What is a high risk work licence?
A high risk work licence is a licence issued by your state or territory regulator for work with a high risk of injury or death. SafeWork NSW says there are 29 classes, and that high risk work includes operating specified machinery, erecting scaffolding and doing dogging or rigging work. WorkSafe WA says the licence is recognised across all Australian states and territories.
It is different from a unit of competency. A statement of attainment shows you were assessed on a skill. A licence is the regulator’s permission to do the work, and it is what a site checks first. You can work without a licence while training for one, but only under the supervision of a licence holder.
Which HRWL classes matter in mining?
Which classes a site wants depends on its plant and tasks, so ask your employer or the labour hire company before you pay for a course. These are the classes most likely to come up around mine site plant, lifting and maintenance work, as defined by SafeWork NSW and WorkSafe WA.
| Class | Licence | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| LF | Forklift truck | Forklift with a mast and fork arms or other attachment. LO covers order-picking forklifts. |
| DG | Dogging | Slinging loads, selecting and inspecting lifting gear, and directing a crane or hoist operator when the load is out of their view. You must hold DG before the rigging classes. |
| RB / RI / RA | Basic, intermediate and advanced rigging | Rigging work, such as setting up cranes and hoists. Each level includes the one below it. Intermediate covers rigging involving cranes, conveyors, dredges and excavators. |
| SB / SI / SA | Basic, intermediate and advanced scaffolding | Erecting and dismantling scaffolding. Each level includes the one below it. |
| WP | Boom-type elevating work platform | Boom length of 11 metres or more. Scissor lifts do not need a high risk work licence in Victoria. |
| CN | Non-slewing mobile crane | Capacity greater than 3 tonnes, with a boom or jib that cannot slew. |
| C2 / C6 / C1 / C0 | Slewing mobile cranes | Up to 20 t (C2), 60 t (C6), 100 t (C1) and over 100 t (C0). Each higher class includes the lower ones. |
| CV | Vehicle loading crane | Capacity of 10 metre tonnes or more, mounted on a vehicle to load or unload it. |
| RS | Reach stacker | Greater than 3 t capacity, used to lift and move shipping containers. |
| CT / CS / CD / CP / CB | Tower, self-erecting tower, derrick, portal boom, bridge and gantry cranes | Specialist crane classes, mostly construction and fixed plant. |
| HM / HP | Materials hoist, personnel and materials hoist | Hoists for goods, or for people and goods. |
| PB | Concrete placing boom | Concrete pump booms. |
A telehandler fitted with forks or a bucket does not need a high risk work licence in NSW, though the employer must make sure the operator is trained. One fitted with a personnel box and a boom of 11 metres or more needs the WP class.
Do you need a ticket to drive an excavator?
Generally no. WorkSafe Victoria says you do not need a high risk work licence to operate earthmoving equipment such as an excavator, or a scissor lift. WorkSafe Queensland says an earthmoving or particular crane certificate is no longer required to operate an excavator, including in crane mode. The operator still needs to be trained and competent, and that is what site “excavator tickets” are.
In practice the ticket people mean is a statement of attainment for a unit such as RIIMPO320 Conduct civil construction excavator operations from an RTO. The unit itself warns that licensing and certification requirements vary between states and territories and must be sourced from the state jurisdiction.
The exception: lifting with an excavator
WorkSafe WA says a high risk work licence is required to operate earthmoving machinery fitted with lifting equipment and used to suspend a load, where its safe working load is greater than 3 tonnes. That is a CN licence for non-slewing machines and a C2 licence for slewing machines such as excavators. A slewing machine operator may be exempt from C2 if they hold a Dogging licence, have completed SLELIC301 Conduct safe lifting with excavators, and can produce their statement of attainment.
SafeWork NSW notes that its slewing mobile crane classes do not include excavators and other earthmoving equipment when configured for crane operation. We did not check Tasmania or the territories, so check with the regulator there before you assume the same rule applies.
How do you get a high risk work licence?
- Train with an RTO. Complete training in the class with a registered training organisation. You must be at least 18.
- Get assessed. An accredited assessor working for the RTO assesses you. In NSW you first apply online for an assessment enrolment number and bring photo ID to the assessment.
- Collect your notice of assessment. WA issues a Notice of Assessment, NSW a Notice of Satisfactory Assessment. Keep it, because you need it to apply.
- Apply to the regulator within 60 days. Apply online to SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe WA or WorkSafe Victoria (each states 60 days). WA says applications typically take 4 to 6 weeks, and you can keep working during that time if you applied within 60 days of your assessment.
How much does a high risk work licence cost?
There are two separate costs. The first is the RTO’s training and assessment fee. It varies by class and provider, and we have not compared it, so we are not quoting a figure. The second is the regulator’s licence fee. As listed by WorkSafe Victoria on 8 October 2026: $77.70 per class for a new application, $58.70 to renew or to transfer an interstate licence. Other regulators publish their own fee schedules.
How long is a high risk work licence valid?
Five years. SafeWork NSW says a licence expires after 5 years, and that any class you add later expires at the same time as the licence. WorkSafe Victoria says you can renew in the 12 months before expiry, and that after more than 12 months expired you need documented proof of exceptional circumstances.
Other tickets often asked for alongside an HRWL
- Working at Heights (RIIWHS204E): a unit of competency, not a licence. Compare working at heights providers.
- White Card (CPCWHS1001): the construction induction card, a one-off induction rather than a licence.
- Standard 11: the Queensland coal mine induction.
- Cert planner: work out which tickets to get first for the role you want.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a high risk work licence to drive an excavator?
Generally no. WorkSafe Victoria and WorkSafe Queensland both say you do not need a licence or certificate to operate an excavator, and Queensland says that includes crane mode. The exception is Western Australia, where using an excavator to suspend a load needs a C2 or CN licence when the machine's safe working load is over 3 tonnes, unless the operator holds a Dogging licence and the SLELIC301 unit. Employers must still make sure operators are trained and competent, and many sites ask for an excavator competency such as RIIMPO320 Conduct civil construction excavator operations.
How long does a high risk work licence last?
Five years. SafeWork NSW and WorkSafe Victoria both state 5 years, and in NSW any class you add later expires with the original licence date. Renew before it expires: Victoria lets you renew in the 12 months before expiry.
Who can get a high risk work licence?
You must be at least 18 years old, complete training in the class with a registered training organisation (RTO), and be assessed as competent by an accredited assessor working for the RTO. Then you apply to the state or territory regulator.
How much does a high risk work licence cost?
There are two costs: the RTO's training and assessment fee, which varies by provider and class and which we have not compared, and the regulator's licence fee. WorkSafe Victoria lists $77.70 per class for a new licence and $58.70 to renew (checked 8 October 2026). Other states publish their own fee schedules.
Is a high risk work licence valid in every state?
Yes for the licence itself. WorkSafe WA states that a high risk work licence is recognised across all Australian states and territories. If you move, you transfer or renew through the regulator in the state you live in.
Is a high risk work licence the same as a White Card?
No. A White Card is the general construction induction card (CPCWHS1001) and is a one-off induction. A high risk work licence is class-specific, issued by the regulator after an assessment, and has to be renewed every five years.
Do I need a licence to work at heights?
Working at heights training (RIIWHS204E) is a unit of competency, not a high risk work licence. A licence only applies to specific plant such as boom-type elevating work platforms of 11 metres or more, or scaffolding work.
Sources
Last checked 8 October 2026. Rules change, so confirm with your regulator before you book.
- SafeWork NSW: High risk work licences
- WorkSafe WA: High risk work licence classes
- WA Government: Apply for a new high risk work licence
- WorkSafe WA: Earth moving machinery used as a crane (PDF)
- WorkSafe Victoria: High risk work licence
- WorkSafe Queensland: Earthmoving or particular crane occupational classes
- training.gov.au: RIIMPO320 Conduct civil construction excavator operations (PDF, release shown is RIIMPO320F)
Not sure which ticket to get first?
The cert planner shows which tickets matter for the role you want, and what they cost.
Open the cert planner