High Risk Licences reassessed in Gladstone

Source: Safe to Work

By: Ben Hageman

High risk workers in Gladstone have been caught out with invalid licenses after taking course assessments that did not meet workplace health and safety accreditation standards.

Gladstone Observer reported that in February hundreds of workers were informed by the Queensland Justice department that their licenses were invalid, after having taken training courses with Site Skills Training in Gladstone.

Licenses in question included advanced rigging, scaffolding, and forklift tickets.

Site Skills Training CEO Vern Wills told Australian Mining that two contracted assessors had not acted in accordance with their accreditation from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ).

In the course one year almost 300 students were assessed by the two assessors in question, both of whom have been investigated over the past ten months.

Site Skills Training said that of the total number of students affected 208 people were assessed by one assessor for forklift, EWP, scaffolding and rigging, and 68 people were assessed by the second for scaffolding.

The training provider allowed the students to be reassessed free of charge, and of the 119 who requested reassessment 117 were deemed competent by the replacement WH&S assessors.

Gladstone Observer said a further audit will be undertaken into all assessors used by Site Skills Training, which is expected to be completed by the end of the financial year.

Wills confirmed that Workplace Health and Safety Queensland audited the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland accredited assessors at their Gladstone facility which was completed in February.

"The auditing of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland accredited assessors is a normal part of operations in the delivery of High Risk Licence assessment and is carried out on a regular basis by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland at all providers facilities across Queensland," Wills said.

"Workplace Health and Safety Queensland requested that Site Skills Training conduct re-assessments for some individuals who completed their training in Gladstone.

"This request resulted from processes allegedly not being followed by the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland Accredited Assessors."

Wills said Site Skills Training trains over 15,000 people per year nationwide and only engages assessors who hold relevant Workplace Health and Safety Queensland accreditation.