Do I Need a NSW Construction Industry White Card?

One of the most common questions we get asked here at Vigil Training is ‘do I need a White Card?’.

To help out, this brief article unpacks and explains (Q&A style) the different job roles that may require a NSW construction induction training course. Let’s start with age.

NSW White Card Q&A

Question 1: How old do I need to be to get a white card?

In NSW, you must be over 14 years of age to get a White Card.

Question 2: Does my job require a White Card?

Do you work in any of the following job roles or scenarios?

(A) Construction Industry Worker

Anyone directly employed in the NSW construction industry will require a White Card. This includes:

• Site Managers and supervisors — project managers, principal contractors, team leaders,
• Surveyors — drafts people, estimators, building inspectors, engineers, spacial science technicians.
• Labourers — traffic controllers, builder’s labourers, labour-hire workers.
• Tradespeople and apprentices — carpenters, plumbers, painters, electricians, riggers, scaffolders.

(B) Workers Who Need Routine Access Construction Zones

Even if you dont work in the construction industry, you’ll need a White Card if your job regularly takes you onto a construction site.

You might be a delivery driver, security guard, or IT cabler, but you’ll need to know and easily identify common workplace hazards.

Other job roles can include:

• Earthmoving and plant operators.
• Landscapers, Arborists and Gardeners.
• Telecom lines technicians and ground crew.
• Vehicle and plant mechanics.
• Ecologists and sustainability consultants.
• Delivery drivers who actually enter the site to pick up or unload materials.
• Waste collection agents.

(C) Other People Who Access Operational Construction Sites

The NSW government has no specific definition of ‘other people’ who need to access a construction site. But White Cards may also be relevant for: inspectors, WHS Officials, local government operatives, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Representatives, trainers, and counsellors.

Question 3: Does my White Card expire?

Once you get a White Card, it (potentially) remains valid for your whole working life. Unless you leave the construction industry.

If it’s been more than 2 years since you were on a construction site, you’ll need to update your training and get another card.

Who doesn’t Need a White Card?

One-off visitors to a construction site who are accompanied by a qualified person generally don’t need a White Card. Some delivery drivers and salespeople may also be exempt if the site has an active visitor management plan and a risk assessment indicates that risks have been suitably controlled.

DID YOU KNOW? 5 More Things You May Not Know About White Cards

1. You must have your White Card available for inspection at all times while working on a NSW construction site.
2. It is an offence under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 to intentionally or recklessly deface or alter your White Card. In fact, you can be fined up to $4,400 for doing so.
3. You never actually own your construction industry White Card, and you may at any time be asked to return the card to the NSW government.
4. White Cards are also available digitally via the Service NSW App. The App allows you to keep all your licences secure and available 24/7 on your mobile phone or other electronic device.
5. If you do have a Digital White Card, it is your responsibility to ensure that your mobile phone or electronic device is fully operational and allows an inspector or other operative to view the White Card. So, make sure that the screen on your mobile is clean and free of cracks, dirt, and dust.

Ready to Enrol in NSW White Card Training?

Get your NSW White Card this weekend at Vigil Training College in Parramatta. We run courses every single week and can issue your statement of attainment on the spot. You’ll also benefit from our professional trainers who have years of construction industry experience. Browse upcoming course dates online here online or shoot us an email for more information.