High Risk Work Licences in Australia: A Complete Guide by State

If your workers perform hazardous activities on site — operating cranes, rigging loads, erecting scaffolding, working in confined spaces, or removing asbestos — they need a high risk work (HRW) licence. So do you, as the business operator, need to make sure they have one.

Failing to verify and maintain licences before deploying workers to licensed work is a direct breach of Australia's Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws. Penalties can be severe — up to $600,000 for a business and $300,000 for an individual. In cases involving reckless conduct, the consequences include criminal prosecution.

This guide covers the full scope of high risk work licences in Australia: what they are, which licence classes exist, how to get them, and what differs by state.

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What Is a High Risk Work Licence?

A High Risk Work licence is a nationally recognised certification that authorises a worker to perform specified high-risk activities. It is issued by the WHS regulator in each state or territory, and it is not issued to businesses — it is issued to individual workers.

The licence framework is set out in the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (adopted in most jurisdictions), specifically Schedule 3, which lists all activities requiring a licence. The scheme is administered under the National Harmonisation Agreement, meaning the licence classes are consistent across most jurisdictions, though the issuing authority and application process differ.

Who Needs One?

A high risk work licence is required for the individual worker who physically performs the licensed activity. It is not sufficient for the business to hold a general contractor's licence or insurance — each individual must hold the specific class of HRW licence for the work they are performing.

Business operators have a corresponding duty: under the WHS Act, you must not direct or allow a worker to perform licensed work unless they hold a current, valid HRW licence for that class of work.

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High Risk Work Licence Classes

The nationally harmonised HRW licence classes are grouped into broad activity categories. Here is a complete overview.

Rigging

Scaffolding

Cranes and Hoists

Dogging

Dogging is one of the most commonly required licences on commercial and construction sites. If your workers are slinging loads or directing crane movements, they need a dogging licence.

Pressure Equipment

Explosive Power Tools

Reach and Lift

Amusement Devices

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Confined Space Work

Confined space entry does not require a standalone HRW licence in the same way that crane operation does — but it is regulated as high risk work under WHS laws.

Under the WHS Regulations, confined space work must be managed under a specific confined space management system, including:

• A confined space register for all identified confined spaces on site
• A confined space entry permit for each entry
• Workers trained and competent in confined space entry and rescue procedures
• A designated stand-by person outside the space
• Atmospheric testing before and during entry
• Emergency and rescue procedures in place

The specific training required for confined space work is set out in relevant standards (including Australian Standard AS 2865), and workers must have completed a recognised training course. While this is not a "licence" in the card-based HRW sense, it is a legally mandated competency with enforceable requirements.

If confined space work is a regular part of your operations — in construction, manufacturing, water treatment, utilities, or similar industries — you need a documented confined space management system that satisfies your WHS regulator.

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Asbestos Removal Licences

Asbestos removal is separately licensed under the WHS Regulations and managed differently from the HRW licence scheme.

Friable vs Non-Friable Asbestos

Class B (non-friable) covers bonded asbestos materials — asbestos cement sheets, vinyl floor tiles, gaskets. These materials do not readily release fibres when handled carefully.

Class A (friable) covers asbestos that can crumble, be reduced to powder, or release fibres. This includes pipe insulation lagging, loose-fill asbestos, and badly deteriorated bonded asbestos. Class A removal is the highest-risk asbestos work and requires more stringent controls, air monitoring, and disposal procedures.

Who Must Hold an Asbestos Removal Licence?

The business must hold the licence — unlike HRW licences, which are individual. If your business removes asbestos as a service, you must hold the relevant class of asbestos removal licence. You must also ensure that workers doing the physical removal hold individual asbestos removalist competency (which includes completing asbestos awareness and removal units of competency as part of a nationally accredited course).

DIY homeowners can remove limited amounts of non-friable asbestos in some jurisdictions, but commercial removal always requires a licensed removalist.

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Getting a High Risk Work Licence: The Process

Getting an HRW licence involves three stages:

1. Training with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO)

You must complete a nationally accredited unit of competency for the relevant licence class through a registered RTO. Courses are delivered as classroom and practical components. The RTO will issue a statement of attainment on completion.

Typical course durations:

• Dogging: 3-5 days
• Basic Scaffolding: 5-7 days
• Advanced Scaffolding: 10-14 days
• Rigging: 3-10 days depending on class
• Forklift: 1-2 days

2. Assessment by a Licensed Assessor

Some jurisdictions require a separate practical assessment by a licensed HRW assessor. This is distinct from the RTO training assessment. In jurisdictions that require an independent assessor, the assessor must hold a relevant assessor accreditation.

3. Application to the WHS Regulator

After completing training (and assessor sign-off where required), the worker applies directly to their state or territory WHS regulator for the licence. Applications typically require:

• Completed application form
• Statement of attainment from the RTO
• Assessor sign-off (where required)
• Identity documentation
• Application fee

The licence is then issued as a wallet card with an expiry date.

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Licence Validity and Renewal

Most HRW licences are valid for five years, though some jurisdictions issue shorter initial licences. Renewal requires:

• A completed renewal application before the expiry date
• Evidence of ongoing competency (some jurisdictions require refresher training or a record of recent work in the class)
• Updated application fee

A lapsed HRW licence is an unlicensed licence. A worker whose licence has expired is unlicensed for that class of work, even if they completed their training years ago. Business operators must track licence expiry dates for all workers performing HRW activities.

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State-by-State Issuing Authorities

While the licence class framework is nationally harmonised, each jurisdiction has its own application portal, fees, and processing timelines. A licence issued in one state or territory is generally recognised in others (mutual recognition applies), but you should confirm with the receiving jurisdiction when deploying workers interstate.

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Your Obligations as a Business Operator

As a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) under the WHS Act, your obligations regarding high risk work licences include:

1. Verify licences before deployment. Do not allow a worker to perform licensed work without sight of a valid licence for that class.
2. Keep records. Maintain a register of workers' HRW licences, including class and expiry date.
3. Track renewals. Implement a system to flag upcoming expiry dates so workers can renew before their licence lapses.
4. Act on expiries. If a worker's licence lapses, they must stop performing that class of licensed work immediately until the licence is renewed.
5. Check interstate licences. When engaging contractors from other states, verify their licence is valid and accepted in your jurisdiction.
6. Induction and site management. Many state regulators and principal contractors require evidence of HRW licences as part of site induction. Ensure your documentation systems can produce this evidence.

Penalties for allowing unlicensed workers to perform HRW are significant. In Queensland, for example, contravening a WHS duty that exposes workers to risk of serious injury or death can attract penalties of up to $3.85 million for a corporation and $770,000 for an individual.

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The Compliance Challenge for Multi-Trade Businesses

If you run a construction or trades business with workers across multiple licence classes — riggers, scaffolders, crane operators, forklift drivers — managing HRW licence compliance manually is error-prone. With 5-year expiry cycles across different licence classes and different workers, it's easy to lose track.

A missed renewal doesn't just create a legal exposure — it can bring your operations to a halt if a worker is stood down mid-project while they wait for a renewal to be processed.

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Stay on Top of Licence Deadlines with Reguladar

Reguladar's compliance dashboard gives Australian businesses a single view of WHS obligations — including tracking high risk work licence expiry dates for your team, upcoming renewals, and jurisdiction-specific requirements across NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, and all other states.

Stop managing licence expiry dates in spreadsheets. Start your free compliance check at Reguladar and get alerts before licences lapse — not after.