What's in this template?
This WHS Induction Checklist gives Australian healthcare practices a complete, structured induction for any new worker. It evidences the PCBU's discharge of section 19(3)(f) of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 — the duty to provide information, training, instruction and supervision necessary to protect workers from risks arising from work.
The checklist covers 10 sections spanning pre-commencement, Day 1, Week 1 and 30-day items:
- Pre-commencement — credentials, screening checks, contracts, vaccination
- Day 1 — Welcome and orientation — tour, access, exits, sharps, hand hygiene
- Day 1 — WHS rights and responsibilities — s19, s28, s47, HSR, hazard register
- Day 1 — Emergency procedures — Codes Red, Blue, Black, Yellow; AED/drug kit locations
- Week 1 — Role-specific training — clinical software, manual handling, IPC, sharps, vaccine cold chain, telehealth
- Week 1 — Documents and policies issued — full WHS, privacy and HR policy set with sign-off
- Week 1 — Psychosocial and wellbeing — EAP, workload, no-reprisal, bullying/harassment, buddy
- 30-day check-in — competencies, outstanding training, probation review
- Worker confirmation — formal acknowledgement
- Sign-off — worker, manager, WHS Officer
Editable placeholder fields
{{practice_name}},{{worker_name}},{{worker_role}},{{start_date}}{{manager_name}},{{whs_officer}},{{buddy_name}}- Signature blocks for worker, manager and WHS Officer
Who needs a WHS Induction Checklist?
Every Australian healthcare practice that hires workers — employees, contractors, students, volunteers, labour-hire workers. The induction is the standard evidence that the PCBU has discharged its duty to inform and train.
The template suits:
- General practices, day procedure clinics and specialist medical practices
- Allied health practices — physiotherapy, podiatry, psychology, optometry, dental
- NDIS providers and disability support services
- Pharmacies, pathology and diagnostic imaging providers
- Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations
- Aged care providers, private hospitals and outpatient clinics
Workers compensation insurers and accreditors (RACGP C8.1, NDIS Practice Standards Core Module 1, ISO 45001) routinely ask for induction records during audits and after any new-worker incident.
WHS Act requirement at a glance
Section 19(3)(f) — Provision of information, training, instruction and supervision. A PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the provision of any information, training, instruction or supervision that is necessary to protect all persons from risks to their health and safety arising from work carried out as part of the business or undertaking.
Section 28 — Duties of workers. While at work, a worker must take reasonable care for their own health and safety, take reasonable care that their acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons, comply, so far as the worker is reasonably able, with any reasonable instruction given by the PCBU, and cooperate with any reasonable policy or procedure of the PCBU.
Section 47 — Duty to consult workers. A PCBU must, so far as is reasonably practicable, consult with workers who carry out work for the business and who are, or are likely to be, directly affected by a matter relating to work health or safety.
The induction is the moment all three duties first land for a new worker — what the PCBU owes them, what they owe in return, and how they can speak up.
Why a structured induction matters in healthcare
New workers are statistically more likely to be injured at work in their first six months. Healthcare is no exception — sharps injuries, manual handling claims, occupational violence and infection exposures all spike for workers who haven't been properly briefed. A documented induction:
- Reduces new-worker injuries by establishing safe procedures from Day 1
- Stops accreditation findings — every accreditor expects induction records on file
- Defends the practice if an injury occurs — proof of training given
- Builds a culture where speaking up about hazards is the norm
- Captures policy acknowledgements (privacy, code of conduct, WHS) that are otherwise hard to evidence
How to customise this template
- Download the Word document and replace every
{{placeholder}}with the new worker's details before their first day - Tailor section 5 (role-specific training) — delete items that don't apply (no sterilisation, no patient transfer) and add items specific to your role (e.g., dental amalgam handling, pharmacy S8 register)
- Update section 6 (policies) — list the actual policy set you have — delete or add items
- Schedule the time — Day 1 needs at least 2 hours, Week 1 needs spread training across the week, 30-day check-in is a 60-minute meeting
- Initial each item as it is completed — partial induction records have limited evidentiary value
- File the completed checklist in the worker's personnel file and the WHS records system
- Use the same checklist for casual, locum and contracted workers — modified scope but same induction discipline
Related templates and tools
The induction is the on-ramp to the rest of the WHS document set:
- WHS Policy — the Day 1 WHS overview
- Hazard and Risk Register — the top hazards reviewed in section 3
- Emergency Evacuation Plan — the Codes covered in section 4
- Manual Handling Policy — the safe lifting standard in section 5
- Psychosocial Hazards and Workplace Wellbeing Policy — the wellbeing items in section 7
- Incident and Hazard Report Form — the form workers are taught to use
- Privacy Policy and Privacy Management Plan — the privacy training in section 5
- Workplace Bullying and Harassment Policy — the no-reprisal protections in section 7
For the broader staff orientation policy, see the Staff Training and Orientation Policy in the RACGP library.
Frequently asked questions
Is a WHS induction mandatory?
The Act does not name "induction" specifically, but section 19(3)(f) requires the PCBU to provide information, training, instruction and supervision. The standard way of evidencing this duty for a new worker is a documented induction. WHS regulators, workers compensation insurers and accreditors all treat induction records as effectively mandatory.
How long does induction take?
A first-time induction at a healthcare practice typically takes 2 hours on Day 1 plus several hours of role-specific training spread across Week 1, and a 60-minute check-in at 30 days. The investment pays back quickly — a single avoided sharps injury or manual-handling claim covers many inductions.
Do casual or locum workers need the full induction?
A modified version, yes. Even a one-day locum needs a tour, emergency procedures, the duress alarm location, the sharps disposal location, and a briefing on the WHS Officer and HSR. The 30-day items are usually irrelevant for short engagements but the Day 1 items are not optional.
What if a worker has already worked elsewhere as a clinician?
Their training credentials transfer (Ahpra registration, immunisation, manual handling certificate, first aid). Site-specific items — exits, alarms, this practice's policies, the Hazard Register, the patient cohort — must still be covered. The checklist captures both kinds.
How long do we keep induction records?
At least 7 years is standard, aligned with workers compensation, Privacy Act and accreditation retention rules. Some states require longer for specific certifications (e.g., RTW Coordinator, fire warden).
What about contractors and labour-hire workers?
The PCBU owes them WHS duties in the same way as employees. Use a modified version of the checklist that covers exits, hazards, codes and reporting. The labour-hire agency also has duties, but your duty is not discharged by theirs.
Will accreditors accept this template?
Yes. RACGP 5th Edition Criterion C8.1 (education and training of non-clinical staff) and C3.5 (work health and safety) both require induction records. NDIS Practice Standards Core Module 1 (HR management) and ISO 45001 (clause 7.2 competence) cover the same territory. The checklist's structure — sign-offs by worker, manager and WHS Officer — meets the bar for all three.