Crane encompassment and high risk work
The Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (WHS Regulation) requires that you hold high risk work licences for certain types of work. This includes using particular:
- vehicle loading cranes
- non-slewing mobile cranes
- slewing mobile cranes.
Unit of competency
If you are applying for new licence and want to operate a vehicle loading crane with a capacity of 10 metre tonnes or more (CV), or a non-slewing mobile crane with a capacity exceeding 3 tonnes (CN), you can complete the two following national units of competency:
- TLILIC0012A Licence to operate a vehicle loading crane (capacity 10 metre tonnes and above)
- TLILIC3006A Licence to operate a non-slewing mobile crane (greater than 3 tonnes capacity).
Encompassment
Amendments to the WHS Regulation reinstated the encompassment arrangements that existed under the repealed workplace health and safety legislation.
This means if you hold slewing mobile crane licences you can, without holding these licences, operate a:
- vehicle loading cranes with a capacity of 10 metre tonnes or more (CV)
- non-slewing mobile cranes with a capacity exceeding 3 tonnes (CN)
- reach stacker (RS)
- If you operate in the CV class under such an encompassment, you cannot apply load estimation and slinging techniques (dog your own load).
This will apply to holders of high risk work licences issued under:
- the former Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 2008 while they are operating under that licence
- the WHS Regulation.
Particular licence classes to include other licence classes
The following provides the licence code, description and crane encompassments.
| Licence code | Description |
|---|---|
| CV | Vehicle loading crane with a capacity of 10 metre tonnes or more |
| CN | Non slewing mobile crane with a capacity exceeding 3 tonnes |
| RS | Reach stacker |
| CO | Slewing mobile crane with a capacity over 100 tonnes |
| C1 | Slewing mobile crane with a capacity of 100 tonnes or less |
| C6 | Slewing mobile crane with a capacity of 60 tonnes or less |
| C2 | Slewing mobile crane with a capacity of 20 tonnes or less |
Crane encompassments
- CO licence encompasses the CV, CN, RS, C2, C6 and C1 licences.
- C1 licence encompasses the CV, CN, RS, C2 and C6 licences.
- C6 licence encompasses the CV, CN, RS and C2 licences.
- C2 licence encompasses the CV, CN and RS licences.
In Queensland, until 31 December 2016, a person who holds a non-slewing mobile crane licence (CN) is also permitted to operate a reach stacker without holding an RS licence. From 1 January 2017, the RS high risk work (HRW) licence class must be held for the operation of a reach stacker and will no longer be encompassed in a CN licence. The RS licence will continue to be encompassed in CO, C1, C2 and C6 licences. Find out about transitional provisions.