CICA CrewSafe
A High-Risk Work Licence (HRWL) is currently the only requirement for crane operators to commence operating cranes, irrespective of experience. High-Risk Work Licences (HRWL) are issued by state regulators but recognised nationally. Public and private Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) offer HRWL courses and testing, and the quality of the training varies.
The health and safety issue is that currently, a HRWL is only an entry requirement into industry and experience in the industry or with crane operation is not a mandated requirement
CICA Crewsafe
Essentially, anybody can become a crane operator by sitting a written test.
To combat this, construction sites often require a HRWL to be supplemented with a Verification of Competency (VOC). Content for VOCs is currently undefined and unregulated. However, the goal of VOCs is to assess crane operators on specific equipment types, i.e. All Terrain Cranes, Crawler Cranes and Rough Terrain Cranes. Most construction sites have a preferred VOC provider which results in numerous VOCs being completed for the same operator on the same crane for different job sites. CICA, as the peak crane industry body, has worked with crane owners, equipment manufacturers, rigging equipment retailers, CraneSafe Assessors, tier-one construction companies, regulators and qualified training assessors both nationally and internationally to develop a standardised assessment program that is machine-specific, impartial and peer-assessed. The consensus was that the solution for the crane industry is CrewSafe. This assessment module uses an app for documenting evidence of competency. Each operator is assessed using the same criteria, and by demonstrating those criteria on a specific make and model of crane, the operator’s familiarity with unique functions are confirmed. Operators are assessed by peer operator assessors who are experts in handling a specific crane. Photo and video evidence of the assessments being successfully completed ensures impartiality and provides a frame of reference that is universally accessible by site supervisors.