An Australian forklift assessor has been fined AUD2,000 (USD1,579.80) after she was found guilty of conducting fraudulent assessments.

Maryann deFrutos, 40, who worked at Civic Workplace Training, a licence training and testing company in Melbourne's Footscray West, was charged under Sections 24 and 153 (1) of Victoria's Occupational Health & Safety Act 2004 with knowingly giving false or misleading information.

During a search of the premises on November 17, 2005, investigators found four completed certificates of assessment in deFrutos' possession dated that day and carrying incorrect information.

Some of DeFrutos' assessments were estimated to have taken "as little as seven minutes", a WorkSafe statement said.

It said tests typically took about 50 minutes.

WorkSafe's licensing section subsequently refused to issue certificates to about 80 people tested by deFrutos, who resigned as a certified assessor on December 19, 2005.

The scam was uncovered as part of a WorkSafe Victoria investigation. Another two people were yet to face court on related charges, the statement said.

Certificates of competency are currently required for scaffolding and rigging work (including dogging), crane and hoist operation, forklift operation and pressure equipment operation.

WorkSafe said Victoria and other states and territories had proposed changes to the certificates to include a "photo-type identification card" to be reissued every five years from July 1, 2007. There is a AUD45 fee (USD35.55) for current certificate holders and a AUD60 (USD47.40) fee per class of work for new applicants. Public comment on the proposal ends on February 28.