Do I need a Licence for that?
“[dropcap]D[/dropcap]o I need a licence to use that?” is question which we often get asked, especially about some of our larger equipment items which look a little imposing. The short answer to this question is, “no”. The only time that we will require you to provide a licence is if you have not hired from us previously and we will require a driver’s licence to enter you as a customer.
Here comes the slightly longer answer!
Elevating work platforms such as cherry pickers, scissor lifts, vertical masts, knuckle booms etc are covered by regulations that can require High Risk work licences. The need for a licence however only becomes a requirement once the platform height is at 11m or higher. For this reason, our Snorkel Cherry Picker and Nifty Lift Cherry Picker intentionally have platform heights of 10.6m and 10.2m respectively. Our 5.8m, 6m & 8m scissor lifts also do not require a licence to operate them.
While a licence is not required, the regulation also states that elevating work platforms can only be used by personal operators who are competent or commercial operators who are trained in the use of the particular elevating work platform. Often this can be covered with sufficient instruction prior to use.
Scaffolding is also covered by regulations which can require a High Risk work licence. When assembling H Frame scaffold, Aluminum Towers or Aluminium Hallway Towers for example, any platform that is at a height of 4m or over must only be assembled by a person with a scaffold licence. Any scaffold with a platform height of less than 4m can be assembled by a competent person in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
All scaffold supplied by Centenary Hire is accompanied by printed manufacturer’s assembly and disassembly instructions as well as an intended tower design diagram for aluminium towers.
Drain cleaning equipment is covered by licencing requirements as well. Our Electric Eel Drain Cleaner, Hydro-Jet Drain Cleaner and Drain Rods cannot be used in sewage pipes unless the operator has the appropriate licence, for example a plumber. A licence is not required however, to use these items in storm water drains.
What about the big stuff like earthmoving equipment? This includes our 1T Compact Excavator, 1.5T Compact Excavator, Bobcat S70 Skid Steer Loader and the Kanga Mini Loaders. The good news here is that there is not a regulation which requires an operator to be licenced. Again, it comes back to requiring that the operator be competent.
Earthmoving equipment used to be covered by its own licencing categories and in many cases the element that would determine whether or not a licence was required was the machines hydraulic flow rate. When the regulations changed to the current High Risk Work licencing system this determination was no longer used and as a result many earthmoving machines, including some much larger than the items mentioned, were not categorised as high risk work items meaning that a licence is not required to operate them. Thankfully for the safety of everyone, operators of the big stuff in most cases will be required to prove their competency before operating the equipment in a commercial capacity. This can be done by producing an old type licence or a current certificate of competency from a registered training organisation.
It is important to note that if any of these machinery items were to be used in a public thoroughfare such as a roadway or foot path for example, then they need to have a conditional registration which is obtained in the same way which you register a motor vehicle at the Queensland Dept of Transport.
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Centenary Hire is a Tradesmen & Weekend Warrior’s best friend. Our ever increasing range of hire equipment consists of modern tools, machinery, scaffold, access equipment and site services all of which are aimed at helping you get the job done right – the first time. Our friendly staff can help you to choose the right equipment for your project or you can view & book your equipment online now atwww.CentenaryHire.com.au. Drop into our store at Sumner Park or request an equipment delivery as our efficient transport service extends well beyond the limits of Brisbane on a daily basis.
