What is a white card?
A White Card is a certification required by the government to work within the construction industry in Australia. Having a white card demonstrates that a person has been trained in the basics of healthy and safety for construction sites.
What does the white card training consist of?
A construction induction course consists of one unit of learning: CPCWHS1001 – Prepare to work safely in the construction industry.
The training for a White Card is quite comprehensive and covers topics such as:
- How to identify risks and communicate construction hazards to others
- How to use personal protective equipment (PPE) such as hard hats and protective glasses
- How to respond to incidents and emergencies
- The applicable construction legislation for health and safety
State and territory differences
There are differences in how white card training is provided in each state or territory across Australia.
Some states/territories will allow online training, while others will require face-to-face learning with a minimum amount of training hours.
To find more information and the requirements for your state or territory, you can visit the websites below:
Western Australia
https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/worksafe/construction-induction-training
Australian Capital Territory
Northern Territory
https://worksafe.nt.gov.au/licensing-and-registration/white-card
Where can I get my white card training?
Training must be delivered to you by a government-approved registered training organisation (RTO).
Keep on the lookout for the non-accredited and cheaper providers that are there to waste your time, take your money and not deliver much else!
So, make sure to confirm the RTO status with your provider by getting their RTO number or double check they are listed on your state/territory government’s approved training providers list.
Each RTO provider has a number that they can provide to you which can usually be found on the footer of their website.
You can check the status of the RTO and whether they are ‘current’ by going to https://training.gov.au/Search and searching with the RTO number.
How do I apply for my white card?
How you apply and receive your white card after completing your training will also depend on which state/territory you reside in.
- New South Wales: Your RTO will provide an application to apply for a new card and can provide a valid temporary statement that can be used in place of the white card until the white card is issued.
- Victoria: Your RTO training provider will provide your new card to you when you complete the course.
- Queensland: Your RTO training provider will provide your induction training card (white card) to you when you complete the course.
- Western Australia: Your RTO provider will issue your new card to you when you complete the training.
- South Australia: Your RTO provider will issue your new card to you when you complete the training.
- Tasmania: Once training is completed, you must fill out an application form and submit your statement of attainment (CPCWHS1001) to a Service Tasmania outlet.
- Northern Territory: Once training is completed you can apply online.
- Australian Capital Territory: Once training is completed you can apply online at Access Canberra.
