High-risk work licences in Australia, explained
Beyond the White Card, many construction and industrial tasks require a specific high-risk work (HRW) licence. These are nationally consistent classes of licence issued by state WHS regulators, and using unlicensed workers for licensed tasks is a serious breach.
Common licence classes
They include scaffolding (basic, intermediate and advanced), rigging and dogging, crane operation, forklift operation (LF and LO), elevating work platforms (EWP) over 11 metres, and pressure equipment operation. Each has its own code, and workers must hold the correct class for the equipment they operate.
How they work nationally
HRW licences are recognised across Australia, so a licence issued in one state is valid in another. They are renewed periodically — often every five years — and it is the worker's and the employer's shared interest to keep them current.
Managing them across a crew
On a busy site it is easy to lose track of who holds what and when it expires. A single grid of every worker's tickets, with expiry reminders, means you never put an unlicensed operator on a machine — and can prove competency the moment a client or regulator asks.
Questions, answered
Is a high-risk work licence the same as a White Card?
No. The White Card is the general construction induction everyone on site needs. A high-risk work licence is an additional, task-specific licence for things like operating cranes, forklifts or high scaffolding.
How often do HRW licences renew?
High-risk work licences are typically renewed every five years, but always check the expiry on the individual licence and with the issuing state regulator.
Keep every ticket current
Complys tracks every worker's high-risk work licences and tickets with expiry alerts, so the right people are always licensed for the job — free for 90 days.
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