White Card QLD

CPCCWHS1001 - Prepare to work safely in the construction industry

What is a QLD White Card?

White Cards are also known as general construction induction cards in Queensland. They are licenses that attest that you have completed general construction induction training (White Card course) and allow you to work in the construction industry.

The cards double as insurance in case of work-related injuries, covering medical expenses and lost wages. Failing to hold a valid White Card while working on a construction site can lead to hefty fines for you and the employer.

The Queensland White Card is nationally recognised and valid in all states and territories.

How do I get a QLD White Card?

White Cards are issued by registered training organisations (RTOs), under license of WorkSafe & WorkCover QLD. The first step is to book a White Card course with a local RTO. Factors to consider when choosing an RTO include location & parking situation (can be very expensive in the CBD), price and reviews. Once you have booked your course and attended the training, you will be issued with a Statement of Attainment for the unit of competency CPCCWHS1001 - Prepare to work safely in the construction industry as well as your White Card. Depending on the RTO, they will issue your White Card on the day of training or post it to you within a few business days.

The QLD White Card course takes between 4.5 to 6 hours to complete. The course enrolment process is normally very simple and requires you to provide personal information and pay online to lock in your spot. Make sure to keep your invoice as educational expenses are tax-deductible in Australia.

We're maintaining a list of training providers in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast to help you book your White Card course. We list all important information such as location, price, reviews and the parking situation.

Brisbane

Gold Coast

What to bring to the training workshop

To be issued your construction induction card, you will need to bring 3 identity documents to the training. Documents you can bring include Passport, Birth Certificate, Drivers licence, Student ID (photo identification card), debit/credit card and Medicare card. You can view the full list of ID requirements here.

In addition to the ID, you must bring your Unique Student Identifier (USI). USIs can be created for free online.

Unless otherwise indicated, we recommend that you wear casual clothing to attend the course.

Is the White Card course hard?

The course requirements are fairly minimal as with most induction training. Course participants are required to have basic English language, literacy and numeracy skills. Learners must be able to understand written and verbal questions.

The course is rated AQF level 1. The Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) rates courses from level 1 (easiest, introduction course) to 10 (hardest, doctorate level). RTOs also have an obligation to support customers to the best of their capabilities. If they are unable to provide the support required for the completion of the course, they will be able to suggest support services to individuals such as translation services.

State recognition

The unit of competency CPCCWHS1001 - Prepare to work safely in the construction industry is fully accredited and nationally recognised training. As a result, construction induction training covers the same mandatory education subjects and White Cards are valid in all states and territories, no matter where you completed your course.

Can you get a White Card online in QLD?

As of 2024, the QLD White Card course must be completed face to face (including face to face virtual classrooms).

While doing the course online used to be popular in Queensland, WorkSafe QLD (Queensland Government) changed to face to face delivery as part of a Safe Work Australia best practice review in 2019, effectively stopping the self-paced online delivery for the vast majority of Queensland residents.

You can view the press release about the change on the WorkSafe Queelsand website here.

Only residents of Tasmania and Western Australia can currently complete a self-paced online course. Residents of Queensland, Northern Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory must complete the White Card course face to face.

Find out more about online White Cards.

Replacement White Card Queensland

Lost or damaged White Cards can be replaced by the registered training organisation you completed the original training with. If the training provider is out of business or stopped delivering White Cards, you are free to shop around for an RTO offering a White Card replacement at a good price.

You will need to show them evidence of training by providing your Statement of Attainment for CPCCWHS1001 - Prepare to work safely in the construction industry or the superseded CPCCOHS1001A - Work safely in the construction industry unit of competency.

While Blue Cards are still valid and accepted on construction sites, they cannot be replaced if lost or damaged. You will need to complete an up-to-date White Card course to be allowed to enter construction sites.

White Card QLD course content

The White Card course content is defined by the unit of competency CPCCWHS1001 - Prepare to work safely in the construction industry. It supersedes and is equivalent to the older CPCCOHS1001A - Work safely in the construction industry unit of competency. A large part of the legislative requirements of the Queensland White Card course is covered by the QLD Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

The course will ensure that you have the knowledge required to keep yourself and others safe on construction sites. A Trainer/Assessor will ensure that you have the required risk awareness, communication skills and legislative knowledge during the assessment tasks. You will learn about standards procedures, policies, processes and incidents reporting requirements that are in place in Queensland and other states.

Your learning and understanding of the course resources will be put at the test during the classroom assessments at the end of the training.

Queensland Work Health and Safety Act (2011)

Everyone within your QLD workplace, including yourself, has a duty of care to ensure that they work in a manner that promotes safety and prevents harm to themselves and those around them. A duty of care may be legally bound, i.e. within your contract or a moral/ethical consideration that you should consider throughout your work. A duty of care involves doing everything within your capability to protect the health and safety of yourself and others on the construction site.

The Act outlines that a person who has a duty of care needs to work to eliminate risks so far as is reasonably practicable. Reasonably practicable means doing what you are reasonably able to do to ensure the health and safety of workers and others like volunteers, visitors and even the general public.

All workers and other people that might be affected by the work are protected by the Act, including:

• employees
• contractors
• subcontractors
• outworkers
• apprentices and trainees
• work experience students
• volunteers
• employers who perform work

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

As part of your construction induction training, you will learn about industry standard OHS PPE that can be used as part of a risk control measures strategy. PPE is the last step to protect yourself from construction hazards. The course covers the PPE commonly used while performing construction work:

• hard hat
• high visibility retro-reflective vest
• safety glasses
• hearing protection

If you are a Queensland resident opting to complete the course via a virtual classroom, you will need to own or buy the above PPE. Buying the required PPE to complete the Queensland White Card course will cost you around $40.

Once purchased, you will be required to demonstrate the correct fitting and wearing of the PPE in real-time using your webcam.