New South Wales
Three topics SafeWork NSW asks for
SafeWork NSW asks employers to build safety into the induction of every new worker, before they start their job, and to use a checklist to make it easier and more thorough. It says:
- “rights and responsibilities”
- “workplace hazards”
- “safe work procedures.”
Those are the three items SafeWork NSW lists after the words “Induction topics need to include”, in its order.
On hazards, SafeWork NSW asks employers to point out every one, even the obvious, and to explain the measures in place to minimise each. On procedures, it is firmer: “Workers must be trained in step-by-step safe work procedures.” Telling someone the steps, or handing them instructions to read, is not enough; SafeWork NSW tells employers to make sure they understand how to do the task safely.
Keeping the sheet
SafeWork NSW tells employers to keep the induction checklist on file as a record of training. It also says the employer is responsible for keeping records of the education, training and supervision given to each worker.
Victoria
WorkSafe Victoria’s seven lines
WorkSafe Victoria’s one-page workplace induction checklist, published on 14 April 2026, says all workers should get a proper health and safety induction when they start a new job, and that this matters most for young workers, who it says face the highest risk of injury during their first 6 months in a job. It calls the list a starting point to adapt to your own workplace. In its order, and in our words:
- Walk new workers through the workplace so they learn its layout.
- Introduce them to the supervisor they report to directly, to their health and safety representative (HSR) and to their workmates.
- Explain the OHS policies and procedures, including where the forms are, first aid, the emergency evacuation procedures, and who to go to with a concern.
- Explain who holds which roles and responsibilities for safety at the workplace.
- Show them how to use the equipment their job needs, safely.
- Give them the protective gear (PPE) they need, or show them where it is kept.
- After their first week, check back that they are clear on the health and safety procedures.
The checklist’s tips for young workers include giving them a ‘buddy’ for questions in their first week, putting the policies in writing for later, and checking whether a young worker has the skills or licence the equipment needs.
After day one
From induction to task training
An induction introduces the workplace; the job itself still has to be taught. SafeWork NSW says workers need supervised, hands-on training in their tasks before they start a job, and gives this general procedure for training new workers:
- “Provide an overview of each task, including if there are any safety precautions and safe work procedures.”
- “Demonstrate and describe the task, going through the steps slowly.”
- “Observe the worker on the job and check their progress.”
Safe Work Australia’s advice on young workers points the same way: “pace training over a few weeks rather than the first few days”, ask questions to check they have understood, and “have workers demonstrate tasks to check they can competently follow safety procedures.” SafeWork NSW calls following up the most important part of training: watching workers regularly to check they still follow the procedures, and holding toolbox talks.
Supervisors who are not called supervisors
SafeWork NSW notes that some workers supervise their co-workers without the title, and says that before anyone takes on supervisory tasks they need to be trained in, and understand, a supervisor’s health and safety responsibilities.
Labour hire
Two inductions for one worker
In Victoria, WorkSafe says a labour hire host has the same health and safety duties to a labour hire worker as to any other employee. Its guidance is that the labour hire provider should induct its workers, the host should give a site-specific induction when the worker starts a new role, and the host must also provide training suited to the job. Where a worker’s skills fall short of the role, WorkSafe puts the responsibility on the provider to make sure the gap is closed and that the training is actually delivered.
WorkSafe’s questions for providers checking a host’s induction include whether attendance is formally recorded and signed by both the host’s representative and the worker, and whether the worker knows how to report hazards and incidents.
Construction
The general construction induction
Construction has an induction set down in the model WHS Regulations themselves. Part 6.5 requires a PCBU to make sure a worker it engages for construction work has done general construction induction training, and it must not direct or allow them to carry out construction work until then.
Model WHS Regulations, Part 6.5, in brief
| Regulation | What it says |
|---|
| 316 | The PCBU must ensure the training is provided to a worker who has not completed it, or who completed it more than 2 years ago and has not done construction work in the preceding 2 years. |
| 317(1) | The PCBU must not direct or allow the worker to carry out construction work unless they have completed the training (and, if it was more than 2 years ago, have done construction work in the preceding 2 years). |
| 317(2) | The worker must hold a general construction induction training card, or, if they have applied but not yet received it, a certification issued within the preceding 60 days. |
| 318 | A similar card issued under another jurisdiction’s corresponding law counts, unless it has been cancelled there. |
Victoria runs its own scheme under its own law. WorkSafe Victoria says construction induction training there must be done face to face in a classroom with an approved registered training organisation, that online courses are not accepted, and that it is WorkSafe Victoria that issues the card, which it calls the white card. Elsewhere, each jurisdiction applies its own version of the Regulations, so the regulator in the table on the front sheet is the place to check.