What will the White Card course teach me?

What will a White Card course teach me?

Who needs a White Card?

A White Card course is a safety induction course required to enter construction sites in Australia. It is not just applicable to tradies, as anyone simply entering the construction site will need it. This can include managers, HR, and even CEO's.

It should be noted that this rule has very few exceptions, as even qualified overseas workers with plenty of construction experience will need a White Card to enter construction sites in Australia. This is to ensure that everyone is aware of procedures, signs, PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), control measures, fire extinguisher commonly used etc. that apply to Australian construction sites.

Are all White Cards the same?

Yes and no. Each State has their own White Cards, but they are nationally recognised. What that means is that a QLD White Card will look different than a NSW White Card, and that the course content might vary slightly, as each State has its own Health and Safety Act. But at the end of the day, a Victorian White Card will allow you to enter construction sites in all of Australia for example.

Queensland White Card

So, what will a White Card course actually teach me?

A White Card course will touch on many aspects of safety training, and each RTO (Registered Training Organisation) will have slightly different content or methods of teaching. But all RTOs need to cover everything outlined by ASQA (Australian Skills Quality Authority, a government body) under the CPCCWHS1001 unit of competency requirements.

If it had to be categorised, these would be the major categories (non-exhaustive list)

• Stakeholders & duty of care on construction sites
• Legislative requirements
• Risk management process
• First aid
• Common Hazards
• PPE
• Hierarchy of risk control
• Fires and fire extinguishers
• Signs & tags

Let's have a look at a concrete example: hierarchy of risk control.

1. Elimination: setting out to eliminate a hazard from the offset, i.e. through the planning and implementation process, will be easier than revising plans to incorporate control measures.
2. Substitution: replacing the hazard with a safer option
3. Isolation: physically separate the hazard from people by placing barriers around a trip hazard
4. Engineering: an engineering control is a control measure that is physical in nature, including a mechanical device or process. For example, use mechanical devices such as trolleys or hoists to move heavy loads
5. Administrative controls: good housekeeping policies, shift rotations and modifying cutting sequences
6. PPE

If you need to procure PPE for yourself or an employee, I have written a guide on where to get PPE and how much it costs.

Verbal component of the White Card course

In addition to the above, the course will contain a verbal component, where the assessor will ask questions and assess the learner. For example, on outdoor construction sites, learners should be able to know:

• Who they should speak to regarding safety instructions
• What additional safety instructions exist for working safely outdoors
• When are the recommended times for working outdoors
• Where are the sunshades or sun protective clothing located
• Why is it important to avoid exposure to UV radiation

Where can I complete my White Card course?

As mentioned above, the White Card course is delivered by RTOs all over Australia. If you are looking to complete your White Card course, Tradie Training has a White Card course Gold Coast office and a White Card course Brisbane south office, where our qualified trainer and assessors deliver the White Card face-to-face.

Can I do my White Card online?

This is a commonly asked question for one simple reason: Most Australians have done their White Card online in the past. However, in 2019 the rules changed and RTOs are not allowed to deliver White Card training online anymore to anyone living within 100km of a face-to-face White Card provider. So unless you live in a really remote location, you'll have to complete your White Card face-to-face. If someone is telling you to simply do it online as they did, chances are they did their White Card prior to 2019 and are not informed on this new requirement.

Registered Training Organisations

The training must be completed with a registered training organisation, or RTO for short. RTOs are regulated by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).

Here is how ASQA describe themselves:

We register training providers and accredit VET courses to ensure nationally approved standards are met

They maintain a register of all training organisations and their scope of training, or which courses & units of competencies they are allowed to deliver.

For example, here is Tradie Training's scope of training containing the White Card course.

In addition to being registered with ASQA, RTOs in Queensland must be licensed by WorkSafe Queensland in order to issue White Cards on their behalf.