial Relations logo.
Queensland Blue Cards are issued by online RTOs and are also recognised in Victoria.

Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory Construction Induction Card is issued by the Office of Regulatory Services, Department of Justice and Community Safety and has the ACT Government logo.

New South Wales

The New South Wales Construction Induction Card is issued by WorkCover NSW and has the WorkCover NSW logo.
NSW Green Cards are no longer valid in NSW and are not recognised in Victoria.

Western Australia

The Western Australian Construction Induction Card is issued by WorkSafe WA and has the Western Australian Government logo.
Both versions of the Western Australian Construction Induction Cards are recognised in Victoria including those issued by online RTOs.

Northern Territory