WHS & First Aid
HSR Refresher Course - Health and Safety Representative Queensland - 1 Day
About this course
HSR Refresher Course - Health and Safety Representative Queensland - 1 Day
Refresher - Health and Safety Representative (HSR) Training
Approved Provider of Workplace Health & Safety Queensland's (WHSQ) Accredited Program
The term of office for an elected HSR is generally 3 years. A new election process must be conducted to either re-elect the current HSR or elect a new one.
The 1-day Health and Safety Representative (HSR) Refresher course is designed to renew the knowledge and skills that HSRs acquired during their initial 5-day training course.
Refresher Course Guidance:
- To be completed annually (no strict deadline):
Under the Work Health & Safety Regulations, HSRs are entitled to attend this refresher course at least once every 12 months, with the entitlement commencing 12 months after their initial five-day training. While there is no strict deadline for completion, it is important for HSRs to complete the refresher as soon as reasonably possible each year to ensure they stay updated with essential practices. - PCBU entitlement and compliance:
A PCBU (Person Controlling a Business Undertaking) must provide HSR Refresher training after the 12-month mark if requested, as this is an entitlement. WHSQ may impose penalties on a PCBU if they do not ensure that HSRs complete their required training, including the annual refresher course. - Re-elected HSRs:
An HSR who is re-elected is not required to complete the 5-day training course again. Instead, they are entitled to complete the annual 1-day refresher training to ensure they remain up-to-date with the requirements of their role. This also applies to HSRs who have taken a break from the role. - Refresher training prior to the 12-month mark:
A participant may choose to complete the 1-day refresher training before the 12-month mark without needing approval from WHSQ; however, the PCBU's entitlement obligation does not commence until after 12 months. No exemptions required:
There is no longer a requirement to seek an exemption from WHSQ if more than 12 months have passed since a participant’s last HSR training.
For more information and examples, please visit the WorkSafe Qld HSR Training website.
Based on the above, the only pre-course evidence requirement is that a participant can produce previous HSR accreditation (for either the 5-day course or the 1-day course).
WorkSafe Connect has been delivering workplace health and safety training for over 15 years and is one of Queensland’s leading suppliers of HSR training courses. We offer this program in Townsville, Brisbane, onsite, and online, with a focus on engaging and practical training.
Available Dates
Townsville Training
Bayswater Road, Garbutt, Townsville, QLD 4814
8:30am – 4:30pm 30th July 2025
8:30am – 4:30pm 31st July 2025
8:30am – 4:30pm 28th August 2025
8:30am – 4:30pm 25th September 2025
8:30am – 4:30pm 23rd October 2025
Brisbane Training
Construction Training Centre, 460-492 Beaudesert Road, Salisbury, Brisbane, QLD 4107
8:30am – 4:30pm 1st August 2025
8:30am – 4:30pm 7th August 2025
8:30am – 4:30pm 26th August 2025
8:30am – 4:30pm 8th September 2025
8:30am – 4:30pm 30th September 2025
Have you considered Online Training?
Be guided by our expert trainers conveniently at your workplace or home.
CSQ Funding Options
You may be eligible to receive Construction Skills Queensland funding for this course if you are a worker or an apprentice / trainee in the building and construction industry.
Reviews and testimonials
Course Details
Existing Health and Safety Representatives are entitled to attend a 1-day HSR Refresher course at least every 12 montths.
During the HSR Refresher course, students will cover the following topics:
- Overview of the WHS legislative framework
- Duties of various parties
- Key WHS terminology
- The role of WHSQ and penalties for non‐compliance
- Requirements and mechanisms for consultation in the workplace on work health and safety issues
- The role, entitlements and protections available for HSRs and Health and Safety Committees (HSCs)
- Resolving workplace health and safety issues through negotiation and conflict resolution
- Identifying hazards and ways in which they can be eliminated or minimised
- Incident notification and investigation
- Issuing Provisional Improvement Notices (PINs) and directing unsafe work to cease.
Our experienced trainer assessors, who have or continue to work in safety roles within industry, have strong knowledge of relevant legislation, regulations and industry standards that will support you throughout the training.
All assessments in this course are open book and students will have access to all learning materials such as legislation, codes of practice and student notes.
WorkSafe Connect is able to offer this course
- Face to Face – Public Courses (Brisbane and Townsville)
- Face to Face – Onsite (at your site / workplace)
- Virtual – Video – Led Instructor Based Training (live)
If you would like to discuss delivery options in more detail then please get in contact with us.
Successful participants will receive an updated Workplace Health and Safety Queensland Health and Safety Representative Training Certificate. This certificate is issued by WorkSafe Connect (RTO 31385) in our capacity as an approved provider of this course on behalf of the Queensland Government (Workplace Health and Safety Queensland).
WorkSafe Connect offers both the full HSR course which requires 5 days of training as well as the HSR refresher course which takes 1 day of training.
If you have any questions regarding which Health and Safety Representative course is most suitable for you then please get in touch with a member of the WorkSafe Connect team today.
Under the conditions stipulated by Workplace Health & Safety Queensland (WHSQ), students must supply their previous HSR certificate.
Students must bring with them to the course three (3) items of original identity evidence. A copy of each must be sighted by the WorkSafe Connect trainer.
Most students bring their drivers licence, Medicare card and a credit / debit card with them on the day which satisfies the identity requirements.
For the full list items that are acceptable identity evidence by WHSQ, please click here.
You may be eligible to receive CSQ funding for this course (WHSQHSRNCB02) if you work in the building & construction industry in Queensland. Students are only eligible for CSQ funding 90 days prior to the anniversary date of the previous training.
If eligible, you will receive funding of $268.00, which means an out of pocket expense of $77.00.
For further details, please click here or get in touch with us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes.
Newly appointed HSR’s (from 29 July 2024 onwards) must complete their training within 28 days of their election (the previous period was 3 months).
If a worker chooses not to undertake the training within the time period, they will no longer be eligible to fulfill the role of HSR and will need to be replaced.
The primary role of a health and safety representative (HSR) is to represent the health and safety interests of a work group and to raise any issues with their employer.
There can be as many HSRs and deputy HSRs as needed, after consultation, negotiation and agreement between workers and the employer, or persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU).
12 months.
From 29 July 2024 onwards, existing HSRs must now complete HSR refresher training every 12 months after the initial training (the previous period was every 3 years).
We have sought clarification from WHSQ regarding the new 12-month refresher requirement – if you are a current HSR and it has been more than 12 months since your last HSR course (initial or refresher), you should complete the 1-day refresher program as soon as practicable.
Yes.
Existing HSRs must now complete HSR refresher training every 12 months after the initial training (the previous period was every 3 years).
We have sought clarification from WHSQ regarding the new 12-month refresher requirement – if you are a current HSR and it has been more than 12 months since your last HSR course (initial or refresher), you should complete the 1-day refresher program as soon as practicable.
The role of a HSR is generally limited to their own work group unless:
- there is a serious risk to health or safety (created by an immediate hazard) affecting workers from another work group
- a worker in another work group asks for the HSR's assistance, and the HSR for that other work group is found to be unavailable.
An elected HSR is entitled to perform the following tasks for the work group:
- undertake workplace inspections
- review the circumstances of workplace incidents
- accompany a WHSQ inspector during an inspection
- represent the work group in health and safety matters
- attend an interview about health and safety matters with a worker from the work group (with the consent of the worker)
- request that a health and safety committee be established
- participate in a health and safety committee
- monitor compliance measures
- investigate work health and safety complaints from work group members
- inquire into any risk to the health and safety of workers in the work group
- issue provisional improvement notices and direct a worker to cease unsafe work (where the HSR has completed the approved training).
A HSR is not personally liable for anything done, or not done, in good faith while carrying out their role. However any person adversely affected by a decision or action of a HSR can apply to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to have them disqualified.
