What is a white card?

A white card is issued after taking the white card training, a binding course that anyone employed in the construction industry has to take.

This is an ID card that is provided by any Registered Training Organisation within Australia which confirms that you have undertaken the required training entitled ‘CPCCOHS1001A – Work safely in the construction industry’, prior to engaging in any construction work.

This is a stipulation as per the Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws of Australia.

This course entails the understanding and awareness of the following factors:

• Basic knowledge of construction work
• WHS laws related to the industry
• Common hazards that may occur in such an environment
• Precautions taken to eliminate any risk factors
• Actions to be taken in case of an accident
• General occupational health and safety understanding

This is a one day course taken from an accredited trainer, followed by a short assessment of what you’ve learnt. A temporary certificate is provided at the end of the course; however, you will receive your Australian white card by post.

A white card Australia is accepted throughout the country regardless of which state it was issued in. This is a standardised approach as previously, every state had its own version of the white card that came in different colors; green, red and blue depending on the state.

A PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking) is obliged by law to accept interstate cards. A PCBU includes a corporation, association, partnership, as well as an individual businessperson conducting the business as a sole-trader, or self-employed person.

Lastly, this also includes the Crown. This is regardless of the fact that whether the business is conducted for profit, or is non-profit in its nature.

However, you are not considered a PCBU if you are only involved in the business as a worker or an officer.

I will also define what is meant by the word ‘construction work’, so that it is clear that which individuals need to take the general induction training before starting or applying for work. This refers to any work related to:

• Renovation
• Demolition
• Dismantling
• Decommissioning or commissioning
• Construction
• Refurbishment
• Alteration
• Fitting out
• Conversion
• Repair or maintenance activities

The Registered Training Organisations are all listed in the National Register for the Vocational Education and Training sector’s website, for referral of anyone who is interested in taking the course.

Although the course does not have an expiry date, if a PCBU considers it necessary for you to take a refresher, they may ask you to do so.

This card is known by different names so don’t get confused. It is also referred to as an OH&S card, and is also known as green card, which was its former name as the card, used to be green in color.

Although cards issued before 1st July 2011 did not have a photograph of the trainee, they are still valid, and must be accepted at any site across Australia.

The construction industry is a progressive, high paying business sector that employs over 1 million workers.

To make it easy for future or current professionals to work on and oversee such projects, there are several building construction courses that award you with a diploma or a Certificate IV upon completion. These online building courses include Diploma of Building Design, Diploma of Building and Construction, Double Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building and Estimation) that will enhance your career as either of the following:

• Building inspector
• Building surveyor
• Construction project manager
• Project supervisor
• Estimator
• Builder etc.

How to get a white card?
As tough as it sounds, it’s actually quite easy to gain a white card, and if you cover the rudimentary facts you will be able to pass the course with flying colours. Furthermore, most states accept white cards from other states.

The following summary has been obtained from their official websites (you need to keep checking these websites to ensure that the requirements haven’t changed).

1. Western Australia accepts both blue and white cards.
2. Victoria accepts a construction induction card, or a red card, a construction statement of attainment, as well as any recognized proof of having attended a general induction training course. A ‘red card’ was formerly provided after completion of Victorian Construction Industry Basic Induction Course, which used to be held before 1st July 2008, however, the card is still considered valid and acceptable.
3. Tasmania accepts a current white card without requiring you to retake the same course in Tasmania.
4. New South Wales accepts the ‘blue card’ issued in Queensland, the ‘red card’ issued in Victoria, the ‘blue card’ issued in Western Australia, current OHS induction cards obtained between 1 September 2009 and 31 December 2011, former OHS induction training certificates issued from 29 March 2004 till 31 August 2009, as well as the NSW construction induction card.
5. Australian Capital Territory accepts white card issued in any other state,.
6. Queensland accepts white cards from every state as well as the blue cards that it formerly issued, which also changed to white card.
7. Northern Territory accepts white cards from all states
8. South Australia accepts cards from every state as well as its former green cards till they expire. After expiry, additional courses may be required to obtain the standard white card.

Also, if you are unable to attend the one day course, you can easily go for the online option from many organisations, which are acceptable at many states, like Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia.

Do make note, however, that Victoria, NSW, NT, South Australia and ACT do not consider an online training course as face to face training is mandatory.

So if you aim to work in any of these states, the online white card may not be such a good idea for you.

Don’t let these mind-boggling details deter you! Even if you cannot take an online course. Training sessions are held regularly across many locations to suit your convenience.

You can take white card online now through the following websites:

These online courses take 6 hrs or less to complete. You may also be able to leave the course midway and then start from the same place at your convenience.

Some of these do not even charge an advance payment, so there is no compulsion on you to finish the training.

White Card NSW

NSW requires the trainings to be face to face. Many RTOs provide daily OH&S white card NSW training at different locations, which lasts for about 7 hours.

These include the following:

RTO	Cost	Locations
TAFE NSW	$135 to $270 (depending on location)	Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Bourke, Coffs Harbor, Cooma, Coonabarabran, Cootamundra, Deniliquin, Dubbo, Finley, Griffith, Inverell, Leeton, Miller, Moree, Nirimba, Nowra, Queanbeyan, Tamworth, Ultimo, West Wyalong, Wollongbar, Wollongong, Young.
NSW White Card Training	$79	Sydney / Lidcombe / Brookvale
TCP Training	$110	Sydney / Lidcombe / Brookvale
Edway Training	$89 (online payment), $100 (payment at the door)	Sydney, Liverpool, Parramatta
Infront Staffing and Training	$89 (online Sydney), $79 (online Granville) $99 (in person)	Sydney CBD, Granville
Training Aid Australia	$110	Sydney, Lidcombe, Brookvale
Whitecard Training Australia	$107	Sydney
Accelerated Training	$120	Dapto

Before arriving for the training, bear in mind that there are 100 points of ID that you must achieve, which are a prerequisite before entering the classroom.

The breakup of the points is as follows:

Primary identification:
1. Australian birth certificate or birth card (original): 70
2. Current passport, or one that has expired within the last 2 years: 70
3. Australian citizenship certificate: 70

Secondary identification:
1. Drivers license: 40
2. Firearms license: 40
3. Boat Operator’s photo license: 40
4. State or territory proof of age/photo card: 40

All these must be current licenses.
5. Bank credit or ATM card: 25
6. Motor vehicle registration papers : 25
7. Property Lease Agreement: 25
8. Bank statement: 25
9. Utility bill: 25
10. Home insurance papers: 25
11. Medicare Card: 25
12. Centrelink Card: 25
13. Australian Defense/ Police photo ID card: 25
14. Motor vehicle insurance certificate: 25
15. Dept. of veterans affairs card: 25
16. Property rates notice: 25

You need to have current and valid Australian documents or cards with you. Furthermore, in case of two ATM or credit cards, or bank statements, ensure that these are from different banks, not the same.

The combination works in this way:

a. 1 primary document and any secondary document totaling 100 points
b. A combination of secondary documents to achieve this score.

Combined, these documents should furnish the organization with the following information about you:

1. Your date of birth
2. Your current residential address in NSW
3. Photograph
4. Sign

This is the only condition to be eligible for the test, otherwise there is no other requirement for you to fulfill to be a part of the general induction training.
Once again, please make note that all these documents should be original, as even certified copies will not be accepted.

Also, many registered training centers claim that their online course is acceptable across all States. However, it is best to confirm with the course provider whether or not the training will be acceptable by the construction employers in NSW.

A white card NSW online could be a good alternative if you don’t want to disrupt your daily work, or if the training centre is far off from your location. Here a few options you may consider for a white card online NSW.

• Aveling issues a Western Australia white card which it claims is also acceptable in NSW. It costs $65.
• White card online express course costs $38.90, and it needs an observer to witness that you’ve done the program and sign his/her name. Queensland and WA white cards are issued.
• Narbil Training also issues WA and Queensland white cards, which are acceptable in NSW, and costs $55.
• White card OZ issues Queensland white card for $79
• For $60, Best Training issues Western Australia white card.

So basically your card will be of other states but they may be recognized in NSW. You cannot acquire an NSW white card online.

Furthermore, if you haven’t worked for two years or more in the construction industry your card is no longer current, meaning that you have to retake the induction training.

Queensland White Card:

White card was previously known as the blue card in Queensland. As has already been mentioned, Queensland does not have very stringent requirement about taking the training in person or online.

As such, white card Queensland can be easily attained, since many online training centers issue it considering the WHS laws of the state.

The classroom training providers are numerous and as follows:

Organisation	Cost	Locations
Men at work training solutions	$80	Kunda Park
Major Training Group	$80	Yatala, Morayfield
TAFE Queensland	$80	Ingham, Cairns, Palm Island, Townsville Trade Training Centre
TAFE Gold Coast	$75	Ashmore

The same identification requirement of completing 100 points holds true for getting your white card QLD as well.

As for getting the white card online QLD, you can visit the following websites:

1. Issues Queensland card and costs $50
2. Queensland card costs $38.90
3. QLD card costs $49.
4. This online QLD card is priced at $55, with guarantee that your card will be sent to you within the next working day.
5. This is one of the cheapest options available, costing only $35, with no upfront pay. In fact, you don’t have to pay if you leave the course halfway through.
6. QLD card available at $49 only.
7. For $49, this is also a good option, as they promise to send your card within the next 24 hours.
8. Get your Queensland white card from winners of the Gladstone Observer Best in Business Awards for $55 only.
9. Get you Queensland white card for $79 now.
10. You can get your card for $55, but you may need to check if it is valid in NSW, Victoria, and SA.

Furthermore, as I’ve already mentioned that since interstate cards are acceptable pretty much everywhere, so you can also take the white cards supplied by other states.

This will not jeopardize your chances of working in Queensland as per Australian laws.

White Card South Australia

Amongst the multitudes of white card SA options available, you can try out both online and face to face choice, even though as I’ve mentioned before, this is yet another state which does have some sort of regulation or requirement asking you to take the course in person.

Many people prefer taking classroom type courses because they get more interaction with an accredited teacher, as well as fellow colleagues. Also, some people learn more in a class rather than studying independently.

What’s more, if you have any confusion, you can ask your trainer there and then for help clarifying the doubts.

If you are that type of a student, you can try the following places to receive your white card:

Organisation	Cost	Location
TAFE SA	$105	Elizabeth, Mount Gambier, Tonsley, Murray Bridge
MTC Training	$105	Marcellin Technical College
White card Adelaide from Access Training Centre	$100	Dudley Park, Port Augusta

If you want to try out other places for white card training Adelaide, do check out the following:

• Construction Industry Training Centre: for $100, you can go for trainings held in Regency Park, Mount Gambier and Naracoorte. Courses start at 8:00 am and are frequently held throughout the week. It costs $100 to get to that white card which is your destination.
• ACMT (Australian Civil and Mining Training): Their offices are at Todd Street, and you can call on 08 8240 5523 to get more details. This course takes 6 hours to complete, which is the standard.
• Adelaide Training and Employment Centre: You can take your course at either Ottoway or Lonsdale and costs $115. There is no prerequisite for this course.

However, if you are too busy in work and cannot spare one whole day for taking the training, you can take your white card online SA.

For that, do refer to the websites:

• You don’t even need to be online as you can simply download the book and then email or post back the short assessment back to the training providers. The cost is $70.
• You will be issued with a Queensland white card.

Please note that these websites will not provide you with SA white cards, but other state’s cards, so do check with the training provider if that is okay within your state.

Many people prefer an online course from any other state in contrast to a face-to-face course in their state, due to cost and time saving, and convenience of doing the course from home.

White Card Victoria

Victoria is yet another state which is not as open about accepting an online training; on the other hand some RTOs do claim that their training, even if it’s online is acceptable. But let’s first take a look at some of the classroom courses that are available in Victoria in general, and Melbourne in particular.

• BCM (Building, Construction, and Mining) Training Australia has their offices in Collins Street and Peels Street in Melbourne. Their 6 hour course will cost you around $120. You can book the course online also.
• Edway Training holds their courses at 3 locations: Melbourne, Sunshine and Hallam. If you pay at your door you’ll have to pay $130, however, you can save money by booking online, in which case you only pay $120. You need to make sure that you arrive 15 minutes before the class starts and you won’t be allowed to enter if you come after half an hour from the stated time. This course also lasts about 6 hours.
• MEGT Institute also offers the induction course in Melbourne at the MEGT Trade Skills Centre. It is held once every month at the cost of $60. It is a good choice for your white card Melbourne.
• White card training Melbourne can also be had at CFMEU Construction. Once you have filled and submitted an application form for $150, you are informed about your date. The slight leverage here is that from the time of booking you can work supervised at any site till 28 days, if you carry your pink card with you, which you get upon paying the fee. What’s more, you can work unsupervised at a site, for 60 days upon receipt of your statement of attainment. Once you get the white card from Work Safe, you’ll be free of worries as it has no expiry date. Their offices are in Carlton, suburban Melbourne, Victoria.
• All Skills Services also offers the induction training which is valid not just in Victoria but across all states in Australia. You just need to have fluency in English and you will be tested initially via a Language, Literacy and Numeracy test, to make certain that you are capable of taking the training. This training from a qualified assessor is held throughout the year and is a mixture of theory imparted in the classroom, practical lessons, as well as group discussions. This is followed by a written assessment and the total time is about 6+ hours. The one day training takes place at Bundoora and costs $180, paid at the time of booking. You can contact on their phone number 1300 368 024 to book the training.

As for the online trainings, there are many websites that claim their courses are acceptable in Victoria. You can check out the services offered by the following:

1. Aveling
2. Eclipse Education
3. Best Training

Please confirm this with the trainers, or even better, with Work Safe Victoria for any exceptions they might make.

White Card Western Australia:

This is one another place where you can take the online course and obtain their white card, without worrying whether or not it will be acceptable.

Western Australia online white card course options are as follows:

Organisation	Cost
Eclipse Education	$65
Best Training	$60
Australia White Card	$49
Aveling	$65
Paragon Corporate Training	$75

To get a white card Perth, you can opt for Paragon Corporate Training, where for $75 you can take a classroom course at their address listed here: C4, 58 Newcastle Street
Perth WA 6000.

Again, this supersedes the former blue card; however, their white card is not adequate to meet the requirements in the state of NSW.

White Card Tasmania

The next state on our list is Tasmania, and we finally have another state that goes easy on the online training takers. The white card here was previously known as the ‘green card’. It’s a blessing that they finally consolidated all the state cards into a single white card, as otherwise we would all be confused!

There are lots of online courses Tasmania available in this state for obtaining your white card.

Do try one of the following:

Organisation	Cost	Contact
Aveling	$65	Course Enquiries & Accounts: Phone: +61 (08) 9379 9999 Fax: +61 (08) 9379 9888;
Blue Dog Training	$80 (after completion)	Phone: 1300 133 622 Fax: (07) 3166 3951
Train Online	$65	Phone :1300 400 007 Fax: (07) 3041 6543
White card EDU	$67	White Card EDU National Customer Support Phone Number: 1300 362 226 All other enquiries: 07 3118 6161 Postal Address: PO Box 575 SPRING HILL QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA 4004
Eclipse Education	$65	Address: 50-58 Moorabool St., Geelong Phone: (03) 9005 5981
Edway Training	$65	Phone: 1300 663 350 Head Office: Level 1, Westfield Towers,100 William St., SYDNEY, NSW 2000 Phone: 02 9357 6544 Fax: 02 9687 8490 Email: info@edway.com.au

One of the cost benefits of online training is that you can save travel expenses as well as time. If you are looking for white card Hobart, Master Builders Tasmania are offering classroom courses on the first Tuesday every month at three different locations at their offices in North West, North and South, which includes a 6 hour course delivery (face to face) and a 1 hour assessment session.

The charges are $190 for the course and $100 for the assessment.

Their office in Hobart is located at: Ingomar House, 34 Patrick Street, HOBART 7000.

TAFE Tasmania also delivers courses in Hobart, costing $165 for the training and $70 for the assessment. The courses are held in 3 campuses:

1. Their Clarence Campus is situated on Hobart’s Eastern Shore and happens to be one of the largest campuses in southern Tasmania.
2. The Alanvale Campus is based in the suburb of Newnham, in northern Tasmania, and is also one of their larger campuses.
3. Another campus is located at 13 Wellington Street, South Burnie.

So you have the freedom to choose what suits you best; an online course at your own pace or a classroom course under the supervision and guidance of a qualified teacher/trainer.

Lost your card? What to do now!

White card replacement is almost as tedious as replacing your passport. Not! Actually it is quite a simple process.

• If you possessed a Western Australia white card, access their database at to find out the name of the RTO that issued your card. You can then contact them and they will issue a replacement. They may also charge an additional fee for this purpose.
• Similar process applies in Queensland. If the RTO that you took training with is not in business anymore, you can show your statement of attainment to another RTO to furnish you with the card. You can access your records by contacting the Training Services at 1300 369 935.
• If you had an NSW white card, you can acquire it from WorkCover NSW by calling 13 10 50. You can fill out the replacement form at their website to receive the white card at the following website:
• In Victoria, contact the RTO about your lost card. Work Safe also replaces your white card upon provision of the statement of attainment, for which you can contact their licensing department at 1300 852 562 or email them on the following address: licensing@worksafe.vic.gov.au
• For those having a Tasmanian white card, you have to fill the application form available at the WorkSafe Tasmania website, and forward it to the Department of Justice with an application fee of $10.36. For further queries, you can phone them on 1300 366 322. You can fax them on 03 6233 8338. The postal address is as follows: Department of Justice, WorkSafe Tasmania, PO Box 56, Rosny Park, TAS 7018.
• In South Australia, the procedure is to contact the RTO which may charge you a fee and issue the latest white card (with picture) to you. WorkSafe SA does not keep the database of all the people taking the training. Individual RTOs maintain their own database.
• In ACT, you will have to pay $35 to recover your lost card to WorkSafe ACT. In order to make the application in person, you can go to the Office of Regulatory Services at 255 Canberra Ave Fyshwick. The upside of this is that you will have your replacement on spot, provided that you come with proper identification and the fee. You can also mail the form to Office of Regulatory Services at GPO Box 158, Canberra ACT 2601.
• In NT, the RTO will issue the lost card; the cost for printing will be $5, although other costs may apply.
  So, you see that replacing your white card is not such a big deal or hassle. However, it is a costly process, depending upon the state, and may be time consuming. The risks of not carrying a white card at work are great, and therefore it is advisable that you keep them with yourself and at a safe place at all times.

Conclusion

A white card is a great thing to have; not just in terms of the career opportunities that it opens, but also because the knowledge gained in the process is crucial to you and your colleagues’ safety at the workplace. It goes a great way in minimising the risks at a site by ensuring that the employees have at least the self-sufficiency of having the basic knowledge to prevent any accidents or injury, or to take adequate actions to mitigate the risks, or contain an accident in the event that it occurs.

Furthermore, instead of the different cards issued by various states, this is a consolidated learning process that is more or less equal in all states. This results in a standardised approach towards dealing with the risk or potential of hazard in the construction industry.
If this isn’t incentive enough for you to apply for a whit card, the penalty for not carrying one should be enough.

There is a strict fine for working at site without having a white card, for both the offender and the company that employed them.

The fine for working in all states without taking the induction training is a whopping $11,000 in NSW and also results in a 100 penalty points for the employer, while for the employee it would be $3000. Similar laws apply for different states also.

There are also methods and policies in place to charge an on the spot fine in ACT if there are any OHS related breaches. Anything that places a person at the risk of being injured, ill or even dies is considered a safety breach. Similarly if you did not take any steps to mitigate the existing risks or failed to comply with any regulatory sanction or requirement, be prepared to pay hefty fines of as much as $3600 for the company and $720 for the individual.

White cards go a long way in ensuring that everyone is aware of the safety risks and takes adequate measures, and it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that every employee of theirs has had the training.

ACT has highest injury rate as compared to the national average which is also one of the reasons why such steps have been taken. And there will be serious fines for not carrying a white card and for the company allowing it also.

Moreover, it’s not simply about avoiding fines and following laws, rather it is about your own safety, so you should not take this matter lightly. Government data from last year reveals that 19 fatalities were caused in the construction industry last year, and it had the sixth highest fatality rate (1.85 per 100,000 workers). In 2010, this figure was 4 out of 100,000.

The reason most cited for deaths in this industry is falling from a height, followed by collision from a vehicle and contact with electricity.

The highest number of casualties was in NSW and Queensland; however, this is because they have the highest number of workers also. If we go by the rate, it’s actually NT and Tasmania that have a dismal record, as their fatality rates (8.31 and 6.30 per 100,000 respectively) are twice more than the national average.

The intention of highlighting these disquieting facts is not to deter anyone from working in this industry, but to highlight the importance of seeking work with proper knowledge and awareness, and to ward off any potential of these incidents.

The construction industry is one of the 5 priority industries that are being closely scrutinized in terms of health and safety.

Similarly, if we view this topic in light of enhancing and preserving our quality of life, we see that the construction industry in the year 2010-11 recorded about 11,285 injuries and musculoskeletal disorders and 1700 diseases, which are one of the highest amongst all the industries.

The incidence rate of 17.8 per 1000 employees is again significantly above the national average of 12.2 per 1000 employees.

Nonetheless, every industry has its pros and cons. The good news is that this industry has shown the greatest reduction in the incidence rates compared to the remaining priority industries, so the future is seems quite bright for the construction workers in terms of workplace risks.

Furthermore, job prospects are not too bad either. Although engineering construction expenditure will go down till 2020, residential building expenditure will increase, in large part due to the rise in population, and will keep growing at a rate of 2.3% per annum in the years to follow. NSW and QLD seem to have a boom in this area, and others are also in tow.

In a similar vein, non-residential building expenditure will also show moderate growth overall. These statistics seem promising in terms of job opportunities in the time to come.

This is what the future has in store. Now if we look at trends from the past, we see that in the 5 year span leading up to November 2012, there was a 3.3% rise in the number of jobs available in this field, and it is one of the five biggest industries in Australia by workforce also. The projection for the next five years (till 2017) was a rise of 10.1%.

You can work in so many types of industries within the construction sector, and in so many capacities: a contractor, site supervisor, project manager, site manager, an apprentice, really the opportunities are endless.

If you have been able to wrap your head around these facts and figures, you will surely be able to pass the induction training as well, and gain the coveted white card which is your key to unlocking these immense opportunities in one of Australia’s biggest industries.