Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit covers managing active operational emergency disease or plant pest sites and specifies the outcomes required to manage activities required to eradicate emergency disease or plant pests from infected premises and dangerous contact premises.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to personnel who have been appointed or engaged to undertake a role within an emergency disease or plant pest incursion response. Work is performed at the control centre and will involve the management of personnel and contractors operating in the field.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Plan control procedures across the declared area

1.1. Planning is carried out in effective and ongoing consultation with stakeholders and field personnel.

1.2. Planning is conducted in line with relevant standards and protocols, and according to instructions from operations director.

1.3. All required resources are identified, obtained, scheduled, prioritised and deployed according to relevant standards and protocols.

1.4. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements, and hazards associated with implementing control procedures, are identified and appropriate action is taken to minimise risks to self and others.

1.5. Criteria for implementing control procedures are decided and agreed to satisfy relevant standards and protocols with minimal livestock or crop destruction and property damage.

1.6. Contingency plans for effective control of emergency disease or plant pest are prepared.

2. Manage the implementation of control procedures

2.1. Control procedures are coordinated to achieve effective emergency disease or plant pest control outcomes.

2.2. Ongoing consultation and communication links are maintained with all stakeholders, field staff, property owners/managers and others in control centre.

2.3. Control procedures and services supplied under contract are implemented according to standards, protocols and contractual requirements.

2.4. Written and verbal reports are prepared and submitted as required.

3. Monitor and review the effectiveness of control procedures

3.1. Personnel are monitored to ensure that they are achieving specified objectives.

3.2. Supply of resources is monitored to ensure that it is appropriate and available to carry out required tasks.

3.3. Implementation of control procedures is monitored to ensure cost-effective compliance with relevant standards and protocols.

3.4. Priorities for emergency disease or plant pest control operations are reviewed, and confirmed or revised as appropriate, according to relevant standards and protocols.

4. Implement review findings

4.1. Control activities are revised as required.

4.2. Revisions to control activities are promptly and effectively communicated to relevant stakeholders and personnel for implementation.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required skills 

• applying relevant standards and protocols such as Australian Veterinary Emergency Plan (AUSVETPLAN) or Australian Emergency Plant Pest Response Plan (PLANTPLAN) to determine requirements and/or guidelines applying to on-site control and eradication procedures
• managing resources effectively to achieve emergency disease or plant pest control and eradication
• operating effectively under stress in tasks involving high-level problem solving and decision making
• use literacy skills to fulfil job roles as required by the organisation. The level of skill may range from reading and understanding documentation to completion of written reports
• use oral communication skills/language competence to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification, negotiating solutions and responding to a range of views
• use numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record complex workplace measures
• use interpersonal skills to work with others and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities.

Required knowledge 

• emergency animal disease or plant pest control program
• common reactions and behaviours of people working under stressful conditions
• OHS requirements, particularly for use of chemicals, specific control procedures and managing personnel under emergency conditions
• relevant public sector policies, practices and constraints in relation to emergency disease or plant pest management
• relevant standards and protocols, such as AUSVETPLAN or PLANTPLAN
• OHS and environmental protection legislation, codes of practice and enterprise procedures.

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 

The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following:

• manage emergency disease or plant pest control operations at a number of operational sites
• ensure procedures implemented at operational sites conform to relevant standards and protocols
• manage resources across operational sites
• monitor performance of personnel.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment for this unit of competency is to be largely practical in nature and will most appropriately be assessed in an emergency disease or plant pest response simulation or in a response to an outbreak.

Method of assessment 

For valid assessment, one must have opportunities to participate in exercises, case studies and other real and simulated practical and knowledge assessments that demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to manage active operational emergency disease or plant pest sites.

The candidate must also have access to a functional control centre established as part of an emergency disease or plant pest response simulation, or in response to an actual outbreak.

Guidance information for assessment 

To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated on more than one occasion in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities, and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.

The skills and knowledge required to manage active operational emergency disease or plant pest sites must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts, including the ability to deal with unplanned events. For example, this could include managing the implementation of different control procedures required in different responses or on different sites.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.

Stakeholders may include:

• industry representatives and organisations
• local community
• local government authorities and other government departments
• property owners, operators and managers
• suppliers of goods and services.

Relevant standards and protocols may include:

• approved standard operating procedures
• commonwealth, state and territory legislation
• emergency disease or plant pest response agreements
• emergency disease or plant pest specific guidelines and manuals included in the relevant national response plans such as AUSVETPLAN and PLANTPLAN
• other relevant guidelines for handling an emergency disease or plant pest incursion, such as local government regulations.

Resources may include:

• contractors and other service providers
• documents such as:

• plans
• pro formas
• maps

• equipment such as:

• trucks
• tankers
• pumps

• facilities such as:

• portable shower blocks

• operations personnel and teams responsible for:

• clerical and administrative duties
• decontamination
• destruction
• disposal
• pest control
• site supervision of infected premises
• valuation.

Control procedures required may cover:

• decontamination
• destruction
• disposal
• pest control
• security
• surveillance and testing
• treatment
• vaccination
• valuation
• vector control measures
• wild animal control measures.

Reports may include:

• input into situation reports and control centre planning activities
• use of emergency disease or plant pest management software
• verbal progress and activity reports
• written reports.

Personnel monitoring may involve consideration of:

• appropriate resources
• first aid
• meals
• OHS
• personal protective equipment
• providing information to personnel
• right range of skills on sites
• shelter
• staff rosters
• stress levels.

Implementation of control procedures may be monitored through:

• site inspections
• specific software
• usage levels of major resources such as time, equipment and materials
• verbal and written reports.

Unit sector 

Biosecurity

Co-requisite units 

Competency field