• Frequently asked questions
• News
• Topics
  • Duties
  • Consultation
  • Work health and safety incident notification
  • Licensing and registrations
  • Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN)
  • Penalties
  • Inspector powers
  • General risk and workplace management
  • Hazardous work
  • Plant and structures
  • Construction work
  • Hazardous chemicals
  • Asbestos
  • Major hazard facilities
  • National compliance and enforcement policy
  • Workplace Health and Safety Officer
  • Health and safety representatives
  • Safety in Recreational Water Activities Act 2011
  • Volunteers
• Resources
• Legislation
  • How the new laws came about
  • Understanding the WHS Act 2011
  • Codes of practice

Print-friendly page

Licensing and registrations

• High risk work
• Earthmoving and particular cranes
• Asbestos removal work
• Demolition
• Registration of plant
• Registration of plant design
• Construction induction

High risk work

High Risk Work (HRW) licences will continue to be licensed under current arrangements (photographic and renewable).

There are two key changes proposed:

• the inclusion of a new class of HRW licence for reach stackers
• a collapsing down of the existing boiler classes from three to two levels (standard and advanced).

The first renewal cycle for Queensland high risk work licences will occur from 1 July 2013.

View the fact sheet Licence to perform high risk work (PDF, 493 kB) for more information.

Forklift licensing in the rural industry

The current exemption that applies to high risk work (HRW) licensing for the rural industry, including forklifts, ceases on 1 January 2012 with the commencement of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

Find out more about licensing in the rural industry (PDF, 334 kB).

Crane encompassment and high risk work licences

Following consultation with work health and safety regulators in other jurisdictions, it has been determined that certain crane encompassment arrangements that existed under the former workplace health and safety legislation will be maintained.

Find out more about crane encompassment and high risk work licences (LG-HRW1) (PDF, 149 kB).

Earthmoving and particular cranes

Classes currently licensed in Queensland under the category of earthmoving or particular crane (EPC) will no longer be licensed under the new laws when they commence on 1 January 2012. Queensland will continue to facilitate and promote competency based training and assessment for these occupations.

The classes currently licensed in Queensland are:

• Bridge and gantry crane (remote control only)
• Dozer
• Excavator having an engine capacity of more than 2L
• Front-end loader having an engine capacity of more than 2L
• Front-end loader or backhoe having an engine capacity of more than 2L
• Grader
• Road roller having an engine capacity of more than 2L
• Skid steer loader having an engine capacity or more than 2L
• Scraper.

WHSQ will waive fees for new EPC applications where the date of the assessment is on or after 1 July 2011.

View the fact sheet Licensing for earthmoving or particular crane (EPC) occupational classes (PDF, 62 kB) for more information

Asbestos removal work

New licence category

A new licence category for asbestos assessors is proposed under the model WHS Regulations. It is proposed that an asbestos assessor carry our air monitoring, clearance inspections and issuing of clearance certificates for friable asbestos removal.

'A' class certificates

The model Regulation also proposes a requirement for 'A' class licence holders for removal of friable asbestos to have a certified safety management system which complies with AS4801:2001 (OHS Management Systems) or an equivalent system determined by Safe Work Australia.

Changes to asbestos 'B' class certificates

Persons removing 10 square metres or more of bonded asbestos must hold a 'B' class certificate (or bonded asbestos removal certificate). Under the model WHS Regulations these licences will be held by a business rather than an individual. Workers engaged in work to remove more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos containing material will be required to hold a qualification in the relevant unit of competency. The competency unit is currently being developed nationally.

Asbestos transitional arrangements

View the fact sheet Asbestos transitional arrangements (PDF, 131 kB) for provisions under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011.

Demolition

Demolition licensing laws will be contained within the harmonised new legislation at least until 2013 when the National Occupational Licensing System (NOLS) is finalised. In Queensland there will be only one type of demolition licence. Existing licence holders will be required to apply directly to WHSQ to have a new licence issued upon expiry of their existing licence.

Changes under the new WHS laws require demolition work to be carried out under licence by a business or undertaking and must include at least one nominated competent person appointed to supervise demolition work. Both the applicant and nominated supervisor must meet eligibility criteria and obtain approval from WHSQ to perform demolition work.

WHS regulations require prior notification of demolition work five days prior to the work being carried out.

Demolition information papers

A licence to carry out demolition work is held by a business or undertaking carrying out certain demolition work.

The Information Paper D1 (PDF, 122 kB) sets out the approved criteria an applicant must satisfy before applying for a licence to carry out demolition work.

The holder of this licence must ensure that a nominated competent person (who meets the criteria set out in Information Paper D2 (PDF, 121 kB)) is present or readily available to a worker carrying out demolition work.

The Information Paper D2 (PDF, 121 kB) states the competencies a person must have to be regarded as competent to supervise demolition work.

Registration of plant

View our webpage on plant and structures, registrable plant and plant design.

Registration of plant design

View our webpage on plant and structures, registrable plant and plant design.

Construction induction

There are no significant changes proposed to the training requirements for construction induction.

There is still a requirement for general construction induction (white card or a previous blue card).

The card will remain valid while that person is doing construction work. However, if that person leaves the construction industry for a consecutive period of two years they will have to resit the general construction induction training course.

Top