User:Craig Eiszele/sandbox

Overview of conducting a Verification of Competency (VOC)
A Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU), contractor or employer may request evidence that a worker has the knowledge and skills to perform a task in their workplace to the required current industry standard in Australia. A robust and stringent VOC system will expose any deficiencies in a person’s ability to conduct a required task and meet competency standards regardless of how their competency, qualification or licence was obtained.

Verification of Competency (VOC) assessment is a pathway that employers should take to confirm that staff are competent operators. This competency assessment is a method to insure that staff can operate machinery safely and in accordance with site requirements. VOC also means a substantial dollar saving by having operators assessed to confirm competency before operating equipment rather than learning later that an individual's competency for operating equipment is insufficient and valuable machinery has been damaged due to poor operator skills and knowledge.

Aim of VOC
Employers can be confidentin the knowledge that current and potential employees possess the knowledge and skills to conduct tasks in a safe and skilful manner. All relevant tasks are verified against the current national competency standards / benchmarks stated in the unit of competency. Employers can also specify to incorporate a worker’s employability skills into the VOC process. These skills are embedded into a unit of competency and beneficial to the employer to substantiate the worker’s productivity, self-management, problem-solving and initiative.

Koolat Safety

Operator competency
From 1 January 2012 it is the duty of a PCBU to ensure competency of the operator when plant is operated, so far as is reasonably practicable.When determining an operator's competency a PCBU can use the following as evidence of competency:
 * a previous certificate of competency issued under the repealed Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 2008 by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland for the relevant item of plant
 * a statement of attainment or other nationally recognised qualification for the type of plant they will be operating
 * completed training at an industry training school, or an industry competency card for the relevant item of plant
 * on-the-job training by an experienced and competent person which can be verified by logbooks or previous employer references
 * a PCBU can also provide structured in-house training to operators in the use of a particular plant if resources are available at a workplace.

Evidence of competency should be kept on file as a record in the event of an incident. The State of Queensland (Department of Justice and Attorney-General)