12:34 pm, Monday 6 August, 2012

SafeWork SA reminded South Australians who undertake high risk work that the deadline for second year conversions to the new national Licence to Perform High Risk Work is coming near.

According to a news release by SafeWork SA, the new Licence applies to all people who work with forklifts, cranes and hoists, scaffolding and pressure equipment, or who engage in rigging and dogging work.

The new Licence will replace all previously  issued ‘tickets’ and qualifications in South Australia and will be implemented over a five-year transition period through September 2015.

“We are currently in the second year of the five-year conversion schedule,” said SafeWork SA Executive Director, Bryan Russell.

“This means that anyone who holds an OHS Certification Australia Card or a Notice of Satisfactory Assessment (NSA) for forklift operation issued between 4 April 1995 and 31 December 1998 must convert their qualifications before 1 September 2012,” he said.

“Both the SafeWork SA Help Centre and the High Risk Work Conversion Line have experienced a dramatic increase in calls over the last few months as the deadline nears.”

“The conversion process takes several weeks from application, so people should not leave this until the last minute or they may not be licensed to work from 1 September,” said Mr Russell.

The Licence can be used in any state of territory in the country and provides photo identification and lists all classes of high risk work that the holder is authorised to perform.

Workers with these qualifications that fall within the date range are advised to call the High Risk Work Conversion Line on 1300 975 909. Callers are required to have on hand their original card showing the qualifications they have, the date of issue and details of any other high risk work qualifications.

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11:28 am, Wednesday 11 July, 2012

WorkCover NSW is reminding workers who are qualified to operate high risk plant and equipment to review, and if needed, to renew their licences.

Workers operating a range of machinery including forklifts and cranes, and pressure equipment such as boilers and turbines are required to secure high risk work licences.

High risk work licences are also required for those carrying out scaffolding, rigging and dogging work.

WorkCover NSW Work Health and Safety Division General Manager, John Watson said that the changes were part of a national approach to uniform licensing and mobility across Australia.

“This is the final stage of the NSW transition, which began in 2006,” said Mr Watson.

“The incoming changes are going to be very beneficial to the thousands of people in NSW currently holding a high risk work licence.”

According to Mr Watson, two main changes will be introduced into the current system.

“The three different WorkCover high risk work licences will be combined into one easily recognisable card with a photo, expiry date, and information showing the type of high risk activity the holder is licensed to perform.

“Secondly, this new card will be recognised across all the states and territories.

“This is going to be beneficial across many industries where we see people moving interstate for short or long periods of work.

“It makes sense to have one licence recognised no matter where you work in Australia, rather than the present system where some licenses are only recognised in the state where they were issued.”

Mr Watson explained three ways to know if a licence needs to be replaced.

“If you received your licence before 1996, or if it doesn’t have an expiry date or photo ID, the licence will need to be replaced,” he said.

“Since 2006, WorkCover has been contacting licences holders via letter and advertising the changes through the media.

“Anyone unsure if their licence needs to be replaced should call WorkCover on 13 10 50, email us at contact@workcover.nsw.gov.au, or visit our website www.workcover.nsw.gov.au

“WorkCover will send you a renewal pack. You will then need to lodge an application form, a passport sized photo, proof of identity and pay a $60 fee for the new five year photo licence.

Licences must be renewed before 31 December 2012.

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10:54 am, Wednesday 20 June, 2012

Hon Russell Wortley
Photo: SA Government website

Industrial Relations Minister Russell Wortley reminded on Thursday all South Australians who are involved in high risk work to convert their qualifications to the new national Licence to Perform High Risk Work.

The new licensing system requires people with high risk work including those involving forklifts, cranes and hoists, scaffolding and pressure equipment, or people engaged in rigging and dogging work to convert to the new licence in a phased approach through to 2015, based on the issue date of their oldest qualification.

“We are currently in the second year of the five year conversion schedule,” said Minister Wortley.

“This means that anyone who holds an OHS Certification Australian Card, or a Notice of Satisfactory Assessment (NSA) for forklift operation, issued between 4 April 1995 and 31 December 1998 will need to convert their qualifications before 1 September 2012.

“Workers with qualifications in this date range who do not possess the new licence by September will no longer be able to legally undertake that type of work here in South Australia or interstate.

“The holder of a nationally recognised High Risk Work Licence can use their qualifications anywhere in Australia, saving them the inconvenience of having to meet the requirements of different states or territories.”

Workers with qualifications falling into the relevant category are advised to call the High Risk Work Conversion Line on 1300 975 909 for assistance in converting to the new national licence.

The process of converting to the new national licence takes several weeks from application. For a single fee, multiple qualifications can be converted simultaneously with all of them listed on the new photo licence.

Additional information about High Risk Work Licensing can be obtained through the SafeWork SA website or by calling the SafeWork SA Help Centre on 1300 365 255.

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06:24 pm, Tuesday 15 May, 2012

The National Standard for Licensing Persons performing High Risk Work (the Standard) was adopted in the Northern Territory on June 30, 2010. The Standard has created training, assessment and licensing of high risk work consistent across Australia to ensure safer workplaces. It aims to facilitate the operation of a nationally uniform, competency-based licensing system to provide portality between state and territories for persons performing certain types of high risk work.

In order to help workers who hold a national certificate of competency cards or ‘old style’ certificates or licences,  a five year transition period was put in place to give workers enough time to convert to the new licence.

Workers who hold an old licence issued from 1996 to 1998 have until 30 June 2012 to convert their licence.

Below are the transitional arrangements:

Two thousand eight hundred and eighty one workers have already converted their licence to the new High Risk Licence since the adoption of the Standard in 30 June 2010.

To be eligible to apply for a license, a worker must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Can use English at a level that enables the safe performance of high risk work
• Have the necessary knowledge and ability to safely perform the high risk work
• Demonstrate competency in the safe performance of high risk work under workplace conditions
• Have obtained the required training, assessment, experience and qualifications (to the satisfaction of a registered assessor)
• Apply to NTWS through the Territory Business Centre for a high risk work licence.

More information can be found at NT WorkSafe’s website.

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