What is a VOC? (Verification of Competency)

A VOC (Verification of Competency) is a record showing that a named worker has demonstrated current practical competency on a specific item of plant, or a specific task, at your workplace. It is completed by a competent assessor and signed by both the assessor and the worker.

Is a VOC a licence?

No. This is the most common misunderstanding, and it matters. A VOC is an internal assessment record. Where the law requires a high risk work licence, a statutory ticket, or a certificate of competency, a VOC does not replace it and never has. The worker still needs that licence, and the VOC sits alongside it as evidence that they can operate your plant, on your site, to your procedure.

Plenty of plant sits below the licensing threshold. For those, a VOC is often the main evidence a business holds that the operator is competent, which is why sites ask for them.

Why do sites ask for VOCs?

A WHS duty holder has to ensure workers are competent for the work they do. A principal contractor or client cannot see that from a resume, so they ask for the record. A completed VOC shows who assessed the worker, on what plant, against which procedure, and when.

Who can carry out a VOC?

A competent assessor: someone with the knowledge, skills and experience in that task to judge whether it is being done safely. In practice that is often a supervisor, leading hand or trainer. They sign the record, so it should be someone who can stand behind the assessment if it is ever questioned.

What does a VOC assessment cover?

A useful VOC works through the task the way the job actually runs:

• Pre-start checks, inspection and setup
• Operation, including the controls that matter most for that plant
• Shutdown, isolation and housekeeping
• Knowledge questions to confirm understanding rather than habit
• A sign-off by both assessor and candidate, with a reassessment date

For task-based skills rather than plant, the same structure applies as preparation, performance and completion.

How long is a VOC valid for?

There is no single legislated period. Many businesses reassess every one to two years, and sooner if the plant changes, the worker has been away from the task for a while, an incident occurs, or a supervisor has a concern. Pick a period that suits the risk, write it on the record, and diarise it.

What is the difference between a VOC and a SOP?

A Safe Operating Procedure sets out how to operate the plant safely. A VOC records that a named person has demonstrated they can do it. The SOP is the instruction, the VOC is the evidence. A SWMS is different again: it covers high-risk construction work at a task level, not an individual's competency.

Getting a VOC

You can write your own, but most businesses start from a prepared assessment and adapt it. Our VOC templates cover plant, equipment and site skills as editable Word documents, each with the assessment parts, knowledge questions and sign-off table already built.

This guide is general information, not legal or safety advice, and does not guarantee compliance. Laws and site conditions vary, so always check your state regulator and have documents reviewed by a competent person.