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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-10-14 Daily Xml
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HIGH-RISK WORK

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (15:12): My question is to the Leader of the Government, the Minister for Industrial Relations.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN: Will the minister provide details of changes to the licensing of high-risk work?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister Assisting the Premier in Public Sector Management) (15:12): I thank the honourable member for his important question. On 1 September 2010 the government introduced a new occupational health and safety licensing system for high-risk work. Qualified South Australian workers will now be issued a national licence to perform prescribed types of high-risk work for the first time. Introduction of this new nationally-recognised high-risk work licence is aimed at making safer those workplaces where high-risk work is performed. High-risk work includes scaffolding, rigging and dogging, and the operation of certain pressure equipment, steam turbines, cranes and hoists.

The new licensing system implements the National Standard for Licensing Persons Performing High Risk Work 2006 and is included in the regulations under the Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act 1986. The key feature of the new high-risk work licensing system is the linkage of training to the vocational, education and training sector. It is expected that there will be significantly improved safety outcomes that will flow from this linkage. The changes include the requirement for people holding qualifications in high-risk areas to convert, over a five-year period, to the new licence. Workers who have qualifications relating to the operation of forklifts will also need to convert to the national standard. The licence, which will include photo identification, would require renewal every five years.

Improved safety is the centrepiece of these reforms, and the new licensing system, based on the national standard, will make the training, assessment and licensing of high-risk work consistent across Australia. Furthermore, this new system will allow high-risk work licences for South Australian workers to be recognised in all jurisdictions across Australia. New administrative systems to ensure a smooth transition to the new licensing system in South Australia have been put in place by the government. Applicants for licences will now be able to apply for their high-risk work licence at any of the 20 Service SA customer service centres in metropolitan and regional South Australia or through an Australia Post outlet.

Application numbers are expected to exceed 118,000 in the first five years of the scheme's operation. SafeWork SA has therefore ensured that stakeholder education about the new requirement has been a high priority since 2008. In addition to providing up-to-date information on its website and through a range of media, SafeWork SA has conducted stakeholder information sessions in all parts of South Australia for the general public, associations and employers who are likely to be affected by the upcoming changes. A communications campaign will also be implemented during the first years that the new national licensing system is in operation to ensure that South Australian workers needing to apply or transfer to the new licences are aware of the requirements.

I am very pleased that industry feedback to date has been positive, based on the safety benefits. There is strong industry and community support for the move to the new national system. Indeed, the new high-risk work licensing system has made a very good start, with SafeWork SA receiving 1,709 applications for new high-risk work licences and conversions of former certificates and tickets during September, the first month of operation.

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