High risk work licences and registered training organisations
Training for high risk work (HRW) licences is undertaken by registered training organisations (RTOs).
Assessment for HRW licences is undertaken by accredited assessors approved by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.
Assessment must be carried out by accredited assessors under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011.
RTOs are responsible for all quality assurance requirements for the delivery of training and assessment under the Vocational Education and Training (VET) framework. Licences are issued as a result of the applicant being assessed and deemed competent by an accredited assessor.
The responsibility of an RTO is to:
- gain scope of registration for national training packages for the relevant classes of HRW. This includes meeting the requirements of the national training package to provide training with staff, facilities, equipment and training materials
- provide:
- the training in accordance with the relevant unit of competency to applicants
- guidance on obtaining practical experience (under the supervision of a suitably licensed person) also known as 'on the job' learning
- determine that an applicant is ready for assessment based on completion of their training plan or other evidence that determines that the applicant is ready to undertake the mandated assessment (e.g. training record, confirmation of enrolment, notice of readiness of HRW licence assessment) and discussion with the workplace and/or supervisor
- award a statement of attainment to satisfy the requirements of the training regulator (Australian Skills Quality Authority). The statement of attainment is awarded based on a satisfactory theory and practical assessment of the competency conducted by the accredited assessor.
When conducting assessments, the accredited assessor must:
- comply with the requirements set out in the relevant unit of competency documents and the national assessment instruments issued by Safe Work Australia
- comply with the Conditions of accreditation document for assessors for high risk work classes (PDF, 0.47 MB)
- notify WHSQ and the RTO of the assessment to be conducted
- notify WHSQ and the RTO of the result of the assessment
- retain records of the assessment.
The RTO is responsible for issuing a statement of attainment. This requires an accredited assessor to undertake an assessment, using the mandatory assessment instrument.
Once the assessor advises the RTO that the person has satisfactorily completed the required assessment tools, the standard RTO quality procedures are used to confirm overall competency. The RTO will then issue the statement of attainment.
Assessors are accredited under the WHS Regulation to undertake the assessments for the purposes of ensuring a person is competent to be issued with a licence. Both the RTO and accredited assessor have a responsibility to ensure that training and assessment occurs in accordance with their regulatory duties.
Each party must remain informed of the others' process and ensure there are no gaps so that every trainee assessed as competent receives their licence and a valid statement of attainment.
The conditions of accreditation document for assessors for high risk work classes (PDF, 0.47 MB) has been amended to support this approach. The assessor is required to:
- obtain written evidence and advice from the RTO that an applicant is deemed ready for assessment
- notify the RTO (in addition to WHSQ) of both an initial assessment and the results of a completed assessment for a HRW licence
- provide the knowledge assessment, performance assessment and calculations assessment (or copies of) to the RTO to ensure that the RTO is able to meet its obligations for compliance with the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (NVR) standards for registered training organisations.