Persons conducting businesses or undertakings (PCBUs), including mine operators, have an obligation to carefully assess the validity of qualifications, supporting documentation and training competency certificates, submitted by candidates applying for jobs in the Western Australian mining industry.
WorkSafe Mines Safety has identified instances where workers may have gained employment within the mining industry by providing allegedly fraudulent documents that included:
- underground supervisor’s certificate of competency
- paramedic qualifications
- mining engineering degree
- Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety
- national police clearance.
Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020, it is an offence for a person to provide false or misleading information or documentation in order to obtain a statutory position within a mining company. This carries an individual penalty of $12,500.
Under the Criminal Code, any person who intends to defraud by forging a record, or using a forged record, is guilty of a crime, and subject to seven years imprisonment, or two years imprisonment and a fine of $24,000 for a summary conviction.
WorkSafe recommends PCBUs and mine operators at mine sites:
- check training and recruitment documentation and assess the possibility of fraudulent qualifications or supporting documents
- develop a system of work for checking documents submitted during the recruitment process, including requesting and checking original documents rather than photocopies.
Fraudulent certificates and qualifications may have a person’s name printed off-centre or in a different font. Additionally, logos and branding, including colours, may not be quite right. The documents might look like they have been scanned or be blurry.
Anyone who has concerns about the validity of qualifications or training certificates should verify the details by contacting the provider that issued the document or the Australian Skills Quality Authority who regulate vocational education and training providers and accredit courses. Verification of qualification validity can also be undertaken utilising the online tools recently implemented by WorkSafe.
Further information
- Health and Safety Bulletin No. 5: Fraudulent qualifications in the WA mining industry for further information
- WA Online Licence Search
- Mines statutory positions register
