Date: Wednesday 13 March 2024
Time: 9.00am - 12.30pm (AEDT)
Location: Daracon Group | 20 Kullara Cl, Beresfield  NSW

• Have you employed a plant operator lately?
• Have you recently inducted a contractor onto your site?

If you answered Yes, how did you check that the worker was competent?  Was this simply accepting they have a suitable qualification, or a practising certificate (if applicable)?

Holding a certificate or qualification is no longer sufficient for an employer to accept as evidence that an individual is competent to use equipment or undertake tasks. Greater emphasis is now on employers to ensure an individual has “current competency”.

So, what is Verification of Competency (VoC)?

A Verification of Competency or VOC is a method of assessment which ensures that workers operating plant, equipment and other tools on work sites are still competent to do so - to keep themselves, others and their companies safe and solvent.

VOC is determining, via assessment, that a worker has current skills, knowledge, and experience to safely use plant or equipment, for a particular task, in line with site procedures and conditions.  This includes confirming that workers can operate the specific make and model of plant/equipment in use on site. One question a regulator is likely to ask following an incident is ”Who deemed that person competent?” Typically followed by “What qualifications do you have to deem that person competent?”  It is critical that those in your workplace performing assessments on another person’s competency are qualified to conduct the assessment. A VOC should be evidence-based and confirmed before work commences.

VOC’s are an essential consideration for employers when onboarding plant operators, to maintain safety of workers, and prevent accidents and damage to equipment.   

Course Overview

On average, plant & equipment account for 71% of mechanisms related to worker fatalities².   Under WHS legislation, employers are responsible for providing information, instruction, training, and supervision to employees. This includes ensuring workers have sufficient skills to operate plant and equipment competently.

This workshop provides a risk-based approach to establish a VOC program that not only meets legal requirements, but also enables effective risk controls and a high-performance culture.

Learning Objectives

• Understand your legal obligations for VoC, including operator competency vs assessor competency
• Understand how to demonstrate due diligence and minimise risk of personal liability - facts vs myths!
• List options for taking a risk-based approach for establishing VoC safe systems of work, and the relationship with Critical Control Management (CCM)
• Gain an understanding of leadership principles and methods of building a high-performance culture

Who is this course for?

The course is recommended for:

• Quarry Managers
• Quarry Supervisors
• Health & Safety professionals
• Those with responsibility for safe systems of work, management, and supervision of high-risk plant & equipment.

CPD: 3 Hours

• IQA QMCS: Risk Management
  
• NSW MOC: 1. Mining and WHS Systems (Subject A: Safety Management Systems)

A Certificate will be issued upon completion of the workshop. 

Registration Fees
IQA Member:  $265
Non Member: $380

Your Facilitator | Garrith Parker

Registrations Close: Thursday 7 March 2024 (unless booked out prior)

Disclaimer
All information is correct at the time of publication. The IQA reserves the right to alter or delete items as required, and takes no responsibility for any errors, omissions and changes.