What are the 3 types of induction that are required for construction workers?

Employers must ensure they provide their employees with the training that is necessary in order for their employees to undertake their work safely. This may include training in how to use certain types of tools or equipment, training in company procedures, training in hazard identification and incident reporting and refresher training sessions.

Training can be both informal (on-the-job with instructions and supervision) and formal (at a registered training organisation or similar, such as Master Builders Training Institute). In most circumstances, there is no prescribed training requirements of employees. The training simply needs to be provided, at the right time and to the right extent for the employee to undertake their work safely.

Training can also be thought of in terms of equipping a site manager or similar, with the knowledge, skills and competencies to oversee and manage building sites, whilst having regard for the employers duties and responsibilities, and help the employer meet these. In those cases, Master Builders Victoria recommend employers consider putting their employees through a Certificate III in Work Health and Safety, as a minimum.

Construction induction training (commonly referred to as red/ white card training) is mandatory for anyone who is employed or engaged to perform construction work. Additionally, high risk work licences are required for anyone who performs high risk work, for example the erecting of a scaffold where the fall risk is 4 or more metres. Find out more about construction induction training in the video below.

If you are employing staff, it is your duty to provide the training your employees need to undertake their work safely. But as discussed in topic 1.2, you must also ensure that any contractors on your site have the appropriate training, qualifications and licences. Whenever possible, this check should be done before the work is awarded to the contractor.

If you are the principal contractor of a worksite, it is also your responsibility to provide site specific training. Site specific training most commonly takes the form of a site-specific safety induction.

Master Builders Victoria recommends that builders document the site safety induction provided to each worker who attends the construction site. The site safety induction should be used to record construction induction training (red/ white card training), high risk work licences and other forms of training where appropriate.

If an employee’s mandatory training cannot be verified, Master Builders Victoria recommends that the employee is not permitted to work on site until such time as the training can be verified.

Note, it is an offence to refuse valid construction induction training (red/ white card training).

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A person conducting a business or undertaking must not direct or allow a worker to carry out construction work unless the worker has successfully completed general construction induction training and, if the worker completed the training more than 2 years previously, the worker has carried out construction work in the preceding 2 years.

The person conducting the business or undertaking must ensure that the worker holds a general construction induction training card or if the worker has applied for but not yet been issued with a general construction induction training card, the worker holds a general construction induction training certification issued within the preceding 60 days.

The table below provides information on when Construction Induction Training may be required – drawn from the Safework Australia National Code of Practice for Induction Training for Construction Work.

As an employer, you have a duty of care to your staff and you must make sure your workplace is safe. A key aspect of keeping your workplace safe is making sure staff understand your work health and safety policies. You must also make sure they undertake any necessary training before using potentially dangerous equipment or materials.

New staff are at greater risk of injuring themselves at work than existing staff. For this reason, work health and safety training should have a high priority in your staff induction program.

Staff returning to work after a long absence will need to revisit your work health and safety policies in case they've forgotten anything while they've been away. As well as this, you will need to train them on any new processes. Staff changing roles may also need work health and safety training if they are using equipment, materials or processes that they are unfamiliar with.

Work health and safety training must be ongoing to reduce the risk of incidents and keep all staff up to date with your processes. Find out more about keeping your workplace safe.

What to cover in a work health and safety induction

You must conduct a work health and safety induction as soon as practically possible. The induction must cover:

• hazards and risks in your workplace
• special equipment, such as personal protective equipment, which may require additional training
• safe work practices
• work health and safety legislation
• emergency procedures:
  • emergency exits
  • evacuation instructions and assembly points
  • fire alarms and fire fighting equipment, such as extinguishers (show locations and demonstrate how they are used)
• first aid and other emergency contacts.

You could create your own induction checklist or use the WorkSafe induction checklist (DOCX, 58KB).

When the induction is complete, get the staff members to confirm that they understood the training. Keep a record of all work health and safety training.

Find out more about work health and safety training including Health and Safety Representative and Work Health and Safety Officer training.

Also consider...

• Last reviewed: 17 Jul 2017
• Last updated: 30 Nov 2020

All employers need to provide new and young workers and workers who are new to a task, with sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure that they are competent to work safely.

An induction into the business, including working through your current policies and procedures, is a great way to convey safety standards and expectations to new workers.

Induction training

As an employer, you need to determine, and provide, relevant workplace specific training. There may be some situations where varying levels of induction training are needed. For example, a person may need general induction, site induction or no induction training, depending on the nature and extent of the following:

• the expected level of risk at the site or for the particular task, and
• the level of supervision.

See our advice on informing, training and supervising your team.

Induction training is not required for:

• visitors if they are accompanied by a person who has received WHS induction training
• people who would be temporarily at a workplace for instance to deliver plant, supplies, materials or services where a risk assessment indicates that any risks to persons can be controlled through other measures (such as implementing visitor management plans, restricted access to low-risk areas, visitor sign-in/out procedures, etc.).

However, if a visitor is going to spend a considerable time and/or visits frequently then you may choose to induct them.

Employer responsibilities

You must ensure that your new workers or workers who are new to the task, receive effective induction, training and information. An induction is where you explain how you manage work health and safety at your workplace. You should cover:

• your workplace's health and safety policies - our Induction Checklist can assist
• the vulnerability of new and young workers to inappropriate behaviours and how they can report issues such as bullying, discrimination and harassment
• the rights and responsibilities for workers, supervisors and employers
• the hazards and risks specific to your workplace and your employees job, and how they can control these
• who your employee should speak to if they are concerned about a health & safety matter
• the safe work procedures applicable to the task(s)
• your emergency procedures
• who the first aiders, fire wardens and health and safety representatives are in your workplace
• the incident or hazard reporting procedures
• other work matters such as who to tell (and how)  if they’re sick, pay and time keeping, working hours, eating and parking facilities, and any social matters.

To make your induction effective:

• pace your induction over several days as your workers may feel overwhelmed by too much information at once
• give clear verbal and written instructions
• demonstrate and explain how to perform tasks safely; watch them do it and correct any mistakes. Check on their competency after a period such as a week.
• encourage them to ask questions - workers should be made to feel comfortable asking any question that will help them work safely
• involve their supervisor and health and safety representative
• follow up with support visits and training sessions
• be patient.

Site-specific induction

If your business has more than one worksite then you will need to ensure that workers are inducted for each site. In addition, if the work involves visiting different worksites (such as a contractor) then a plan to mitigate the risks for the worker needs to be put in place and may include site induction.

The detail required for each site induction will vary depending on the complexity of the work being undertaken at the site and factors such as the size of the site, the number and variety of other people working on the site.

Each worksite induction should cover:

• site hazards
• control measures
• safety rules
• other information specific to the site.

Construction site induction

Induction for workers in the construction industry have specific requirements.

Worker responsibilities

Workers also have a responsibility to maintain their own work health and safety. Workers should contribute to a safe workplace by:

• taking responsibility for their safety and the safety of the people they work with
• speak up if they don’t fully understand the task
• follow all safe work procedures
• report safety issues
• use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where required for the task such as Hi-Viz clothing, safety glasses and gloves.

Further information