White Card: Who Needs One and How to Check It
If someone is going to do construction work on your site, they need a white card. That part is simple. The questions that trip people up are who counts as doing construction work, whether the card ever stops counting, and how you check one.
This is a short guide for builders, trades and anyone who engages people on construction sites.
What a white card is
The white card is the card a person gets after completing general construction induction training. The course is called "Prepare to work safely in the construction industry", and it must be delivered in Australia by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), according to Safe Work Australia.
The training covers the basics: WHS laws, duty holders, common construction hazards and how to control them, and documents such as safe work method statements. It is general. It says nothing about your particular site.
In Victoria the card is a construction induction card issued by WorkSafe Victoria, and the training must be done face to face in a classroom. WorkSafe Victoria says it is not permitted to be delivered online.
Who needs one
Anyone who is to carry out construction work. The model Code of Practice for construction work gives examples: managers and engineers, foremen, supervisors, surveyors, labourers and tradespeople.
"Construction work" is broad. It covers work in connection with building, altering, fitting out, renovating, repairing, maintaining, demolishing or dismantling a structure, plus excavation, site preparation and installing essential services. The same code lists examples that count, such as an engineer doing on-site inspections or a mechanic working on an excavator on site, and some that do not, such as an engineer working in an office away from the site. Read the definition in full if a role is borderline.
SafeWork NSW also includes people who access operational construction zones without direct supervision. In Victoria, the rules do not apply to visitors who are accompanied at all times by someone who has done the training, or to people only there to deliver plant, supplies or materials (WorkSafe Victoria guide to the OHS Regulations 2017).
It works in every state
White cards are recognised Australia-wide, according to Safe Work Australia. A card from another state is valid as long as it is used under the terms it was granted on. A suspended or cancelled card is not valid anywhere.
Does it expire?
Access Canberra says the ACT card does not expire and stays valid unless it is cancelled. Check your own state's regulator for its card.
There is a catch. Under the model WHS laws, if a worker completed the training more than two years ago and has not done construction work in the last two years, you must not direct or allow them to do construction work. They need to do the training again (model Code of Practice, section 6.1). SafeWork NSW puts it more bluntly: the card becomes void after two consecutive years or more without construction work.
So it is worth asking when someone last worked in construction, not just whether they hold a card.
Before the card arrives
You must ensure each worker holds a white card, or a certification showing they have applied for one and are waiting on it. In NSW, the statement the training provider gives them is valid for 60 days.
How to check a card
Workers need to show their white card to the business that engages them, so you can be sure they have done the training. Check the name matches the person and note the card number and the state that issued it.
Some states have an online lookup:
- NSW: SafeWork NSW points to Verify licence to look up and verify NSW white cards.
- WA: WorkSafe WA has a construction induction card search through its Online Licence Search.
For a card issued elsewhere, check the issuing regulator's website or contact them.
What to keep on file
For each person doing construction work, keep:
- a copy of their white card (or the training certification, while they wait)
- the issuing state and card number
- who checked it and when
- if they are coming back to construction after a break, when they last did construction work
It does not replace a site induction
The white card is general training. You still need to induct people to your workplace: its hazards and controls, underground services, site rules, safety documents such as the traffic management plan, and emergency procedures. The model Code of Practice covers this in section 6.2.
Rules differ between states and territories, so this is not legal advice. Check with Safe Work Australia and your state or territory WHS regulator.
Keeping the record in WorkZerk
WorkZerk's contractor onboarding pack includes an optional white card upload, saved to a White card field on the person's contact record. A person on your team views and approves each copy, and WorkZerk records who approved it and when. It does not check a card with the regulator, so the lookup above is still your job. See contractor compliance for how the records come together.