A police check is an individual’s record of all their disclosable court outcomes. These checks are authorised by national law enforcement in Australia and are mainly used to produce a police check certificate to hand to employers. This certificate (also known as a ‘Police Criminal History Record’) will include a person's legal name, date of birth, address, contact information and fingerprints (if applicable).
Police checks are applied all over Australia, mainly by businesses as part of the employee background check used in the hiring process. This common practice used in every state provides more information on a potential employee, with many job sectors required by law to run police checks. The jobs that require a police check are those that involve protecting the community and vulnerable people, such as healthcare workers, disability supporters, government agents or law enforcement.
While it is not national legislation that mining jobs require police checks, many mining companies across Australia perform criminal history checks on applicants or ask for a police check certificate. Each company is different, but many mining businesses want to hire personnel they know are safe and reliable. This is especially the case in the modern industry, where mining operations are under the national spotlight in terms of safety and legitimacy.
When it comes to specific mining jobs, those that involve supervising, heavy vehicles or dangerous equipment are most likely to require a police check. These jobs include:
Accredited Australian Criminal Intelligence Commissions (ACIC) like CrimCheck offer a quick and easy individual police check that can get a police check certificate (national or international) within 24 hours. All you need to complete the process is access to four common personal documents such as your driver's license, passport, visa or birth certificate.
More information on the required identity documents for a police check
Any disclosable court outcomes will usually show up on a police check. However, under Part VIIC of the Crimes Act 1914, certain court outcomes can become spent convictions and won’t appear in a police check.
What is a Spent Conviction? A spent conviction generally means that the individual who was sentenced is legally seen as ‘reformed’. It is usually required for the crime to be seen as minor and a ‘crime-free’ waiting period to have passed since the crime was committed (generally ten years for adults). The process of a conviction becoming spent is usually automatic, but the requirements vary state by state, so check beforehand.
Withholding information about your criminal record to your employer will only hurt your chances of employment in the long run. Being open with your employer will do a much better job of proving your good nature, whereas hiding your record would lead to major concerns if it were to show up in a routine criminal background check.
It would be more difficult. Getting a police check shows you are safe, reliable and honest. Perfect qualities that would make you a good hire.
Not every mining company will require a police check for the role you are applying for, but it is advantageous to have one. Having a police check certificate proves to them that you are safe and reliable in the form of a lawfully sanctioned document. Whilst it won’t guarantee you a job, it will give you an edge over other applicants who don’t provide a police check certificate.
Crimcheck is Australia's only not-for-profit organisation that provides national and international police checks. Our experience in working with businesses and individuals allows us to offer incredibly fast turnaround times, as we understand the importance of gathering criminal history checks on time. We know that delays in the hiring process can lead to the loss of a potential new staff member, so we work hard with organisations to meet their deadlines. With our advanced online system, it's easy for individuals and businesses to complete police checks online from any location. Our friendly staff are always on hand to provide support throughout the entire process for you or your team.
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If your business is looking to perform a quick and efficient mining national police check on your employees or applicants, we offer police checks specifically for businesses. By using our system, you will be able to access our client portal to manage and streamline your process and gain access to our business support line.
"I have been using CrimCheck for some years now and I have had nothing but great service from the system and staff. I would recommend CrimCheck to anyone wanting an efficient, user-friendly service."
Andrea, St. Luke's Anglicare
