With the scrapping of earthmoving licences in QLD and NSW in 2012, mining and construction employees nationwide are now required to demonstrate competency in operating machinery by completing industry recognised training.
The responsibility of carrying out such training and ensuring
employees reach desired level of competency now lies with the
person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) in the national
WHS Act, or the employer in OHS Acts.
Evidence of appropriate training for the type of earthmoving
plant to be operated could include:
- A statement of attainment from a national recognised
qualification - Training undertaken at an industry training school
- On-the-job training conducted by an experienced competent
person. This training may be recorded in a logbook.
The strongest form of evidence is a statement of attainment for
a unit of competency in a nationally recognised qualification
through a registered training organisation (RTO).
As of February 2012, the RIIO9 Resources and Infrastructure Industry
Training Package is the most commonly used government
approved and endorsed set of training for handling earthmoving and
heavy machinery.
It supercedes previous training packages such as the Civil
Construction and Metalliferous Mining packages, and a unit of
competency in the RIIO9 package will provide a national recognised
qualification.
Easy Guides Australia has published a
comprehensive range of training resources for RTOs delivering the
national RIIO9 units of competency.
The materials can also be used in-house by businesses to meet
their duty of care obligations to provide training required under
the WHS/OHS Act.