Do you need both a White Card and Working at Heights training?
How construction induction and working-at-heights training fit together, and when a worker may need one or both.
Written byEdway
The short answer
You will generally need both if you work on a construction site and your job involves a fall risk. A White Card covers construction induction. Working at Heights covers the task.
White Card is not a prerequisite for the Working at Heights course itself.
What each course does
| Course | Unit | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| White Card | CPCWHS1001 | Basic construction health and safety induction |
| Working at Heights | RIIWHS204E | Identifying fall hazards, choosing controls and working safely at height |
The courses are not substitutes. They answer different safety needs.
When you need both
You may need both when the work is construction work and the task exposes you to a fall risk. Examples include roof work, scaffold-related tasks and some plant or structure maintenance.
The White Card gets you ready for construction work. Working at Heights gives you task-specific training for fall hazards and controls.
Your employer or site controller decides whether the role requires the heights unit. Training does not replace the site's own safe-work procedures.
When one course may be enough
You may need only a White Card when you will do construction work but no working-at-heights task.
You may need only Working at Heights when the task is in a non-construction workplace. Warehouses, facilities and industrial sites can still have fall risks without the work being construction work.
Always check the job, site and employer requirements before booking.
No enrolment prerequisite
You do not need a White Card to enrol in RIIWHS204E. The Working at Heights course has no formal training prerequisite.
That does not remove a White Card requirement at a construction workplace. It only means the cards do not have to be completed in a set training order.
What you receive
Each course has its own outcome. White Card training leads to the construction induction credential for the state where you train.
Working at Heights leads to a nationally recognised Statement of Attainment for RIIWHS204E. It is not a high risk work licence.
Next step
Start with White Card if you need construction induction. Choose Working at Heights when the job or site also requires fall-risk training.
Sources
- Safe Work Australia — Construction work: Model Code of PracticeThe construction-induction role of White Card training
- Safe Work Australia — Managing the risk of falls at workplaces: Model Code of PracticeThe wider duty to manage fall risks at workplaces
- training.gov.au — CPCWHS1001 and RIIWHS204EThe nationally recognised unit titles and outcomes
