About this course
Workplace Health and Safety Officer Training - WHSO
Queensland - Workplace Health and Safety Officer Training - WHSO
The Queensland Government’s Workplace Health and Safety Officer (WHSO) Training forms part of a renewed commitment under the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act 2011 to reduce the serious economic and social impact on individuals, businesses and the Australian community of work-related incidents.
WorkSafe Connect has been providing WHS related training for over 15 years and is an approved provider of Workplace Health and Safety Officer Training on behalf of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.
WHSO training is focused on providing participants with the information and skills that will assist WHSOs to carry out their role and functions under the WHS legislation including:
- An understanding of the WHS legislation;
- An understanding of how it applies to their role; and
- The knowledge and skills necessary assist employers to meet their obligations under the WHS legislation.
From the 1 July 2018, a person appointed as a WHSO by a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) is required to undertake this training and receive a Certificate of Authority issued on behalf of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland or have an equivalent qualification.
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Course Details
WorkSafe Connect offers WHSO training as a client-only course for employer groups - either at our training facilities in Brisbane and Townsville or onsite at clients’ workplace.
The course comprises core and elective competencies and is structured as follows:
Core Competencies (5 days – Mandatory)
Day 1
- Overview of the WHS legislative framework
- Duties of various parties and key terminology
- The role of WHSQ
- Penalties for non-compliance
Days 2-4
- Managing hazards and risks in the workplace
Day 5
- Emergency procedures
- Auditing and planning
- Investigating workplace incidents
Elective Competency – 1 Elective to be chosen (1-3 days – Mandatory)
- Service Industry Elective (1 day)
- Industrial Industry Elective (2 days)
- Construction Industry Elective (3 days)
The elective competencies are based on industry needs for participants and if you have any questions regarding which elective competencies outlined above would be most suitable then please contact WorkSafe Connect for further information.
Students will be supported throughout the program by our authorised trainers, learning materials, telephone and email support.
Training will be conducted by one of our WHSQ authorised and experienced trainer assessors who have WHS industry currency, strong knowledge of relevant legislation, regulations and industry standards.
This course is competency based and has both theory and practical assessment components. Due to the amount of content some modules are only delivered as a teaching component while other modules will include an accompanying assessment.
All assessments in this course are open book and students will have access to all learning materials such as legislation, codes of practice and student notes.
WorkSafe Connect offers WHSO training as a client-only course for an employer group - this can be delivered either at our training facilities in Brisbane and Townsville or onsite at a clients’ workplace.
If you would like to discuss delivery options in more detail, then please get in contact with us and we would be more than happy to discuss your requirements and options in more detail.
Successful participants will receive a Certificate of Attendance, authorised by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ).
This certificate is issued by WorkSafe Connect (RTO 31385) in our capacity as an approved provider of this course on behalf of the Queensland Government (Workplace Health and Safety Queensland).
A certificate of authority expires five (5) years after the day the certificate is granted.
If you have any questions regarding which Workplace Health and Safety course is most suitable for you then please get in touch with a member of the WorkSafe Connect team today.
Frequently Asked Questions
As a WHSO, your functions are to:
- notify the PCBU about work health and safety matters
- identify hazards and risks to health and safety arising from the work
- report in writing to the PCBU any hazards and risks identified arising from the work
- immediately notify the PCBU about:
- any incident the WHSO is aware has occurred at the business or undertaking; or
- any immediate or imminent risk to health and safety at the business or undertaking
- investigate, or assist in the investigation of, any incidents that occurred at the business or undertaking
- accompany and assist an inspector during an inspection of the business or undertaking
- establish educational and training programs on matters relating to work health and safety.
As a WHSO, you must assess risks arising from work carried out as part of the business or undertaking at least every 12 months and provide an assessment report to your PCBU.
The report must include any identified risks to health and safety and recommendations about managing these risks.
Work Health & Safety Officers are responsible for ensuring the safe and compliant operation of an organisation.
They implement defined Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) strategies which identify hazards, assess risks to health and safety, and use state-of-the-art tools and techniques to avoid accidents and injuries.
From the 1 July 2018, a person appointed as a WHSO by a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) is required to undertake training and receive a WHSO Certificate of Authority issued on behalf of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) or have an equivalent qualification.
There are two ways to become an accredited WHSO:
- Complete the WHSO training course developed by WHSQ. Registered training organisations (RTOs) are authorised by WHSQ to deliver this training and can issue certificates of authority to people who successfully complete the course. The course program varies in duration (from 6 to 8 days) depending on the elective chosen. See our WHSO course page for further information (click here).
- Complete a Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety (BSB41419) or equivalent or higher level tertiary qualification. Students may then apply for a WHSO certificate of authority from WHSQ using their BSB41419 certification. Applications must be submitted directly to WHSQ.
WorkSafe Connect's Certificate IV in Work Health & Safety (BSB41419) provides a pathway to a safety career - including as a safety advisor, safety officer, safety professional and a Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator.
The units selected for the qualification was based on industry consultation - ensuring our students attained the skills most commonly required of a safety professional. This includes the 'Rehabilitation and Return to Work (RRTW)' unit of competency as well as contractor management, fostering continuous improvement, WHS implementation & monitoring and facility emergency procedures and preparedness.
This generally refers to a Certificate IV in Work Health & Safety (BSB41419) qualification or a WHSO certificate (Work Health & Safety Officer).
Where possible, we recommend students complete a Certificate IV in Work Health & Safety qualification - this means they have an accreditation to support their safety career and also allows them to apply to WHSQ to get their WHSO certification (click here for more details).
