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High risk work licensing 

A person requires a high risk work (HRW) licence to perform:

  • Scaffolding - basic, intermediate and advanced; 
  • Rigging work - dogging; basic, intermediate and advanced rigging; 
  • Crane and hoist operation - tower; self-erecting tower; derrick; portal boom; bridge and gantry; vehicle loading; non slewing mobile; slewing; materials hoist; personnel and materials hoist; boom-type elevating work platform; vehicle mounted concrete placing boom; 
  • Forklift operation - forklift trucks; order-picking forklift trucks; 
  • Pressure equipment operation - basic, intermediate and advanced boiler operation; turbine operation; reciprocating steam engine operation.

The National Standard for Licensing Persons Performing High Risk Work can be accessed and downloaded from Safe Work Australia

The licensing system

A photographic licence is issued to people who are assessed as being competent to hold the High Risk Work licence (HRW licence), subject to identification checks and verification of age. You must be at least 18 years of age before you can be issued with an HRW licence.  An application form can be downloaded here.

If you wish to work in an occupation defined as high-risk, you will need to be trained to carry out such work by a Registered Training Organisation and assessed by a WorkSafe Registered Assessor. You may find a list of Assessors on our website. At the completion of your assessment, you will be able to apply for an HRW licence.

An HRW licence will only be valid for the class(es) of high risk work endorsed on the HRW licence. New classes can be added to the HRW licence, allowing licence holders to work in multiple occupations on a single licence. The licence will allow you to perform this work in any state or territory of Australia.

An HRW licence is issued for a period of five (5) years starting on the date of issue of the first HRW licence class endorsed on the licence.  All states and territories will recognise and enforce suspensions and cancellations made in other states and territories.

Certificates of competency

Your WorkSafe issued certificate of competency will require conversion to an HRW licence depending upon the issue date which appears on your O.H.S. Certification Australia card or your Western Australian 'State' Certificate of Competency. 

If you convert your WorkSafe issued certificate of competency to an HRW licence before the required conversion date, you will not need to be reassessed. However, you will still need to make an application, meet identification requirements and pay an application fee to be issued an HRW licence.

WorkSafe has a 'Licence to Perform High Risk Work Conversion and Replacement Application' form which should be used for the conversion. 

If you do not apply for your licence before the required conversion date, you will be required to undergo training by a Registered Training Organisation and an assessment by a Registered Assessor before you are issued with an HRW licence. 

The table below identifies the dates when certificates are required to have been converted to an HRW licence.

Date of issue of the O.H.S. Certification Australia card and Western Australian 'State' Certificate of Competency  Date that certificate must be converted
Western Australian 'State' Certificates of Competency issued prior to 1 July 1994 and O.H.S. Certification Australia cards issued from 1 July 1994 to 31 December 1995  Expired on
30 September 2008. Please contact WorkSafe for more information
Between 1 January 1996 - 31 December 1998 Expired on 30 June 2009 Please contact WorkSafe for more information
Between 1 January 1999 - 31 December 2001 

Expired on 30 June 2010 Please contact WorkSafe for more information

Between 1 January 2002 - 31 December 2004 30 June 2011
Between 1 January 2005 - 30 September 2007 30 June 2012

Supervision of doing high risk work

The regulations allow trainees to be provided with high risk work experience at the workplace providing the trainee is enrolled to do the training in the high risk work and is supervised by a person who holds a high risk work licence for that class of work. It is also expected that the trainee will be working under a timetable with the aim of achieving a satisfactory assessment of competency and making an application for the relevant licence to perform high risk work.

People who do not hold an HRW licence or are not undergoing the appropriate training are no longer be able to do high risk work, even under the supervision of a person who holds a relevant licence.

Lost or damaged licences

If your licence is damaged, stolen or lost, you must notify WorkSafe.

You may then apply to WorkSafe for a replacement licence. To obtain a replacement licence, you will be required to complete an application form, provide confirmation of your identity and pay a replacement licence fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Application forms

Related information