Health and Safety Representative (HSR) Training Courses

Regulator-approved 5-day initial and 1-day refresher HSR training
for NSW, ACT and Commonwealth workplaces. Live via Zoom, Teams or Face to Face Onsite.

Choose your HSR course from the following options:
SafeWork NSW Approved | Comcare Approved | WorkSafe ACT Approved

VIEW COURSE OPTIONS

Which HSR Course Do You Need?

HSR training is approved jurisdiction by jurisdiction. A course approved in one jurisdiction may not satisfy the requirement in another, so book the course approved by the safety regulator covering your workplace.

Not sure which applies? Your jurisdiction is set by the law covering your employer, not by where you work. Call us on 02 4382 3055 before booking and we will confirm which course you need.
REGULATOR APPROVED

Course at a Glance

Course:HSR Initial (5-Day)
Duration:5 days; approximately six hours each day. Duration may vary.
Delivery:Live via Zoom or Teams, or Onsite at Your Workplace
Certificate:Issued on Completion of the 5-Day Course
Approved By:SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe ACT & Comcare
Assessment:Informal – No Exam, No USI Required
$899 per person · GST-free course

What Is HSR Training?

HSR training is the regulator-approved course an elected health and safety representative completes in order to carry out their role under work health and safety law. The initial course runs over five days. Once completed, a trained HSR can issue a Provisional Improvement Notice and direct that unsafe work cease — two powers that are not available to an untrained representative.

A health and safety representative is elected by the members of a work group to represent that group on health and safety matters. HSRs represent workers, not management. They have functions and powers under the WHS Act, but they do not carry duties in the way a PCBU or an officer does, which means an HSR cannot be held personally liable for acting in good faith in the role.

Your Training Entitlements Under the WHS Act

Once you have been elected as a health and safety representative and you request approved training, three obligations fall on the person conducting the business or undertaking:

  • Attendance within three months. The PCBU must allow you to attend an approved course within three months of your request. This is a legislative requirement, not a guideline, and the business cannot lawfully refuse.
  • Paid time off. You are entitled to your normal pay and entitlements for the time spent in training.
  • Course costs. The PCBU must pay the course fee and reasonable associated costs.

Approved initial training prepares elected HSRs to exercise these powers as well as carry out their representative role.

What’s Involved in 5 Day HSR Training?

Day 1

Interpreting the WHS legislative framework

The structure of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the WHS Regulation. Identifying the duty holders in your organisation — the PCBU, officers, workers and others — and what each of them is legally required to do.

 

Day 2

Establishing representation in the workplace

Negotiating and establishing work groups, electing HSRs and deputy HSRs for a three-year term, how health and safety committees operate alongside representation, and the entitlements and protections that apply to an elected HSR.

 

Day 3

Participating in consultation and issue resolution

The duty to consult and the nature of consultation required under sections 47 and 48 of the WHS Act. Practical communication and negotiation technique, and working through an agreed issue resolution procedure.

Day 4

Representing your work group in WHS risk management

Hazard identification, risk assessment and the hierarchy of control. Conducting workplace inspections, understanding what triggers a notifiable incident, and participating in incident investigation.

 

Day 5

Issuing a Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN) and directing the cessation of unsafe work

The legal grounds for issuing a PIN and how to write one, what happens after a PIN is served, and the threshold for directing that unsafe work cease under sections 85 and 90 of the WHS Act.

Course Outcomes

Course Duration

Five days. Each training day runs for approximately six hours. The duration may vary depending on several factors. Applies to both face-to-face and Zoom delivery. All five days must be completed within 6 months of your first day.

 

Assessment

Assessment is informal — scenario activities and group discussion. There is no written exam and no USI number is required.

Course Awards

A Comcare approved or SafeWork NSW approved HSR training certificate is issued to all participants who complete the 5-day course. The certificate does not expire.

 

Prerequisites

None for the initial 5-day course. The 1-day refresher requires your completed initial certificate.

Three workers in hard hats and high-visibility vests reviewing plans at a construction site.

How the Course Is Delivered

Live online. The full facilitated course delivered live via Zoom or Microsoft Teams — not a self-paced module. All you need is a webcam, working audio and a stable internet connection. Suits individual representatives and teams spread across multiple sites.

Onsite at your workplace. We come to you, anywhere in New South Wales and the ACT, and nationally for workplaces under the Comcare jurisdiction. Best value once you have a group, and it lets the facilitator work through hazards that actually exist in your workplace while still meeting the approved course requirements.

Flexible scheduling. Few businesses can release a representative for five straight days. We run the course as five consecutive days, one day per week across five weeks, or split blocks such as two days then three. The only fixed constraint is finishing within six months of day one.

If you have a group of participants, talk to us about what suits you best.

Approvals and Jurisdictions

We are approved by SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe ACT and Comcare to deliver HSR training in NSW, the ACT and the Commonwealth jurisdiction.

The relevant regulator is SafeWork NSW for NSW, WorkSafe ACT for the ACT, and Comcare for Commonwealth jurisdiction workplaces.

Training is delivered through our parent company Coastal OHS Services Pty Ltd. Choose the course approved for the jurisdiction covering your workplace.

You can verify our approval on the Verify NSW RTO register, or see the SafeWork NSW approved HSR training providers page.

Six people standing together in a bright indoor workspace.

HSR Refresher Training

Health and safety representatives are entitled to a one-day refresher course each year of their term, beginning twelve months after the initial course. The refresher covers legislative developments, a review of PINs and cease-work directions, and emerging risks including psychosocial hazards.

You must have completed the initial 5-day course and be able to present your original certificate to attend.

View HSR refresher courses and dates

Course Fees

Initial course: $899 per person. GST-free course.

Over 20 Years Industry WHS Experience

Courses delivered by our parent company Coastal OHS Services Pty Ltd, ABN 57 136 902 166

HSR 5 Day Initial Training

Approved to deliver in NSW, the ACT and by Comcare for Commonwealth jurisdiction workplaces

construction site
HSR on the job

Why Train With Leading Safety Training

  • Over 20 years delivering workplace health and safety training through Coastal OHS Services Pty Ltd
  • Approved across three jurisdictions — SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe ACT and Comcare — so one provider can cover both state and Commonwealth workplaces within the same organisation
  • Facilitators with genuine industry backgrounds, qualifications and experience across a range of relevant sectors
  • Delivered conversationally — ask questions as they come up rather than saving them to the end
  • Small enough to schedule around your roster rather than the other way around

As an HSR you need to understand your functions, the safety laws that apply and how to communicate effectively to make a real difference in your workplace. Our five-day course is direct and understandable, and our goal is to make sure you leave fully aware of your role and equipped with the skills to carry it out.

Contact Us NOW

What Previous Participants Have Said

Erik has managed to deliver very dry content in an entertaining and engaging way.

Julia C

The training very much improved my understanding about powers of HSR's and Identifying Hazards.

Anthony I

Effective workgroup activities for learning the Acts and the powers of a HSR

Richard T

The Presentation, Excellent. Was not boring, Presenter explained things well and clear.

Robert G

The above video is about: A Day in the Life of a Health and Safety Representative

Frequently Asked Questions About HSR Training

What is a Health and Safety Representative?

Health and Safety Representatives, commonly referred to as HSRs, are workers elected to represent the health and safety interests of their work group. HSRs have roles and functions under the WHS Act. If they have completed a regulator-approved HSR course they also have powers to issue a Provisional Improvement Notice and to direct unsafe work to cease.

 

How do you become a Health and Safety Representative?

Anyone can nominate for the role. You become an HSR by being elected by the workers in your work group. Elections take place after agreement has been reached on the number and make-up of work groups. All work group members are entitled to vote for one or more HSRs and deputy HSRs, for a three-year term.

 

Is HSR training mandatory?

In New South Wales, the ACT and the Commonwealth jurisdiction it is an entitlement rather than an automatic requirement. But the moment an elected HSR requests approved training, section 72 of the WHS Act obliges the PCBU to allow them to attend within three months, and the business cannot refuse. Queensland and Western Australia are the exceptions, where the training is compulsory.

 

Who pays for HSR training?

The PCBU. Under section 72 the business must pay the course fee and reasonable associated costs, and you are entitled to your normal pay for the time spent training.

 

How long is the course and how long do I have to finish it?

The initial course runs over five days, with approximately six hours each day. The daily duration may vary depending on several factors. You have six months from your first day to complete all five. If you do not finish within that window you will need to start the course again.

 

What happens if I miss a day?

You will not receive the full certificate until all five days are complete. Speak to us — in most cases we can place you in the missing day on a later intake rather than repeating the whole week.

 

Do I need a USI number?

No. This is a regulator-approved course rather than a nationally accredited VET qualification, so no Unique Student Identifier is required.

 

Does the certificate expire?

No. Your initial 5-day certificate is permanent. The annual refresher is a separate entitlement, not a renewal of the initial course.

 

Can I issue a PIN without completing the training?

No. Sections 85 and 90 of the WHS Act restrict both the power to issue a Provisional Improvement Notice and the power to direct that unsafe work cease to HSRs who have completed approved training.

 

Can a manager or supervisor attend the course?

Yes, and many do — it is a thorough grounding in WHS law, duty holder obligations and consultation. But a manager cannot hold the HSR role itself. HSRs represent workers; managers consult with HSRs on behalf of the business.

 

What are the functions and powers of an elected HSR?

HSRs do not have duties under the WHS Act. They have functions and powers, which means an HSR cannot be held personally liable for anything done in good faith. Those functions and powers include:

  • Representing the safety interests and concerns of the work group
  • Communicating between management and work group members
  • Identifying potential hazards and risks in the workplace
  • Conducting health and safety workplace inspections
  • Making recommendations regarding health and safety improvements
  • Investigating incidents
  • Monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of WHS measures taken by the PCBU
  • Attending health and safety committee meetings
  • Issuing a Provisional Improvement Notice in the case of a suspected WHS breach (only if trained)
  • Directing unsafe work to cease where there is reason to believe someone is at imminent risk of serious injury (only if trained)

 

Can I complete HSR training online?

Yes. We deliver the course live via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, and also face to face onsite. It is the same approved course and the same certificate, delivered by a facilitator in real time rather than as a self-paced module. Courses can run as one block of five days, one day per week, or any combination that suits you, provided the course is completed within six months of commencement.

 

I trained before 2023 — do I need to do it again?

No, your certificate remains valid. The NSW courses were revised in 2022 and have been delivered in updated form since 2023, so the current refresher does cover material you will not have seen. Worth doing for that reason, but you are not required to repeat the five days.

 

What are the prerequisites for the refresher course?

You must have completed the initial 5-day course and present your original certificate to the trainer on the day. Without it you cannot be registered for the refresher.

 

Where do you deliver HSR training?

Anywhere in New South Wales and the ACT, and nationally for Comcare jurisdiction workplaces.

 

How much does the 5 Day HSR course cost?

The initial five-day HSR course costs $899 per person and is GST-free. View course options or call 02 4382 3055.

Useful Resources

SafeWork NSW approved HSR training providers

Find an approved HSR training provider — Verify NSW

Health and safety representative’s toolkit — SafeWork NSW

Health and safety representatives (HSRs) — Comcare

Health and safety representatives and work groups — Safe Work Australia

List of current and former self-insurers — SRCC

Book your HSR training in NSW, the ACT or the Commonwealth jurisdiction.

Call us

02 4382 3055

info@leadingsafetytraining.com

HSR Training Approvals

SafeWork NSW
WorkSafe ACT
Comcare

Course Fees

Initial course: $899 per person
GST-free course