Farm safety: Farmers must have WorkSafe telehandler course by July 1

Farmers must obtain a telehandler licence from July 1, but there are no courses available in regional Victoria.

WorkSafe insists farmers must have a telehandler licence from July 1, but no regional registered training organisations run courses to obtain one.

WorkSafe is battling to find regional registered training organisations to deliver a practical, low-cost telehandler course for farmers and their workers by July 1, despite six years of negotiations.

Unlike every other state and territory, the Victorian Labor Government’s WorkSafe authority insists “people who want to operate a non-slewing telehandler with a rated capacity of more than 3 tonnes from 1 July 2024 will need the new licence – unless they have a current mobile crane high risk work licence”.

But at this stage, no regional RTOs offer the course.

The alternative of obtaining a mobile crane licence involves travelling to Melbourne or a major regional city to complete four to five days training at a cost of $2500 or more.

Victorian Farmers Federation grains group councillor Ryan Milgate said the high cost of the crane course and its focus on construction and industrial workplaces meant about 80 per cent or farm operators did not have a licence.

“I’m aware of a few people who have been sent improvement notices (by WorkSafe) and have had to get a (crane) licence,” Mr Milgate said.

He said the VFF had tried working with WorkSafe to develop an alternative telehandler licence, but “they say it’s up to the RTOs (registered training organisations) to set it up”.

So far the only RTOs registered to deliver the new telehandler course are all based in Melbourne, such as the CFMEU training unit in Port Melbourne.

CFMEU education and training unit manager Steven Deer said the course had only just been listed and was likely to run for two days at a much lower cost than the crane licence.

The Weekly Times understands WorkSafe is working with regional RTOs to try and get some regional courses up and running as soon as possible.