Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit of competency covers the process required by an employee with supervisory responsibilities, to maintain organisational occupational health and safety (OHS) processes.

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Application of the unit 

This unit is intended to be applied at the level of team leader or supervisor.

In addition to legal and ethical responsibilities, all units of competency in the ACM10 Animal Care and Management Training Package have the requirement for animals to be handled gently and calmly. The individual is required to exhibit appropriate care for animals so that stress and discomfort is minimised.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Provide information to the work group

1.1. Relevant requirements of OHS legislation , standards , codes of practice /compliance codes , guidance material  and safe working procedures and practices are explained to the work group clearly and accurately.

1.2. Information on organisation policies and procedures  is provided to the work group in a readily accessible manner and clearly explained.

1.3. Roles and responsibilities of workplace OHS representatives and OHS committees, supervisors and managers are clearly explained.

1.4. Information is provided to the work group, in an accessible and understandable format, on hazards , the outcomes of risk assessments , and required risk controls .

2. Ensure others are able to implement safe work practices

2.1. Personal protective equipment  appropriate to the work is available and functional.

2.2. Processes are implemented to confirm that others in the work group can identify hazards, assess risks and required risk controls and are following safe work practices , and organisation policies and procedures.

2.3. OHS training needs are identified and either addressed or these needs are reported to those with control.

3. Implement OHS participative processes

3.1. The work group is consulted and provided with advice in relation to OHS matters relevant to their work.

3.2. OHS issues raised are dealt with promptly, and in accordance with organisation procedures and legislative requirements, or referred to appropriate personnel.

3.3. Outcomes of consultation regarding OHS are recorded and promptly communicated to the work group.

4. Monitor compliance with work procedures

4.1. Work procedures are checked for availability, clarity and completeness, addressing any deficiencies or reporting them to appropriate persons.

4.2. Any deviations from procedures are identified and addressed or report to appropriate persons.

4.3. Hazard identification  and reporting processes  are evaluated for effectiveness and any deficiencies are addressed or reported to appropriate persons.

4.4. OHS housekeeping practices  are monitored to ensure that workplace standards are maintained, and action is taken to address any deficiencies.

4.5. Own behaviour is consistent with organisation safe working procedures and practices.

5. Implement hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control procedures

5.1. Hazards are identified, assessed and eliminated with residual risk  reported according to organisation procedures.

5.2. Risk assessments are conducted.

5.3. Control measures are developed, taking account of the hierarchy of control .

5.4. Outcomes of risk assessments are implemented and identified risk controls supported.

5.5. Deficiencies in OHS risk controls are identified and addressed and/or reported in accordance with organisation procedures.

5.6. Personal professional limitations are identified and expert advice  is sought as required.

6. Implement organisation procedures for maintaining OHS records

6.1. Feedback is obtained to ensure that workgroup is aware of organisation reporting requirements.

6.2. Review OHS records  to confirm that they are completed in an accurate, thorough and timely manner in accordance with legislative  and organisation requirements.

6.3. Use aggregate information and data from records to identify hazards and monitor risk controls.

7. Implement OHS emergency procedures

7.1. Feedback is obtained to ensure that OHS emergency  procedures are available and known by the work group.

7.2. Processes are implemented to ensure that OHS emergency equipment  is available and routinely checked for functionality.

7.3. Processes are implemented to ensure that others in the workgroup are able to respond appropriately to OHS emergencies.

7.4. Investigations are conducted, or contributed to, to identify cause of OHS emergencies.

7.5. Control measures to prevent recurrence and minimise risk of OHS emergencies are identified and implemented or supported.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• communicate with personnel in the work team, other work teams, managers and experts advisers
• conduct team meetings
• relate to people from a range of social, cultural and ethic backgrounds and physical and mental abilities
• supervise and direct staff
• use language and literacy skills to interpret OHS documentation
• use technical skills to access OHS information.

Required knowledge 

• sources of OHS information both internal and external to the workplace
• general duty requirements of OHS legislation and also regulatory requirements relevant to the particular industry/type of worksite
• hazard identification procedures such as workplace inspections and review of workplace data
• knowledge and understanding of guidance material including codes of practice/compliance codes relevant to the particular industry/type of work site
• legislative requirements for record keeping and reporting
• nature of common workplace hazards for example chemicals, noise, manual handling, work postures, underfoot hazards and moving parts of machinery
• personal protective equipment requirements, including use, storage and maintenance
• principles of risk management including the hierarchy of control and its application
• roles and responsibilities of OHS representatives and OHS committees
• standards and guidelines related to emergency procedures
• the difference between hazard and risk
• the roles and responsibilities of employees, supervisors and managers in the workplace
• workplace specific information, including:

• hazards of the particular work environment
• hazard identification procedures relevant to the hazards in their work place
• risk controls for specific hazards
• designated person for raising OHS issues
• organisation procedures related to OHS including hazard, incident and injury reporting, hazard identification, risk assessment and control, consultation and participation, incident investigation, record keeping
• work procedures related to the work of the team/work group, including use of personal protective equipment and emergency response
• potential emergency situations, alarms and signals and required response.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

To demonstrate competence in this unit, a candidate must be able to provide evidence of maintaining OHS processes in the workplace particularly in relation to the supervision of a small workgroup.

Evidence gathered by an assessor to determine competence will include:

• written or verbal responses to scenarios and case studies
• provision of workplace examples
• evidence from workplace supervisor reports
• portfolio of workplace documentation.

Evidence of workplace performance over time must be obtained to inform a judgement of competence.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Products that could be used as evidence include :

• verbal and written responses to verbal, written or physical scenarios
• completed examples of information provided to work group, risk assessments, risk controls developed, reports to managers, reports on workplace inspections, audits and emergency exercises
• reports from work group members and supervisor.

Processes that could be used as evidence include :

• how information transfer was organised and conducted
• how risk assessments were conducted
• how deviations from workplace procedures were addressed.

Method of assessment 

This unit should be assessed together with other units of competence relevant to the function or work role.

Guidance information for assessment 

Access and equity considerations :

• All assessment should be applied with respect torelevant work-related access and equity issues
• Competence should reflect an ability to work in a culturally diverse environment.
• Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

OHS legislation  includes:

• commonwealth, state and territory OHS Acts and regulations.

Standards  include:

• documents produced by national bodies, OHS regulators or industry bodies, that prescribe preventative action to avert occupational deaths, injuries and diseases
• standards are of an advisory nature only, except where a law adopts the standard and thus makes it mandatory
• they may be called up as evidence in court or other enforcement action.

Codes of practice /compliance codes  are:

• documents generally prepared to provide advice to employers and workers, of an acceptable way of achieving standards. They may:

• be incorporated into regulations
• not relate to a standard
• be called up as evidence in court or other enforcement action.

Guidance material :

• advises on 'what to do' and 'how to do it'
• is an advisory technical document, providing detailed information for use by unions, employers, management, health and safety committee members and representatives, safety officers and others requiring guidance
• has no legal standing.

Organisation policies and procedures  include:

• policies and procedures underpinning the management of OHS, including:

• hazard, incident and injury reporting
• hazard identification, risk assessment and control
• consultation and participation
• incident investigation
• quality system documentation.

A hazard  is:

• a source or situation with the potential for harm in terms of human injury or ill-health, damage to property, the environment, or a combination of these.

Specific hazards  may include, but are not limited to:

• animal bits, envenomation, kicks, scratches or crush injuries
• biological hazardous waste
• bodily fluids
• chemicals and medicines
• gas leakage
• manual handling, including carrying, lifting, shifting
• moving parts of equipment or machinery
• noise
• radiation
• sharps
• underfoot hazards
• work posture
• zoonoses.

Other workplace hazards  may include:

• bullying
• fatigue
• occupational violence
• stress.

Risk :

• in relation to any hazard, means the probability and consequences of injury, illness or damage resulting from exposure to a hazard.

Risk assessments  involve analysing a hazard to:

• identify factors influencing the risk and the range of potential consequences:

• effectiveness of existing controls
• likelihood of each consequence considering exposure and hazard level

• and combining these in some way to obtain a level of risk.

Risk controls  include:

• the devices and methods to, where practicable, eliminate the hazard or, where this is not practicable, minimise the risk associated with the hazard.

Personal protective equipment  includes:

• equipment worn by a person to provide protection from hazards, by providing a physical barrier between the person and the hazard and may include:

• head protection
• face and eye protection
• respiratory protection
• hearing protection
• hand protection
• clothing and footwear.

Work procedures  include:

• batch specifications
• operator or manufacturer manuals
• procedures for selecting, fitting, using and maintaining personal protective equipment
• standard operating procedures.

Hazard identification  is:

• the process of identifying sources of harm and may be required:

• at design or pre purchase of equipment and materials
• at commissioning or pre-implementation of new processes or practices
• before new forms of work and organisation of work are implemented
• before changes are made to workplace, equipment, work processes or work arrangements
• as part of planning major tasks or activities, such as equipment shutdowns
• following an incident report
• when new knowledge becomes available
• at regular intervals during normal operations
• prior to disposal of equipment, buildings or materials.

Reporting processes  include:

• hazards reports
• incident reports
• maintenance requests and reports
• reports on completion of inspections
• reports of non-compliance with work procedures
• reporting on progress of action plans.

OHS housekeeping practices  address items such as:

• functioning services, such as lighting, air flow and ventilation, emergency lighting
• storage areas, including manual handling issues, storage, personal protective equipment
• signage
• underfoot conditions
• unobstructed walkways and emergency exits
• work space around equipment and machinery
• workplace cleanliness and tidiness.

Residual risk  is:

• the risk which remains after controls have been implemented.

Hierarchy of control  is:

• the preferred order of control measures for OHS risks:

• elimination (e.g. controlling the hazard at the source)
• substitution (e.g. replacing one substance or activity at the source)
• engineering (e.g. installing guards on machinery)
• administration (e.g. policies and procedures for safe work practices)
• personal protective equipment (e.g. respirators and ear plugs).

Expert advice  can be obtained from:

• persons either internal or external to the organisation including:

• audiologists
• ergonomists
• occupational health professionals
• occupational hygienists
• OHS representatives
• OHS committees
• safety engineers
• safety professionals
• toxicologists

• other persons providing specific technical knowledge or expertise in areas related to OHS including:

• engineers (e.g. design, acoustic, mechanical, civil)
• health professionals
• injury management advisors
• legal practitioners with experience in OHS
• maintenance and trade persons
• regulatory bodies
• risk managers
• security and emergency response personnel
• workplace trainers and assessors.

OHS records  may include:

• employees handbooks
• environmental monitoring records
• first aid records
• hazard, incident and investigation reports
• health surveillance records
• job safety analyses (JSAs), safe work method statements and risk assessments
• maintenance and testing reports
• material safety data sheets (MSDSs) and registers
• minutes of meetings
• plant and equipment operation records, including those relevant to registered plant
• training records
• workplace inspection reports.

Legislative  requirements for record keeping include those specified under:

• OHS legislation for:

• serious incident and injury reporting
• registered plant
• hazardous substances and dangerous goods
• environmental monitoring
• health surveillance
• Privacy legislation.

OHS emergencies  may include any abnormal or sudden event that requires immediate action, such as:

• events requiring evacuation serious injury events
• explosion and bomb alerts
• external emergencies and natural disasters, such as flood, storm and traffic accident impacting on the organisation
• fires and explosions
• hazardous substance and chemical spills
• internal emergencies, such as loss of power or water supply and structural collapse
• security emergencies, such as armed robberies, intruders and disturbed persons.

OHS emergency equipment  is equipment required as part of the emergency response by the organisation and includes:

• communication equipment
• evacuation alarms
• evacuation equipment, especially that for disabled persons
• eye wash shower or portable eye washes
• fire extinguishers and equipment
• first aid equipment
• items of clothing, such as coloured hats and vests.
• torches.

Incidents  include:

• any event that has caused or has the potential for injury, ill-health or damage.

Unit sector 

Occupational health and safety

Competency field 

Co-requisite units