Verification of Competency (VOC): Free Template and Register
What a verification of competency (VOC) is, what Australian law requires, how often to do one, and a free Word VOC record and Excel register.
A verification of competency checks a worker’s evidence and ability to perform a defined task safely with the equipment and conditions at a site.
- A VOC is separate from a high risk work licence. Check current local law, mining or scheme rules and the site’s requirements before planning the assessment.
- There is no single national VOC renewal interval. The example’s 24 months is a fictional site rule; changed plant, unsafe performance or other events may require earlier review.
- Record every required item, a clear outcome and any operating restrictions. Missing evidence is not a pass; a failed essential item cannot be averaged away.
- Keep unsuccessful attempts, gap training and reassessment records. Check licence status separately even when the VOC date is current.
Set up your branded LMS and deliver training with AI
A verification of competency (VOC) checks whether a worker can perform a defined task safely with the equipment and conditions at a particular site. It brings together their existing training and licence evidence, questions about the task, and an assessor’s observations. The record states the outcome and any restrictions or further training.
Below is what a VOC is and isn't, what Australian law actually requires, how often to do one, and how to run one step by step. There's also a free Word VOC record to fill in on site and an Excel register that shows who's due next.
I'm an instructional designer at Coursebox, and I answer a lot of our support inbox. Coursebox makes compliance training software for building training and tracking who has completed it.
Download the blank VOC record (Word) to fill in on site, and the Excel register to track who's due. The example files have a completed forklift VOC, its reassessment, and a register for a mixed team of forklift, EWP and excavator operators.
Four of those requests concerned forklifts. Another 60 people requested high-risk task training without explicitly asking for assessment. These were international requests, none of the nine were Australian, and none asked for a VOC by name. The counts describe first requests to our AI course builder, not whether people assessed workers elsewhere.
The fictional example follows a forklift operator joining a construction and logistics site. It shows an initial not-yet-competent outcome, supervised gap training, and a planned reassessment two weeks later. The dates, people and identifiers are invented; the record is an example, not an actual sign-off.
What a VOC is, and what it isn't
People mix up a VOC with a licence, a course and a refresher. They do different jobs.
| Check | What it records | Who gives it | Does it expire? |
|---|---|---|---|
| High risk work licence | The person passed an assessment for a class of high risk work | The state regulator, after an accredited assessment | Yes, after 5 years |
| Unit of competency or training course | Training and assessment against the course or unit requirements | An RTO for nationally recognised units; other providers for non-accredited courses | No universal expiry; check currency and any renewal requirements |
| Verification of competency | The person can do this task, on this plant, at this site, now | An assessor your site accepts | Your site's rule sets it |
| Refresher training | The person has been reminded or updated | A trainer or the employer | Your site's rule sets it |
A workplace VOC record is not, by itself, a nationally recognised qualification or a high risk work licence. It documents the evidence for a defined task and site. A competent outcome still needs to be considered alongside the worker’s licence, the site’s authorisation process and any operating restrictions.
Is a VOC a legal requirement?
There is no single national requirement to use a form called a VOC for every task. The underlying safety duties, mining rules and contract conditions are what determine the checks you need. Model WHS laws are a starting point, not enforceable law on their own: each jurisdiction has its own legislation, and Victoria uses a separate OHS framework. Check the rules that apply to your site and work.
| Source or requirement | Scope | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Model WHS Act s19(3)(f) and Regulations r39 | Model provisions; check local law | Information, training, instruction and supervision must be suitable for the work and risks. |
| High risk work licensing | Relevant state or territory rules | Check the required licence class, current validity and evidence before allowing work. The model licence term is five years. |
| WA WHS (Mines) Regulations r675BB | Western Australian mines | Assessment before work and retraining/reassessment when plant or systems of work change. |
| Queensland mining rules | Mining and quarrying; coal has separate rules | Periodic assessment under mining and quarrying s93; coal refresher training at least every five years under s84. These are different obligations. |
| Federal Safety Commissioner criterion H16.8 | Accredited companies under the scheme | A defined system for mobile plant competence. The guidance accepts several evidence routes; it does not universally require an extra VOC after a licence. |
| Client or principal contractor | Applicable contract and site procedure | Check the required evidence, assessor criteria and interval before mobilisation. |
For example, WA mine rules require assessment before a worker starts and reassessment when plant or work systems change. Queensland mining and quarrying rules require periodic assessment, while coal rules include a separate refresher-training requirement. Those sector rules should not be read as a complete list of Australian requirements. Check the current Queensland mining and quarrying rules and the separate coal scheme for your mine.
If the work is a class of high risk work, such as operating a forklift truck, the worker needs the licence (r81) and you must see it (r85). A VOC on top checks they can do it on your plant and site. It can't stand in for a licence they don't hold.
How often should a VOC be done?
There is no single national VOC renewal interval. Use the applicable legal, contractual and site requirements, then consider the task’s risk and how regularly the person performs it. A date on a form cannot account for a changed machine or evidence of unsafe work.
- Legal requirements: check the rules for the work and jurisdiction. The five-year high risk work licence term is separate from the site’s VOC review interval.
- The client or principal contractor: if they set an interval, it's your interval on their site.
- The risk: shorten it for high-consequence plant.
- How often the person uses it: shorten it for people who operate the plant rarely.
- Events: re-verify straight away after new or changed plant, a new system of work, an incident or near miss, or time away from the task.
Write the rule and its basis down. The example register uses a fictional site’s 24-month interval; it is not a recommended default. Review the assessment sooner when changes or events require it.
Who needs a VOC
A site may use a VOC when it needs current evidence for tasks such as:
- plant and high risk work operators: forklifts, boom-type or scissor work platforms, cranes, excavators and other earthmoving plant, and telehandlers;
- work at heights and confined spaces;
- mining and quarry workers, where the law asks for assessment;
- contractors mobilising onto a construction or mine site;
- new starters, people changing to a different make or model, and people coming back after time away.
How to run a VOC
The steps use a fictional licensed forklift operator who is new to the site. Before starting, the responsible safety team approves the assessment plan, the assessor and the controls. The Word record contains eight starting theory questions and twelve observation items for a counterbalance forklift. They need adaptation to the actual truck, load and site; they are not a complete accredited assessment tool.
Step 1: Check the evidence first
Sight the licence, check its class and expiry, and look for a training record and a logbook. Then ask about recent hours on this type of plant.
The Federal Safety Commissioner’s mobile plant guidance says a supervisor’s letter alone is not acceptable evidence of competence. It also makes clear that an additional VOC is not automatically required when the accepted licence or other evidence route already satisfies the scheme. In our example, the site separately requires a practical check for new operators. The licence and training record are sighted; recent hours are recorded as self-report because no logbook is available.
Step 2: Write items for this task, at this site
The NSW Resources Regulator’s mobile plant guidance connects assessment to task performance, knowledge, site traffic rules and emergency procedures. Use those categories to check whether a generic form covers your site’s actual work.
Take the items from the plant’s manual, the relevant unit of competency and your site’s procedures: traffic controls, exclusion zones and ground conditions. Record which documents and versions the assessor used. Change the starting items whenever they fail to cover the actual task or conditions. A unit of competency can help identify the performance and knowledge evidence to check.
Step 3: Ask the theory questions
Eight short questions, answered in the worker's own words: where to find the truck's rated capacity, the pre-start check, travelling with a load, ramps, the pedestrian rule on this site, parking, what to do if the truck starts to tip, and when to stop and report. The example's answers are in the record. Mark each satisfactory or not yet satisfactory.
Step 4: Watch the real task
Observe the required work in a controlled area under the approved assessment plan, with suitable supervision and agreed stop rules. Keep deliveries and pedestrians outside the operating zone. Stop an unsafe attempt immediately; never create a dangerous situation to test a response. Emergency responses can be checked through questions or a safe scenario rather than a live emergency. Record what you saw against each item. Use observation checklists to keep the criteria and recorded evidence clear.
The forklift VOC's practical observation
Example: Fictional assessment in a controlled area, using a 2.5 t counterbalance forklift and a 1,200 kg load checked against the actual load plate.
- 1. Load position: The assessor stops the attempt before travel. NYC.
- 2. Pedestrian response: A stationary scenario reveals a gap; nobody enters the zone. NYC.
Open this example at full size
In the fictional record, the operator knows the theory answers but attempts to move before lowering the load. The assessor stops the attempt before travel. A separate stationary scenario reveals that the operator cannot identify the required pedestrian stop response. No one enters the operating zone. Both gaps are recorded as not yet competent.
Step 5: Record a clear outcome
Record the outcome against the agreed criteria. If a required item has not been observed, write Not observed and arrange the missing assessment; do not turn an empty box into a pass. Use N/A only with a reason that the assessor can justify for the task. A failed essential item cannot be averaged away by other passes. For a not-yet-competent outcome, record the training needed, who will provide it, the operating restrictions and the reassessment date.
The outcome and the gap training
Example: The first VOC, on 15 October 2026.
- 1. Outcome: not yet competent on two items.
- 2. Until reassessed: No routine operation; only separately authorised supervised training.
- 3. Gap training: Authorised training on 22 October; fictional reassessment on 29 October.
Open this example at full size
The fictional reassessment is dated 29 October 2026, after authorised supervised training on 22 October. The operator demonstrates the correct travel position and stops for two planned pedestrian-approach signals while the area stays clear. The assessor checks the two gaps and confirms that the remaining evidence is sufficient before recording Competent. The site still decides operating authorisation and restrictions.
Step 6: Put it on the register
Enter the completed VOC date, signed outcome and any reassessment appointment in their separate columns. A planned appointment is not a completed VOC. The register calculates a renewal date only from a valid Competent outcome and site interval. It flags event reviews, not-yet-competent outcomes and missing or invalid inputs. Keep every signed attempt: a later pass should not erase the earlier record and training history. A skills matrix can show wider team coverage, while this register keeps the worker-and-task evidence and dates.
The site's VOC register
Example: A mixed team on one site, with a 24-month site rule.
- 1. Operator 2 is the forklift VOC above: not yet competent until the reassessment.
Open this example at full size
| Worker and task | VOC status | Licence warning |
|---|---|---|
| Operator 1: Forklift (counterbalance) | Due soon | No expiry warning shown |
| Operator 2: Forklift (counterbalance) | Not yet competent | No expiry warning shown |
| Operator 3: Forklift (counterbalance) | Current | Expires soon |
| Operator 3: EWP (boom, over 11 m) | Overdue | Expires soon |
| Operator 4: Forklift (counterbalance) | Re-verify now | No expiry warning shown |
| Operator 5: EWP (scissor lift) | Current | No expiry warning shown |
| Operator 6: Excavator (13 t) | Current | No expiry warning shown |
| Operator 7: Forklift (counterbalance) | Not started | No expiry warning shown |
Check the separate Licence column before authorising work. A row can have a current VOC and an expired licence. The register cannot confirm that a licence is authentic, identify every licence requirement or grant permission to operate. It has 50 prepared rows; if you add more, extend the formulas, validation and summary ranges.
Who can assess a VOC
Choose an assessor who meets the applicable legal, scheme and site requirements, has relevant plant competence and can judge the evidence. Record their credentials and the basis of their authorisation. A universal assessor rule would miss the different schemes.
- For a formal non-RTO VOC under the Federal Safety Commissioner guidance, the assessor needs the specified assessment competence and relevant plant competence. The guidance names TAEASS402, a superseded equivalent or a higher qualification, and permits a team to meet the criteria collectively. Check the current scheme’s acceptance of the person’s credentials.
- In Queensland coal mines, the training scheme must appoint people competent to provide training and assess workers.
Give the assessor enough independence to record an unsuccessful result. Experience with the plant does not by itself establish assessment competence, and an assessment qualification does not by itself establish competence on the plant.
Coursebox can hold theory questions and learner-submitted evidence in facilitator-marked assignments. An assessor still needs to conduct and sign the practical check separately; an online quiz or AI grade cannot verify safe operation. Keep the signed record and use the register for VOC dates. Current support guidance says Coursebox has no native VOC expiry or re-verification reminder workflow.
Common VOC mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Treating the licence as the VOC | Someone licensed years ago operates unfamiliar plant on a busy site | Watch them do the task on your plant |
| Generic items | The VOC misses what causes incidents on your site | Write items from the manual, the unit and the site's rules |
| A letter instead of an assessment | Nothing shows they can do it | Observe and record it |
| No clear outcome | Nobody knows whether they may operate | Record competent or not yet competent |
| No gap plan | Not yet competent becomes permanent, or is ignored | Training, by whom, by when, and a reassessment date |
| Ignoring events | A current VOC on old plant gives false confidence | Re-verify after new plant, incidents and time away |
The resources are version 1.1, reviewed on 23 October 2026. The register was tested in Excel for Windows; other spreadsheet applications and versions are unverified. The PDFs are static.
Running VOCs on your site
Start with the applicable site requirements and a licensed, trained worker where the task requires it. Approve the assessor and assessment plan, gather evidence safely, and record the result and any restrictions. Follow unsuccessful assessments with authorised training and reassessment. Keep the signed records and review dates together so a current-looking date never hides missing evidence. Include the record trail in your training audit so someone can trace the current outcome back to its evidence.
To build the training that comes before and after each VOC, and track who has completed it, start with Coursebox's compliance training software.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no single national duty to use a form called a VOC for every task. Applicable safety law, sector rules, schemes and contracts determine the checks needed. Model WHS laws are not enforceable on their own; check your jurisdiction and industry.
There is no single national VOC renewal interval. Use the applicable rules and your approved site procedure. The example uses a fictional 24-month rule; it is not a default recommendation. Review sooner when changes or events call the evidence into question.
Use an assessor who meets the applicable site, scheme and legal requirements and has relevant assessment and plant competence. Federal Safety Commissioner guidance gives specific requirements for formal non-RTO assessments, including a team route.
No. A workplace VOC record documents evidence for a task and site. It does not replace the high risk work licence required for the work or the site’s operating authorisation.
Verification of competency: a documented assessment of a worker against defined task requirements. Do not confuse it with a statutory certificate of competency for certain mining roles.
Carolina Martin
Carolina is a highly experienced learning designer with tech start-up experience. She is based in Sydney and previously designed courses alongside Coursebox founder Travis in a previous job. She is passionate about delivering engaging learning experiences and brings the same perspective to customer experience too. She manages our customer support documentation and product testing processes.
