OK, booooring, these have been around forever… Blue Card, Red Card, White Card, we’re going to run out of colours. However, the White Card for induction into the construction industry has been around in Queensland since about 2009. It was back then the humble Blue Card was changed over to have the card align with a unit of competency. That unit in itself has gone through a few transitions, CPCCOHS1001A, CPCCWHS1001, and now CPCWHS1001.
I’m sure we all remember the hullabaloo when people had to go and upgrade their Blue Card to a White Card. There was foot stomping, and whinging, and swearing, and everyone was muttering that it’s all the same gig – being inducted onto a construction site – especially when you get inducted again separately for every site, because they are all different, and every company likes to do it ‘their way’.
So, what have we achieved by all this? Well believe it or not, there are some advantages to streamlining this process. Let’s investigate a few of them, however our disclaimer is we are just talking about the Queensland system here, and not the other States – and we are aware of the mutual recognition process between the States.
- The card became harder to forge, as WHSQ forced the individual’s signature to be placed on each card prior to it being laminated.
- The card was aligned to a unit of competency, which meant it could be benchmarked, the content of the training referenced, and utilised for recognition of prior learning processes.
- The unit of competency is a pre-requisite unit for a number of other competencies, so those clutching a white card in their hot little hand could tick off the prior learning side of courses such as Asbestos Removal (as long as they could show their statement of attainment).
- In time, the States and Territories all started to align and issue the same unit of competency, which made working across borders easier.
So, there you go, it wasn’t all a waste of time swapping over, there were advantages to kicking that Blue Card to the kerb and getting the White Card.
The new White Card (unit changed to CPCWHS1001 in 2022) will see some even more consistent outcomes for those being trained, as Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has created its own assessment for this unit, and all White Cards being issued in Queensland now have to be assessed as per the WHSQ assessment. But it’s OK, don’t despair… we have been training this little sucker for years and can still make it fun.
Our trainers may have been around the traps, but they’re not crusty (yet), the joy of their years of experience comes in the form of fantastic industry examples, amusing but relevant anecdotal evidence of ‘stuff ups’ and the wisdom that comes with watching others leave their brains at home.
So, for those in construction who have newbies to train up, send them to us, and we’ll ensure they come back at least knowing the difference between a hazard and a risk…