Businesses and employers should always conduct a thorough licence check before engaging workers.  When selecting a person to do work that requires a High Risk Work Licence, businesses and employers must consider their duties under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 by:

• satisfying yourself that the worker has the experience claimed; and
• ensuring you always sight the High Risk Work Licence card (photocopies or scanned copies cannot be relied upon). 

All licences issued by WorkSafe have an expiry date.  Whether you are an employer or a licence holder, WorkSafe recommends regularly checking licences to ensure they are valid and that all relevant classes have been added.

Check the licence card:

• has not expired;
• includes the relevant classes; and
• has the correct photo and name of the worker

An example of a High Risk Work Licence.

Workers need a licence to carry out high risk work, like operating cranes, forklifts and erecting scaffolding.

You can quickly check the validity of a High Risk Work Licence using the licence search facility for high risk work or by calling the WorkSafe Customer Help Centre 1300 307 877.