High Risk Work Licence - Personnel and Materials Hoist (HP) exam-day guide
High Risk Work Licence - Personnel and Materials Hoist (HP) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Current government-issued photo ID
Bring original ID (driver licence or passport), not a photocopy or phone image. The name must match your booking exactly, including middle names. Accepted ID forms vary between registered training organisations, so confirm the list with your provider before the day. [needs_review - confirm accepted ID with the provider]
Booking confirmation and assessment notice
Print or download the confirmation showing your booking reference, unit of competency, start time and venue address. If the assessment is held at a worksite rather than a training yard, check whether the address differs from your usual training location.
Correct PPE - hard hat, high-visibility clothing, safety boots, gloves
Boots must be lace-up safety footwear with intact soles; thongs, sneakers and shorts are commonly refused. Bring your own PPE even if the provider supplies spares, because fit and condition are your responsibility. [needs_review - confirm whether the provider supplies any PPE]
Eye and hearing protection
Hoist machinery and rack-and-pinion drives are noisy, and some tasks involve handling wire rope, lubricants or debris. Bring your own eye protection and hearing protection if you have them.
Logbook or training record
Bring any logbook, record of supervised operating hours or training record your trainer has issued. Whether hours must be logged before assessment depends on your state or territory regulator. [needs_review - confirm logbook requirements with the provider]
Work clothing suitable for an outdoor yard
Assessment is usually run outdoors on a hoist structure, so dress for sun, wind and rain. Bring a hat that fits under your hard hat, a rain jacket if permitted, and sunscreen. Loose clothing that can catch on gates or machinery should be avoided.
Water, food and any prescribed medication
Sessions can run long because you may wait for other candidates on the same hoist. Bring water, a snack and any medication you take during the day. Tell the assessor privately if you have a condition that could affect safe operation.
Pen and notebook
You may need to write notes during the briefing, complete a pre-start checklist, or record defects in a logbook. Bring your own pen because loan pens are often unavailable on site.
Confirm which hoist and equipment you will be assessed on
Ask in advance whether the assessment uses the provider's hoist or a site hoist, and what configuration it is in. Knowing the make, the rated capacity and the control layout in advance reduces surprises. [needs_review - confirm equipment details with the provider]
Charged phone, switched to silent or off during the assessment
You need the phone for travel and emergency contact, but assessments are normally conducted without phone use. Confirm the provider's phone policy at the briefing rather than assuming.
Read any site induction or safety information sent in advance
If the provider emails a site induction, hazard map or candidate handbook, read it before the day. Signing in and completing a site induction is typically part of the assessment morning and takes time.
Plan the day
Reconfirm the booking, venue address, start time and arrival time by phone or email, and check whether the assessment is at a yard or a live worksite. Confirm what PPE and ID the provider requires, and ask about logbook or supervised-hour requirements if you are unsure. [needs_review - policies differ by state and provider]
Re-read your training notes on pre-start checks, rated capacity and load charts, landing and gate interlocks, emergency lowering and the standard hand signals used on hoists. Practise saying the pre-start check sequence out loud, because assessors often expect you to verbalise it.
Physically prepare your PPE: check boot soles, hard hat condition and shell damage, high-visibility clothing, and that gloves and eye protection are clean and undamaged. Replace anything defective now rather than on the morning.
Plan the journey, including parking, site entry procedures and traffic. Allow at least 30 to 45 minutes more than the estimated travel time, and check whether the site requires a safety induction or sign-in before you reach the yard.
Pack your bag: ID, booking confirmation, PPE, pen and notebook, logbook or training record, water, food and medication. Leave the bag by the door so nothing is forgotten in the morning.
Do a short, calm revision session focused on the areas you find hardest, such as reading a load chart, wind restrictions, or what to do if a limit switch or gate interlock fails. Stop revising early and get a normal night's sleep.
Avoid alcohol, and avoid starting any new medication that could affect alertness unless your doctor has cleared it. Fatigue and hangovers are legitimate grounds for a provider to refuse to assess you.
Eat breakfast, take prescribed medication, and leave with enough margin to arrive early. Ring the provider if you are delayed or unable to attend, rather than arriving late without notice.
On arrival, sign in, present your ID, complete any site induction or declaration form, and put on your PPE before entering the yard. Listen carefully to the assessor's briefing on boundaries, exclusion zones, emergency stops and what to do if something goes wrong.
Before touching the hoist, confirm with the assessor that you may begin, then carry out and verbalise your pre-start inspection: mast and ties, gates and landing doors, interlocks, ropes, brakes, limit switches, controls, signage and the logbook.
Work at a steady pace. State what you are checking and why, confirm the load or passengers against the rated capacity before moving, close and secure gates, and use the agreed signals with your spotter or landing attendant.
If the assessor introduces a fault or emergency scenario, stop, secure the hoist, and talk through the correct response before acting. If any instruction is unclear, ask for clarification instead of guessing.
At the end, park and secure the hoist as instructed, isolate where required, complete the logbook or defect report, and return equipment. Then complete any written or verbal knowledge questions and ask the assessor when results will be issued.
Rules to check
Bring original photo ID matching your booking name. If you cannot produce acceptable ID, the provider may refuse to assess you and you could forfeit the fee. [needs_review - confirm the provider's ID and refusal policy]
Follow all site safety instructions and the assessor's directions at all times. If you believe a task is unsafe, stop and raise it with the assessor rather than continuing; stopping for safety is not normally penalised, but ignoring a hazard can be.
Phones must be silent or switched off during the assessment unless the assessor permits otherwise. Written notes, recording or photographing assessment materials is usually prohibited. [needs_review - confirm the provider's policy]
You must be fit for work. Do not attend under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or while impaired by fatigue or illness. Providers commonly have the right to remove you from the assessment in these circumstances.
You are generally required to demonstrate competence in every element of the assessment, and a critical safety error such as bypassing an interlock or overloading the hoist can result in a not-yet-competent outcome regardless of other performance. [needs_review - confirm the scoring and critical-error rules with the provider]
Ask about breaks and timing at the briefing. Assessment days often involve waiting while other candidates use the hoist; you are normally expected to remain on site and contactable rather than leaving. [needs_review - confirm break and absence rules with the provider]
If you have literacy, language or a medical or accessibility need, raise it with the provider before the assessment day so reasonable adjustments can be arranged. Adjustments must not compromise the safety-critical parts of the assessment.
Do not discuss or share assessment questions or scenarios with other candidates during the day. Treat the assessment content as confidential to the provider.