Edition 19, November 2003

Licensing line national project - update

Release of report Road to transition - Improved pathway for operator certification

The report is now available. The report documents the findings of the Transition Working Group on integrating licensing requirements within the vocational education and training system.

As advised in the last edition of this newsletter, the executive summary from the consultation paper is included below.

Executive Summary

Training and safety authorities and their key stakeholders have been working collaboratively at various stages since 1992 to align their assessment systems as closely as possible.

In the last two years a number of opportunities have arisen to cement this partnership and integrate occupational heath and safety competency standards and assessment guidelines within the vocational education and training systems. Accordingly, in order to examine the options for integrating the NOHSC:7019 licensing standard a joint Australian National Training Authority/National Occupational Health and Safety Commission Transition Working Group was established with key stakeholders. As a result of identifying similar issues for another related licensing standard it was decided to include NOHSC:1006 as part of the consultation process.

Ultimately the objective of the working group has been to examine issues relating to the provision of a one-stop shop approach for stakeholders within the vocational education and training system and that addresses safety training requirements and provides nationally consistent outcomes.

At present the certification system does not recognise training packages for the purposes of obtaining a Certificate of Competency. Therefore two separate systems are assessing competency in similar areas. Whilst a number of transitional arrangements may need to be established the future pathway envisages training and assessment in the vocational education and training system recognised for the purposes of licensing as well as to address broader industry training and assessment requirements.

Accordingly the purpose of the consultation paper is to obtain stakeholder feedback on the findings of the Transition Working Group. The feedback received will be considered by the Transition Working Group before finalising its recommendations for the consideration of the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission and the Australian National Training Authority.

The key risks that have been identified have been grouped into the following five broad groupings:

  • ineffective stakeholder communication;
  • ineffective management of the transition period;
  • quality and integrity of the assessment process in meeting the requirements of occupational health and safety jurisdictions;
  • the likelihood of a vocational training product meeting the requirement sof the licensing authority;
  • occupational health and safety legislation being amended to recgonise a statement of attainment from a registered training organisation.

A model for transition has been developed which builds strongly on partnerships between training and safety authorities. A strong focus on strategic audits will be encouraged and supported by a national transition and monitoring reference group.

A copy of the consultation paper and draft report can be downloaded from www.training.qld.gov.au/trainingpackages/licenceissue.htm

If you would like more information you are invited to attend one the upcoming forums in your jurisdiction. Details on the forums were sent out in a special edition of Licensing Line News circulated late October and are also included in this edition under - What's happening?

Licence classes covered by NOHSC:7019 (1992) National Guidelines for Occupational Health and Safety Competency Standards for the Operation of Loadshifting Equipment and Other Types of Equipment and NOHSC:1006 (2001) National Occupational Health and Safety Certification Standard for Users and Operators of Industrial Equipment.

NOHSC:7019 (1992) covers the following licence classes:

Loadshifting equipment

  • Cableway/flying fox;
  • Front-end loader/backhoe;
  • Front-end loader;
  • Front-end loader of the skid steer type;
  • Excavator;
  • Dragline;
  • Order-picking fork lift truck;
  • Dozer (wheeled and tracked);
  • Graders (Queensland licence only);
  • Rollers (Queensland licence only);
  • Scrapers (Queensland licence only).

Specified cranes

  • Bridge and gantry cranes (remote operation only);
  • Vehicle loading cranes (less than 10 metre tonne capacity);
  • Non-slewing, non-articulating mobile cranes (not exceeding three tonnes capacity).

Miscellaneous

  • Concrete placing booms (other than mobile truck mounted with knuckle boom capable of power operation of slewing and luffing).

Pressure Equipment

  • Refrigeration plant operation.

NOHSC:1006 (2001) covers the following licence classes:

Scaffolding and Rigging

  • Basic, intermediate, advanced scaffolding;
  • Basic, intermediate, advanced rigging;
  • Dogging.

Crane

  • Tower cranes;
  • Derrick cranes;
  • Portal boom cranes;
  • Bridge and gantry cranes;
  • Vehicle loading cranes;
  • Non-slewing mobile cranes (greater than three tonne capacity);
  • Slewing mobile cranes (up to 20 tones);
  • Slewing mobile cranes (up to 60 tonnes);
  • Slewing mobile cranes (up to 100 tonnes);
  • Slewing mobile cranes (open/over 100 tonnes);
  • Boom type elevating work platforms (boom length 11 meters or more).

Hoists

  • Material hoists (cantilever platforms);
  • Hoists (personnel and materials).

Miscellaneous

  • Concrete placing booms.

Pressure Equipment

  • Basic, intermediate, advanced boiler;
  • Turbine operation;
  • Reciprocating steam engine.

Licensing line forum - established for Road to Transition - Improved pathway for operator certification

As part of the consultation process for the transition working group report a forum has been established to assist in exchanging ideas amongst stakeholders. In addition questions can be posted to the forum for clarification by the project team.

The forum is on the EDNA website and the address for the forum is www//forum.edna.edu.au/event.asp?Id=8627

New users on the EDNA website will need to register to participate in forum discussions.

It should be noted that written submissions from stakeholders will still need to be submitted separately to ensure that the transition working group has access to a wide range of feedback.

This page was generated on 26 August, 2009