Does confined space training expire?
The Model Code of Practice for Confined Spaces makes no reference to training expiring so does it expire? This article explores the facts and the fiction about confined space training.
Repeating Confined Space training
The following documents provide no clear indication of how often to repeat training:
- The Code of Practice for Confined Spaces (Dec 2022).
- Australian Standard AS 2865-1995 Safe Working in a Confined Space.
- Code of Practice for how to manage work health and safety risks
- Code of Practice for Construction Work (Aug 2019)
So how do you determine how often to repeat training?
Like so many things these days the requirement for confined space training is based on risk.
Risk related requirements
From the Code of Practice for Confined Spaces it states:
The PCBU must ensure that information, training or instruction provided to a worker are suitable and adequate having regard to:
Code of Practice for Confined Spaces, Dec 2022, Sect 1.4 Information, training, instruction and
− the nature of the work carried out by the worker
− the nature of the risks associated with the work at the time of the information, training and instruction, and
− the control measures implemented.
supervision
From this you can see that training is relevant, but that frequency will be based on the risk, the nature of the work and the control measures implemented. So the lower the risk, the less training will be required. The higher level of control you have in place the less training will be required. An example of this potential difference is having senior supervision managing a confined space entry compared to remote work by a couple of workers.
Myth
So where does the requirement for repeating training come from? We honestly don’t know where it came from. It may be historical, but we know who is perpetuating it. It’s those that stand to make the most money from it. Yes, that’s right. It’s the training companies. Their advertising is awash with it. Whether it’s implied or just plain stated, it’s those guys who keep telling us you need to get more training.
Summary
Confined Space training does not expire. And there is no prescribed frequency for refresher Confined Space training. There is a requirement that all whose work involves Confined Spaces are trained.
In terms of repeating training:
Determine the level of risk (you can use our free register) and then establish an appropriate routine or set of rules for when confined space training needs to occur and abide by it. If you decide that you aren’t going to conduct regular refresher training, then beware. This will only be sufficient where:
- the organisation is carefully monitoring the competence of workers
- the confined space work is routine, regular and dealing with the same type of risks each time.
- the organisation has no confined space incidents
- there is no changes to legislation or industry best practice
If any of the above is untrue, then you will need to provide additional training.
2 Comments
Elizabeth · January 30, 2025 at 12:08 am
Where does the requirement for repeating training come from? It’s not a myth at all – it comes from within both the Code of Practice AND AS 2865.
AS2865 states that ‘persons should be reassessed at appropriate intervals, to confirm ongoing competency relevant to their tasks associated with confined spaces. A person should be retrained whenever they cannot demonstrate ongoing competency’.
The Model Code of Practice also states ‘Retraining or refresher training should be provided as appropriate for a particular workplace. The frequency of this training depend on how often workers are required to carry out tasks associated with entry to or work in confined spaces’.
It’s clear that maintaining competency beyond initial training is expected within the Standards, and that the CoP recommends retraining at a frequency suited to the specific workplace. While neither give any concrete examples of frequency, it is typical industry approach to complete this every two years – as acknowledged through the recommendations made by the Working at Heights Association Australia (https://waha.org.au/faq/)
admin · July 5, 2025 at 1:20 am
I agree with everything you said, especially that there is no concrete frequency defined. Guidance from WAHA does not constitute a requirement. Even guidance from SafeWork Australia wouldn’t constitute a requirement unless it was in legislation or a code of practice. My real objection is more around the training organisations who define the frequency. It is not their place to do so and the information they provide is often misleading and self-serving.