Edition 56, May 2008

Moving towards national consistency in construction induction training



In a significant move towards national consistency of construction induction training, WorkSafe Victoria has mandated the National Code of Practice for Induction for Construction Work.

The decision means that all Australian jurisdictions have now delivered on this commitment to nationally consistent induction training for construction work.

The National Code of Practice for Induction for Construction Work was declared by the Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC) in July 2007, with ASCC members committed to having nationally consistent induction training by 1 July 2008.

The code provides guidance on the recommended induction training required to ensure construction workers gain awareness and understanding of common hazards on construction sites and how they should be managed. It is relevant for all people involved in construction work.

It will benefit the Australian economy as it replaces a multitude of state systems currently in operation with a single national approach.

Under the code, the general induction training will consist of the knowledge and skills described in the unit of competency Work safely in the construction industry which is from the General Construction Training Package (BCG03). The training will also include a range of health and safety topics.

The code states that training should be delivered under the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) by a registered training organisation (RTO) with the relevant scope of registration. The RTO needs to ensure that the training is delivered by a competent person who:

  • holds a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment from the Training and Assessment Training Package (TAA04), or is able to demonstrate equivalent competencies
  • has vocational competencies relevant to the construction industry.

General induction is a structured training course that has a nominal duration of 6 hours face-to-face delivery. This can be extended, where necessary, to accommodate learning preferences or special learning needs. The assessment will require the demonstration of all the elements of induction training as specified in the unit of competency. The RTO should use a range of assessment tools to suit the needs and preferences of the learners.

More detailed information to advise registered training organisations on structuring the general induction course and developing an assessment instrument to ensure consistency in the learning outcomes will be available in the Construction OHS Induction Training Implementation Guide. The guide is currently under development by the Construction and Property Services Industry Skills Council.

The National Code of Practice for Induction for Construction Work is part of a package of occupational health and safety material in support of the National Standard for Construction Work.

For more information on the National Code of Practice for Induction for Construction Work visit www.ascc.gov.au/ascc/AboutUs/Publications/NationalStandards/NationalCodeofPracticeforInductionforConstructionWork.htm

This page was generated on 26 August, 2009

Tag cloud Tags: construction induction. Click here to view the tag cloud.