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Spirometry is only as good as the person coaching it and the machine recording it. Two Australian standards published in 2026 set out what is required: SPC01 covers the test and the equipment, and SPC02 covers training the people who perform it. This page is a practical summary for practices running or commissioning spirometry — what you need, who can do it, and how competency is kept current.
The two standards
The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand published a paired set in 2026. SPC01 is the technical standard for spirometry in Australian primary care. SPC02 is its companion, covering training and the maintenance of competency; it replaces the earlier Standards for Spirometry Training Courses (2022) and was funded through the Commonwealth CORDET initiative under the dust-related disease program.1,2
They are worth reading as a pair, because a service can hold perfectly good equipment and still produce uninterpretable tests if the operator has not been trained and kept in practice — which is the problem SPC02 exists to address.
Service requirements
| Requirement | What the standard specifies |
|---|---|
| Personnel | Trained operators, with training and ongoing competency meeting SPC02. Interpretation requires training in z-scores and their application, whether or not the interpreter performed the test.1 |
| Spirometer | Software must be kept current, and its reporting must be capable of calculating and displaying z-scores, lower limits of normal and bronchodilator responsiveness consistently with SPC01.1 Spirometers have a finite service life and need replacing as they wear or become unable to be updated. |
| Quality control | A documented QC programme, with the detail set out in SPC01's Appendix A.1 |
| Bronchodilator provision | A short-acting bronchodilator via metered-dose inhaler with a single-use spacer must be available for responsiveness testing; administration may be governed by local protocol or standing order.1 |
| Infection control | Consumables may be single-use or reusable — but reusable items require a validated, documented reprocessing procedure.1 |
| Mobile testing | Separately specified, so a service testing off-site needs to check it against those requirements rather than assume the clinic setup transfers.1 |
Operator training
SPC02 sets minimum quantities, not just topics.
- Initial training: at least 10 hours, of which at least 60% must be practical, hands-on training — regardless of delivery format.2 Longer courses may be needed depending on baseline skills and mode of delivery.
- Refresher: one full day, including at least 6 hours of formal training. About half should cover theory and updates to the standards; the remainder is supervised practical work, with particular emphasis on practical skill.2
- Course developers must be at expert level in spirometry practice, with relevant qualifications and experience in both the theoretical and practical aspects, including interpretation.2
Keeping competency current
The recommended cycle is specific, and the reasoning behind it is worth noting:
- A refresher within 12 months of completing initial training and workplace assessment.
- A further refresher at least every three years thereafter.
- Industry requirements take precedence where they are set in legislation — which is the case for Queensland mine dust lung disease surveillance, where providers must be approved against both standards.2,3
SPC02 explicitly discourages competency assessment in the absence of recent refresher training, on the grounds that it can provide false reassurance. Where a formal assessment is required and no refresher has been completed within the recommended interval, the assessment should be done by an appropriately qualified external provider.2
Skill also depends on volume. Progression through the competency levels assumes spirometry is performed regularly — from the Advanced Beginner stage, a minimum of around three patients per week — with workplace mentoring and supervision available.2 A service that tests occasionally should expect to need more support, not less.
Competency levels
SPC02 stages competency across six levels adapted from models used in other health professions, from Novice (needing instruction throughout) through Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Competent and Proficient to Expert.2 Each level defines what the operator can do, how they progress, an indicative timeframe, who is responsible, and what evidence of competency is assessed — knowledge, application of knowledge, then clinical skill in practice.
Two practical points fall out of the framework. Workplace portfolio assessment is expected within 3–4 months of completing the workshop, so a course alone does not finish the process. And the responsible party is shared: the training organisation and the service supporting the assessment.
Cultural safety
SPC02 requires training and assessment to be developed and delivered with attention to cultural safety, for trainees and for patients — and grounds it in outcome rather than principle alone: programmes designed with cultural safety in mind improve both the quality and the quantity of spirometry performed in services caring for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.2 Training should include discussion of personal bias and racism, and all trainers and trainees carry a responsibility for ongoing cultural learning and critical reflection on their own values and assumptions.
This connects directly to a technical requirement in SPC01: the reference category used for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients is “GLI Other” unless the GLI Global dataset is in use, and it must be applied consistently across serial tests.1 See the spirometry guide for how that affects interpretation.
References & evidence base
- Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand. SPC01: TSANZ Technical Standards for Spirometry in Australian Primary Care. TSANZ; 2026.
- Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand. SPC02: TSANZ Standards for Training and Maintaining Competency in Spirometry for Australian Primary Care. Version 1.0. TSANZ; January 2026.
- Resources Safety and Health Queensland. Mine Dust Lung Disease Clinical Pathways Guideline. Version 3.0. Brisbane: RSHQ; October 2026.
References are numbered in citation order (Vancouver/BMJ style) and were current at the time of writing. Guidelines are living documents — verify against the latest version before clinical use.
Corrections: If something on this page is wrong, out of date or unclear, we want to know. Email reception@inspireclinic.au with the page name and what you believe is incorrect. Substantive corrections are made promptly, and the guide’s version and last-updated date are changed to reflect it.