Do your workers require SoCI background checks?

Partner with Veritas to meet your SoCI compliance and ensure the security and protection of critical assets in the energy industry.

Understanding the SoCI legislation reforms

The Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Act 2021 has amended the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 (the Act) to build upon the existing framework which aims to strengthen the security and resilience of critical infrastructure.

SOCI Act has been expanded from 4 sectors (water, electricity, gas and ports) and now applies 11 industry’s including the energy sector.
The energy sector includes stakeholders who work on the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity and the production and delivery of natural gas and liquid fuels.

There are four types of critical energy assets:

Critical electricity assets

a network, system, or interconnector for electricity transmission or distribution for at least 100,000 customers
a network, system, or interconnector, that transmits or distributes electricity to at least 100,000 customers, or
an electricity generation station that is critical to ensuring the security and reliability of electricity networks or electricity systems in a state or territory.

Critical gas assets

a gas processing facility that has a capacity of at least 300 terajoules per day
a gas storage facility that has a maximum daily quantity of at least 75 terajoules per day
a network or system for the distribution of gas to service at least 100,000 customers
a gas transmission pipeline that is critical to ensuring the security and reliability of a gas market.

Critical energy market operator assets

A critical energy market operator asset is owned or operated by:

Australian Energy Market Operator Limited (ACN 072 010 327), or
- Power and Water Corporation, or
- Regional Power Corporation, or
- Electricity Networks Corporation, and
used in connection with the operation of an energy market or system, and
critical to ensuring the security and reliability of an energy market, but
does not include a critical electricity, gas, or liquid fuel asset.

Critical liquid fuel assets

a liquid fuel refinery, pipeline or storage facility that is critical to ensuring the security and reliability of a liquid fuel market.

Challenges the industry is facing

The changes to the SoCI Act require workers to have suitable background checks conducted, these include:

National Police Check (NPC)

AusCheck background check

Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) check

The challenges this imposes on industry is the need for individuals to apply online and attend an in-person identity verification to process a background check. For organisations there is an additional administration burden and risk when conducting the in-person identity verification and handling personal sensitive data as well as a loss of productivity sending workers offsite to lodge their identity documents.

Veritas can support both the company and employee with the 5 key steps involved in applying for a SoCI background check.

1. Employee

Submit an application

2. Organisation

Confirm requirement

3. Third party

Verify identity

4. AusCheck

Process background check and provide outcome

5. Organisation

Assess suitability

By partnering with Veritas, we can help reduce the compliance management burden and enhance the security of personal data with our online management system and Identity Verification App. Veritas can integrate with current management systems and provide secure transfer and storage of personal sensitive data and on demand tracking of application status. With Veritas you will gain productivity efficiencies as employees can apply online, and lodge identity documents with a verified Agent, either onsite or via a national Australia Post network. Australian owned and operated, Veritas systems are assured to both ISO9001:2013 Quality Management and ISO27001:2015 Cyber Security international standards.

Contact Veritas for a custom solution

If your organisation or industry sector requires support in obtaining Critical Infrastructure background checks to meet compliance obligations under SoCI, please enter your details below and we will be in touch.

Contact

Our Head Office

67 Milligan Street
Perth, Western Australia 6000