I'm a rural retailer. What training do I need?

There are requirements under WorkSafe for training and/or certification - these are listed below.  But more importantly, you have a responsibility to know the rules about who can purchase hazardous substances and what evidence of competency they may need to provide. The rules are quite complicated but our decision tree for retailers will help you know what to check.
 

General WorkSafe requirements

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, all workers must have the training and supervision they need to operate safely with and around hazardous substances ie to be a competent agrichemical user. If workers don’t have the knowledge and experience they need, they must be supervised by someone who does. 
Your training and instruction should cover:

• information on the hazards of the products you are using (eg labels, SDSs and HazNotes)
• training on how to manage the risks associated with the products you are using (eg a Growsafe course)
• specific training in your workplace procedures (eg your emergency plan or operating procedures for PPE maintenance)
• practice in safely using any equipment, machinery and PPE, and a period of practical experience under supervision.

If you change jobs, you will need to receive site-specific induction and supervision in the new workplace. Training is not a one-off obligation. Your PCBU needs to ensure your knowledge and skills are still current and up-to-date. More information can be found in WorkSafe’s Quick Guide to Information, training and instruction for workers handling hazardous substances.

Certified Handler (previously Approved Handler)

Certified handler is a HSW Act control specific to some classes of products.  A certified handler is someone qualified to handle very toxic substances.  A certified handler may also provide guidance and assistance to other people handling the substances. You need to be a certified handler if you are responsible for the storage, handling or sale of highly toxic products  such as Paraquat or Counter 20G that have the following hazard classifications:

• Acutely toxic category 1 (HSNO class 6.1A)
• Acutely toxic category 2 (HSNO class 6.1B).

The Growsafe Supplier certificate  is a tailored course for rural retail staff. It not only covers the required content for Certified Handler with a specific focus on agrichemicals and other products found in a rural retail store, but provides information that will help you ensure your customers/agrichemical users are getting the right information.