What Is A White Card Job
A White Card job is any career in the construction industry that requires the employee or an independent individual to enter a construction worksite to do their job. Access to any construction project in Australia is only permitted with a valid White Card.
What Are The Jobs That Require A White Card
Workers employed in any of the construction industry roles must have a White Card to legally enter construction sites in Australia. Here are a few examples of vocations that require a White Card.
- Surveyors
- Architects
- Crane operators
- Conveyancers
- Site supervisors
- Labourers
- Tradespeople, i.e., Builders, Electricians, Plumbers, Roofers, Tilers, Plasterers, Painters, Landscapers, etc.
- Site managers
- Project Foreman
- Union representatives
Any other worker or employee that needs to enter a construction site to undertake their vocational demands. The only exception to the rule is for emergency services crews attending to an emergency on a construction site.
Which Occupations Need A White Card Certificate
If you intend to work on a Construction site in any capacity, from tradesperson to Project Manager, if you are considered to be a person requiring access to operational construction zones, then you require a valid White Card that certifies you have completed the CPCWHS1001 Prepare To Work Safely In The Construction Industry course.
All White Card training is the responsibility of the person seeking access to the construction site or workplace. In short, if you are a worker whose employment causes them to routinely enter one or more operational construction zones, you must complete your White Card course qualifications for occupational health and safety reasons.
Once you have completed the course and gained certification, your White Card is valid for the span of your career without the need for renewal unless you leave the construction industry for longer than two years, or you commit a breach that cancels your validation, and you are required to resit the course.
Many tradespeople work predominantly in domestic or commercial settings. In holding a current White Card, the holder has significant appeal for employers as they are available to work across the industry and across the country, meaning they can work anywhere within Australia’s borders, including remote island locations like Christmas Island, or Kiribati, deemed to be part of the Australian territories. See how you could apply for a White Card.
Who Needs A White Card
- Plumbers
- Oil Refinery workers
- Oil rig workers
- Electricians
- Builders
- Scaffolders
- Architects
- Crane operators
- Labourers
- Bricklayers
- Concreters
- Heavy Machinery Drivers
- Forklift Drivers
- Occupational Health and Safety Officers
- Forepersons; and Supervisors
- Union representatives
All of the above-stated vocations and anyone else who falls outside the normal day-to-day employees of a construction worksite. If onsite food vans are permitted to come and go for lunch and breaks, then the owner of the van on the site is required to have a White Card. Even though they are technically not an employee, they are considered independent contractors and still require a valid White Card to enter the job site. In order to avoid this, most independent contractors park outside the designated construction job site perimeters.
How Often Do White Cards Expire
At the time of writing in 2022, White Cards are one of the few cards that, once issued, do not require renewal. A White Card is valid unless:
- The holder of a White Card leaves the construction industry for longer than two years.
- The holder of a White Card is caught in a beach or violation of the conditions and has their White Card cancelled.
Any person in breach or failing to comply with White Card certification and practice will be required to retake the test and gain a new certification before they are permitted back on a worksite.
Related Questions For White Cards
If you are interested in learning more about White Cards, we suggest you read our blog articles, what are White Cards, what does the White Card course teach. These articles will give you detailed information to assist you in understanding about White Cards and what includes in our courses.
