The amount of training available to those starting out in the building, construction and related industries can seem overwhelming at first. Here are the top three training courses you should complete when starting out.
Staying safe at work should be everyone’s number one priority. Before deadlines, before even just getting it done, the focus should be on everyone involved going home safely at the end of the day.
One aspect of making sure people safely go about their work is training.
At Height Safety Engineers, we believe safety is an ongoing commitment to improving skills and improving work practices to make every worker’s day on the job one that ends with a relaxing night’s sleep in bed. Not in an ambulance racing towards the nearest hospital.
Everyone’s safety journey needs to start somewhere and here are our top three training courses every person working in the building and construction industry should undertake.
1 – The White Card
The white card’s formal name is CPCCWHS1001 Prepare to Work Safely in the Construction Industry. Those who have been around the traps in New South Wales might remember this one as the Green Card.
Holding this card is mandatory for work in the construction industry. It is required that all workers hold a white card whether they be the youngest apprentice on the tools, the site manager or a sub-contractor.
2 – Asbestos Awareness
10675NAT Course in Asbestos Awareness is currently only mandatory for those doing work in the Australian Capital Territory. SafeWork NSW has suggested they would like it to become mandatory in New South Wales, although there is no timeline for when that might happen.
Asbestos has been well-documented as one of most insidious and dangerous substances workers can come across. It’s pervasiveness in Australian buildings means that you can never be sure asbestos is not present when you start working at a job site.
The asbestos awareness course equips participants with the skills and knowledge required to identify asbestos as well as a thorough understanding of the associated risks.
As part of the 10675NAT training course, participants will also learn about the precautions that can be taken when working in an area likely to contain asbestos, best practice reporting procedures and duties of care.
It is also important to note that while 10675NAT Course in Asbestos Awareness is not currently mandatory in New South Wales, job sites may have stricter workplace health and safety policies.
These policies can stipulate those coming onto the site must hold this accreditation as there is a reasonable risk of asbestos contamination.
Completing this training course can make inductions, sit management and getting the job done a much smoother process.
3 – Work Safely at Heights
There are a few reasons while holding a qualification in RIIWHS204D Work Safely at Heights makes this list.
Firstly, while not mandatory in order to enter a job site, Australian Work Health and Safety Regulations do state that where a fall may cause injury – or worse, death – than risk management needs to be undertaken.
Having undertaken training in safely working at heights, you are going to have solid foundational knowledge in what needs to be done in order to reduce the risk of a fall from height.
Participants learn about use of harnesses and the variety of fall arrest and restraint systems that are likely to come across in the course of their work.
Secondly, in 2018, 18 workers in Australia died as a result of a fall from height. Completing the Work Safely at Heights training course can help you avoid becoming one of those statistics.
And finally, most building and construction work will, at some point, involve needing to gain access to a roof or other area where you are working off the ground. Being prepared for that scenario can significantly improve your chances of making it home safely at the end of the day.
How to Get Training
The easiest way to get these important, nationally recognised qualifications, is to attend a training course at a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) that offers these courses as part of their scope.
Height Safety Engineers (RTO 91227) offers these courses at our state-of-the-art training centres in both Sydney and Melbourne.
As active participants in the safety process, HSE offers a variety of training pathways for both workers and employers.
For those just starting out, Height Safety Engineers offers training in all these critical safety courses, and more.
For site, building and projects mangers or employers, HSE can combine our broad scope of training courses and extensive knowledge of height, roof access and confined space safety systems to offer integrated solutions to all your work safety needs.
With our training experience, we can ensure you have all the qualifications you need so that you are never placed in a situation you are not trained for.
Height Safety Engineers can bring our nearly two centuries of combined experience to your safety needs and help you manage the challenge.
