I have questions and complaints. What are RIW contact channels?

In any system, concerns and complaints are an inevitable part of the process. If you have grievances related to the Rail Industry Worker (RIW) Program, a dedicated point of contact is ready to assist you. In this article, we will provide the RIW contact channels and frequently asked questions sent to the RIW Service Desk.

What is an RIW Service Desk?

First of all, what is the RIW Program? The Rail Industry Worker Program is a comprehensive system established by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) in 2012 to manage competencies and safety credentials for individuals working within the rail industry.

The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) engaged Metro Trains Australia (MTA) to support its delivery in June 2019. It establishes industry standards, promotes safety, and contributes to the ongoing development of the rail workforce.

The RIW Service Desk is the customer service desk tasked with managing various customer concerns and acting as a bridge between rail workers, employers, and industry regulators. While the program is designed to operate smoothly, the RIW Service Desk becomes especially crucial when participants have questions or complaints.

If you are enrolled in CERT and have general RIW and competency enquiries, you can contact us via 1300 042 378 or get in touch here.

If you require more assistance with using myRIW or card-related issues, the RIW Service Desk can help 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Competency verification, medical assessment uploads and escalations occur during business hours only.

You can check their official page here, phone them at 1300 101 682 or email info@riw.net.au.

Frequently Asked RIW enquiries – myRIW or card-related issues

Service requests are available for companies and network operators, sites with kiosks, tablets and turnstiles, authorised health professionals, registered training organisations and most especially, individual RIW cardholders.

This RIW Service Desk can assist in missing, lost, and virtual card issues, unlocking myRIW account, requesting an extract of a RIW cardholder’s swipe history, cardholder dispute or appeal job role or competency suspension or outcome and medical/drug/alcohol assessment, and requesting cardholder certificates.

The RIW Service Desk will also be the one to receive and escalate any complaint or feedback about the RIW Program.

If you need to contact network operators for advice on the specific requirements for compliance on their network, you can check out their contact addresses here.

I have forgotten myRIW account password. What should I do?

If you are a Rail Industry Worker and have forgotten your myRIW account password, follow these steps to reset it:

1. Visit the myRIW login page.
2. Click on the “Forgotten Password” link.
3. Enter your RIW Number and email address on the password reset screen.
4. Click “Reset Password.”
5. Check your email for a link to reset your password. Ensure you complete this within 24 hours, as the link will expire. If needed, use the Forgotten Password function again to resend another request.

If multiple incorrect password attempts lock you out, raise a service request to unlock your myRIW account.

I lost my RIW card. What should I do?

If you’ve lost your RIW card, here’s what to do:

1. Tell your Primary Employer right away.
2. They can order a replacement card for $85 plus GST through the Rail Industry Worker System.
3. Once the replacement is requested, your old card will stop working. Don’t use any old cards you find, as they’re no longer valid.

Do rail industry worker cards expire?

Yes, Rail Industry Worker (RIW) cards do expire. The validity period of rail industry worker (RIW) cards is five years from the issue date. Rail workers must renew their RIW card before it expires to avoid work-related disruptions.

How do I renew my RIW card?

To maintain the chip’s integrity and ensure the information’s accuracy, it is necessary to replace the card every five years.

Your employer can easily update your expiring card through your Rail Industry Worker record on your RIW profile.

The RIW System has a built-in alert system to notify Rail Industry Workers and their employers when a card is approaching its expiration date, as renewing the subscription in the year of expiration incurs a different cost. The cost includes the annual cardholder subscription and the fee for issuing the new card.

My competency has expired. What should I do?

If your competency has expired, follow these steps:

1. Obtain a new competency if you wish to continue in a specific job role.
2. Navigate to “Courses” on the navigational menu on the CERT website to select your state. Once you’ve identified the course you want to enrol in, scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the available course schedule and enrol. Currently, CERT offers 48-hour RIW card updates in Queensland and Victoria.
3. Once you have successfully completed your competency, your RIW Employer Administrator can upload the new competency evidence into the RIW System.

Make sure to monitor competency expiry dates through your RIW profile. You can opt-in to receive notifications about competency and job role expiry.

My myRIW account is locked. What should I do?

If your myRIW account is locked because of multiple wrong login attempts, follow these steps:

1. Fill out the “Request to unlock RIW or myRIW account” form with your details here. Click “Send.”
2. The RIW Service Desk will email you to confirm your account is unlocked and explain how to reset your password.

I want to dispute or appeal a job role assessment outcome. What should I do?

To dispute or appeal a job role assessment outcome:

1. Fill out a Cardholder Dispute or Appeals Service Request here.
2. Include all required info to support your case.
3. The RIW Service Desk will handle your appeal with the relevant authority for review. The decision after review is final.

For questions, concerns or more information about our courses, call us on 1300 042 378 or contact your nearest training centre.

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