Confined Space Training Perth | RIIWHS202E | Safety Heights RTO 52610
If you need confined space training in Perth, this page covers everything before you book — what the course covers, who needs it under WA law, how long it takes, and how to enrol.
Safety Heights and Rescue Training (RTO 52610), based in Naval Base, Perth, delivers RIIWHS202E Enter and Work in Confined Spaces as a face-to-face, hands-on course for workers across Perth's industrial corridor, the Southwest, the Goldfields, and the Murchison region.
Course Details
Group bookings and on-site delivery are available across Perth metro, the Southwest, the Goldfields, and the Murchison. Call 08 9437 9108 or visit rescue-training.com.au to check upcoming dates.
What Is RIIWHS202E?
RIIWHS202E Enter and Work in Confined Spaces is the nationally recognised unit of competency for workers who enter or work in confined spaces across Australia. It sits within the RII Resources and Infrastructure Industry Training Package and is required under the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) and the WorkSafe WA Confined Spaces Code of Practice (updated November 2024).
Completing this course gives you a Statement of Attainment under the Australian Qualifications Framework, recognised by employers and principal contractors across every Australian state and territory.
Who Needs Confined Space Training in Perth?
Under Part 4.3 of the WHS (General) Regulations 2022 (WA), any Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) must ensure that all workers entering a confined space are trained and competent. Without RIIWHS202E, workers cannot legally enter a confined space in WA.
This training is required for workers in:
Mining and resources — tanks, vessels, ore passes, and processing equipment across WA's Goldfields, Pilbara, and Kwinana Industrial Strip
Civil construction — manholes, stormwater pits, service vaults, and trenches
Electrical and communications trades — underground cable pits and telecom vaults
Water and wastewater utilities — pump stations, wet wells, and treatment vessels
Maritime and shipbuilding — vessel tanks, void spaces, and bilge areas at Naval Base and Henderson
Shutdown and maintenance — confined space work during turnarounds and outages across WA industry
Agriculture — silos and grain storage vessels
What the Course Covers
The RIIWHS202E course at Safety Heights covers both the theory and hands-on practical skills required to enter and work safely in confined spaces.
Confined Space Definition and Classification
You will learn the legal definition of a confined space under Regulation 5 of the WHS (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) — an enclosed or partially enclosed space not designed for ongoing human occupancy, at normal atmospheric pressure, presenting a risk from a hazardous atmosphere, engulfment, or similar hazard.
Critically, you will learn that entry is triggered the moment a worker's head or upper body crosses the boundary of the space — not when they are fully inside. This is one of the most common compliance misunderstandings on WA sites.
Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
Trainees learn to systematically identify the atmospheric and physical hazards present in or around a confined space:
Oxygen deficiency (below 19.5%) and oxygen enrichment (above 23.5%)
Toxic gases including hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) and carbon monoxide (CO)
Flammable gases and vapours (must be below 5% of the Lower Explosive Limit before entry)
Engulfment from liquids or free-flowing solids
Mechanical, thermal, and electrical hazards
Entry Permits and the Permit-to-Work System
Under Regulation 77 of the WHS (General) Regulations 2022 (WA), a written entry permit must be completed by a competent person before any confined space entry. Trainees learn to read, complete, and apply a confined space entry permit — naming entrants, documenting atmospheric test results, specifying controls, and confirming isolation.
Atmospheric Testing and Monitoring
Trainees work hands-on with portable multi-gas detectors, learning to:
Perform a bump test before every use
Lower the detector into the space and sample at multiple vertical levels
Interpret oxygen, flammable gas, CO, and H₂S readings against safe thresholds
Conduct continuous monitoring throughout the work, not just pre-entry
Gas testing links directly with MSMWHS217 Gas Test Atmospheres — workers who need to be the nominated competent tester on an entry permit should complete both units together.
PPE Selection, Inspection and Use
Trainees learn to select, inspect, and correctly fit:
Full-body harnesses with retrieval attachment points
Respiratory protective equipment including SCBA and escape sets
Tripod and davit arm retrieval systems for non-entry rescue
Isolation and Lockout/Tagout
All energy sources, process lines, and mechanical equipment must be isolated and locked out before any confined space entry. Trainees learn isolation verification procedures and how isolation status is documented on the entry permit.
Standby Person Duties
Under Regulation 76 of the WHS (General) Regulations 2022 (WA), a trained standby person must remain outside the space for the full duration of entry. Trainees learn the standby person's role — maintaining communication, monitoring entrants, controlling access, and initiating emergency response without entering the space.
Emergency Response and Non-Entry Rescue
Around 25% of confined space fatalities in Australia involve would-be rescuers who enter without training or equipment. The course covers the non-entry rescue priority — using retrieval systems, winches, and tripods to extract a casualty from outside the space, and when to initiate external emergency services.
Combined Training Options
RIIWHS202E + MSMWHS217 (Confined Space + Gas Testing)
The most common combination for workers in WA's construction, mining, and utilities sectors. Both units are delivered in a single 8-hour day at $350 per person. Workers gain both the entry competency and the atmospheric testing competency in one booking.
Triple Combo: CSE + SWAH + GTA (RIIWHS202E + RIIWHS204E + MSMWHS217)
The standard package for shutdown and maintenance workers who need confined space, working at heights, and gas testing in a single session — $550 per person. Group rates available.
Refresher Training
Workers with existing RIIWHS202E who need to renew their competency can book the Confined Space Refresher Perth — CSE + WAH + GTA Combo, which covers all three units as a combined refresher in a single face-to-face session.
Confined Space Training Perth Cost
Group rates are available for bookings of 3 or more. Contact Safety Heights directly to discuss group pricing and on-site delivery.
Construction Training Fund (CTF) subsidies may be available for eligible WA construction workers. Check your eligibility at ctf.wa.gov.au before booking.
How Long Is the Certification Valid?
Your Statement of Attainment for RIIWHS202E has no printed expiry date under WA legislation. However:
AS/NZS 2865:2009 recommends a refresher every 12–24 months based on frequency of exposure
Most WA principal contractors, mining operators, and industrial sites enforce a two-year currency standard
The WHS Act 2020 (WA) requires ongoing competency — not just a one-time certificate
For workers who haven't actively been entering confined spaces, or whose training is approaching the two-year mark, a refresher is the recommended next step before site access is required.
WA Legal Framework for Confined Space Entry
The key legislative instruments governing confined space work in WA:
Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA) — primary duty of care (Section 19)
Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) — Part 4.3 covers confined space obligations; Regulation 77 (entry permits), Regulation 76 (standby person)
WorkSafe WA Code of Practice: Confined Spaces (updated November 2024) — admissible as evidence of what is reasonably practicable
AS/NZS 2865:2009 — the technical standard for confined space operations referenced by the Code of Practice
Non-compliance with confined space requirements has resulted in Australian prosecutions exceeding $600,000. The WHS Act 2020 also introduced industrial manslaughter as a criminal offence with penalties up to $10 million for a body corporate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is confined space training mandatory in WA?
Yes. Under the WHS (General) Regulations 2022 (WA), workers must be trained and competent before entering a confined space. RIIWHS202E is the nationally recognised unit that satisfies this requirement.
Can I do the course online?
No. RIIWHS202E requires demonstrated practical competency — operating gas detection equipment, fitting PPE, practising non-entry rescue, and completing permit documentation under assessor observation. Online-only courses do not meet the assessment requirements for this unit.
Does the certification expire?
Your Statement of Attainment has no legislated expiry. Industry practice in WA treats two years as the practical refresh threshold — most sites enforce this as a site access standard.
Can you deliver on-site at our facility?
Yes. Safety Heights delivers on-site confined space training across Perth metro, the Southwest, the Goldfields, and the Murchison. Contact us to discuss scheduling and group rates.
Is this training nationally recognised?
Yes. RIIWHS202E is a nationally recognised unit under the Australian Qualifications Framework, valid across all Australian states and territories.
Book Your Confined Space Training in Perth
Safety Heights and Rescue Training (RTO 52610) Unit 3, 1216 Rockingham Road, Naval Base WA 6165
Call: 08 9437 9108 Email: chris@rescue-training.com.au Web: rescue-training.com.au
Check upcoming course dates, ask about group bookings, or discuss on-site delivery for your team.
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