Edition 52, November/December 2007

Reminder on compulsory training for WA construction industry

WorkSafe has issued a reminder to workers in the Western Australian construction industry that they must hold a new Construction Safety Awareness Card by the end of 2007.

Construction workers who do not have a card by then will not be able to work in the industry until they have one.

Workers were required to complete an accredited safety awareness training program by January 1, 2007. However, workers who already held an induction card (for instance, a green card) had their cards recognised as valid through to January 1, 2008, giving them an extra 12 months in which to update their training.

As from January 1, 2008, the old green cards will expire and every worker in the construction industry will have to hold the new Construction Safety Awareness Card if they wish to work in the industry.

Throughout 2007, it has been illegal for anyone to work in the construction industry without holding a green card or having done the training, and it has been illegal for an employer to employ any worker who had not undergone accredited safety training

The training required for the new card does not take the place of worksite-specific or task-specific training, which an employer still needs to provide in order to fulfill their duty of care to provide a safe workplace.

The amendment to the occupational safety and health regulations that made the new card compulsory actually came into effect in July 2005, but the industry was given a long lead-in period in which to complete the training.

WorkSafe has issued around 180,000 Construction Safety Awareness Cards to date.

For more information visit www.worksafe.wa.gov.au or phone WorkSafe on (08) 9327 8777

This page was generated on 18 February, 2010