Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit of competency specifies the workplace performance required by an individual responsible for ongoing management of occupational health and safety (OHS) within an area of management responsibility, where the OHS management processes have been set up by other persons, either internal or external to the organisation.

Application of the unit 

This unit is intended for application by a manager of small organisation or several work groups or a larger group within an organisation.

Work is likely to have a focus on maintaining already established processes and the unit assumes that OHS advice and expertise would be available.

Application of this unit should be contextualised to reflect any specific workplace risks, hazards and associated safety practices.

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. Manage OHS information and records

1.1. Relevant OHS legislation, standards, codes of practice/compliance codes, guidance material and other sources of OHS information are identified and accessed and their relevance to the specific work context is evaluated

1.2. Information on OHS requirements, trends and risk controls is collected, collated and provided to others

1.3. Records and record keeping processes are reviewed to ensure that legal requirements for OHS record keeping are identified and addressed

1.4. Processes for ensuring that OHS records are accurately completed, collected and stored are implemented and monitored in accordance with legal requirements and workplace procedures

2. Manage OHS participative processes

2.1. Participative processes are monitored to ensure compliance with legislative requirements and organisation procedures

2.2. Information provided to employees is evaluated to ensure it is in a readily accessible and understandable format

2.3. Processes for ensuring that workgroup members have an opportunity, either directly or through their representative, to contribute to decisions that may affect their health and safety are implemented and monitored

2.4. Processes for addressing OHS issues are evaluated to ensure issues raised through consultation are resolved promptly and in line with organisation procedures and legislative requirements

2.5. Information about the outcomes of consultation is provided promptly in a format and medium that is readily accessible to employees

3. Manage OHS risk management processes

3.1. Hazard, incident, and injury reporting and investigation processes are in place, to meet legislative requirements and to inform future prevention strategies

3.2. Processes are in place so that hazard identification and risk assessments occur according to organisation procedures

3.3. Risk controls and hazard specific procedures are consistent with the hierarchy of control and are monitored to support compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements

3.4. Processes are in place to identify and address any OHS implications of either proposed or implemented changes to the workplace, work processes or organisation of work

3.5. Limits of own professional expertise are recognised and expert advisors consulted as required

4. Manage OHS training program

4.1. OHS training needs assessment is undertaken for workgroup members, that takes account of legislative and regulatory requirements, internal policies and procedures, existing skills of work group members and risk control requirements

4.2. Training programs are implemented and monitored to ensure identified OHS training requirements are addressed

4.3. Processes to ensure that all new employees receive ohs induction are implemented and monitored

4.4. Relevant OHS and training specialists are accessed and consulted as required in the development and implementation of the OHS training program

5. Manage OHS continuous improvement process

5.1. Input from individuals and workgroup is considered in identifying and implementing OHS improvement

5.2. OHS priorities are determined in consultation with appropriate managers and stakeholders

5.3. OHS action plans are developed taking account of priorities and training needs

5.4. Achievements against the OHS plans are monitored and updated accordingly

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required skills 

Ability to :

• use technical skills to access OHS information
• use language, literacy and conceptual skills to analyse and evaluate OHS information
• communicate with supervisors, other managers, staff, OHS inspectors and expert advisers in a range of contexts, and using a range of media and formats
• conduct effective meetings
• develop solutions to complex OHS problems, utilising information from a range of sources
• apply an action planning process
• assimilate information from a range of sources to evaluate effectiveness of processes
• relate to people from a range of social, cultural and ethic backgrounds and physical and mental abilities

Required knowledge 

Essential knowledge :

• the difference between hazard and risk
• sources of OHS information both internal and external to the workplace
• understanding of OHS legislation and regulatory requirements relevant to the particular industry/type of work site
• the roles and responsibilities of employees, supervisors and managers in the workplace
• legislative requirements for consultation
• legal and practical requirements for OHS training
• legal requirements for OHS record keeping and reporting
• knowledge and understanding of guidance material, including codes of practice/compliance codes relevant to the particular industry/type of work site
• risk assessment process, including:

• hazard identification procedures
• principles of risk assessment
• the hierarchy of control and its application

• legislative requirements for record keeping and reporting
• systems for identifying skill needs, such as:

• performance reviews
• training needs analysis
• identifying additional training needs of learners

• workplace specific information, including:

• hazards of the particular work environment and how they cause harm
• hazard identification procedures relevant to the hazards in their workplace
• 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 and record keeping
• awards and enterprise agreements that impact on the particular workplace
• the characteristics and composition of the workforce and how they may impact on the management of OHS

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 

Assessment must be carried out in a manner that recognises the cultural and literacy requirements of the assessee and is appropriate to the work performed. Competence in this unit must be achieved in accordance with food safety standards and regulations.

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:

• managing OHS processes for a small organisation or a group(s) of persons undertaking a range of work

• Evidence gathered by an assessor to determine competence will include:

• written or verbal responses to scenarios and case studies
• reports from persons who have been involved in the management processes
• portfolio of workplace documents

• 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, pictorial or physical scenarios
• demonstrated action to scenarios, simulations and role plays
• completed reports to senior managers
• written directions, emails, memos and other information provided to supervisors in area of responsibility
• reports from team leaders, senior managers, other managers, specialist advisors

Processes that could be used as evidence include:

• how training needs were identified and addressed
• how action plans are developed, monitored and updated
• how hazard identification and risk assessment occur
• how incident investigation occurs

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.

Method of assessment 

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

Guidance information for assessment 

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

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 

OHS legislation includes:

• commonwealth, state and territory OHS acts and regulations

Standards 

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 

Codes of practice/compliance codes are:

• documents generally prepared to provide advice to employers and workers, of an acceptable way of achieving standards
• codes of practice/compliance codes may:

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

Guidance material 

Guidance material:

• 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
• advises on 'what to do' and 'how to do it'
• has no legal standing

Other sources of OHS information 

Other sources of OHS information include persons, organisations and references where knowledge about OHS may be obtained. These sources may be:

• internal, including:

• hazard, incident and investigation reports
• workplace inspections
• incident investigations
• minutes of meetings
• job safety analyses and risk assessments
• organisation data such as insurance records, enforcement notices and actions, workers compensation data, OHS performance data
• reports and audits
• material safety data sheets (MSDS) and registers
• employees handbooks
• employees including questionnaire results
• OHS advisors
• manufacturers' manuals and specifications

• external, including:

• regulatory bodies and OHS Acts regulations, codes and guidance material
• other relevant legislation
• Office of the Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC) and the former National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) documents
• Databases, such as national and state injury data
• OHS specialists and consultants
• newspapers and journals, trade/industry publications
• internet sites
• industry networks and associations, including unions and employer groups
• OHS professional bodies
• specialist advisors
• research information

OHS information 

OHS information includes:

• requirements under OHS legislation, regulations, standards, codes of practice/compliance codes and guidelines
• rights and responsibilities
• information on hazards including MSDS
• collated information on hazard incidents and injuries
• investigation and audit reports
• outcomes of hazard identifications and workplace inspections
• risk assessments
• risk controls
• workplace OHS policies and procedures
• work procedures
• training records

Risk controls 

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

Legal requirements for record keeping 

Legal requirements for record keeping include:

• those specified under OHS legislation and regulations for:

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

OHS records 

OHS records may include:

• hazard, incident and investigation reports
• workplace inspection reports
• incident investigation reports
• first aid records
• minutes of meetings
• job safety analyses and risk assessments
• MSDS and registers
• plant and equipment operation records including those relevant to registered plant
• maintenance and testing reports
• training records
• environmental monitoring records
• health surveillance records

Participative processes 

Participative processes include:

• processes that:

• inform employees and other stakeholders of OHS matters
• seek their input
• offer opportunity for stakeholders to participate in decisions that may impact on their health and safety

• participative processes may also be referred to as 'consultative processes', however 'participation' implies a higher level of involvement

Organisation policies and procedures 

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

Consultation 

Consultation includes processes for:

• seeking information or the opinions from one or more people prior to decision-making
• consultation should particularly include those who may affect the outcomes or be affected by the decisions made but may also include specialist sources

A hazard 

Hazards refer to:

• 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 safety related hazards 

Specific safety related hazards may include but are not limited to:

• chemicals,
• bodily fluids
• sharps
• noise
• manual handling
• work posture
• underfoot hazards
• moving parts of machinery
• cytotoxic medicines and waste

Other workplace hazards 

Other workplace hazards may include:

• occupational violence
• stress
• fatigue
• bullying

Incident 

Incident includes:

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

Hazard identification 

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

Risks 

Risks, in relation to any hazard, means:

• the probability and consequences of injury, illness or damage resulting from exposure to a hazard

Risk assessments 

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

Hierarchy of control 

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 control (e.g. installing guards on machinery)
• administration control (e.g. policies and procedures for safe work practices)
• personal protective equipment (e.g. respirators and ear plugs)

Expert advisors 

Expert advisors include:

• persons either internal or external to the organisation including:

• safety professionals
• ergonomists
• occupational hygienists
• audiologists
• safety engineers
• toxicologists
• occupational health professionals

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

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

OHS induction 

OHS induction includes:

• the processes by which new employees are introduced to, and acquainted with their job and the new workplace, including familiarisation with:

• hazards and risks associated with the work,
• risk control measures,
• welfare facilities and
• emergency response procedures

Stakeholders 

Stakeholders are those people or organisations who may be affected by, or perceive themselves to be affected by an activity or decision, including:

• managers
• supervisors
• health and safety and other employee representatives
• OHS committees
• employees and contractors
• the community

OHS action plans 

OHS action plans include:

• documented plans developed within the workplace to implement a systematic approach to OHS management and contain:

• actions that support an integrated strategy to address deficiencies, meet obligations or provide for improved outcomes
• allocated responsibilities
• timeframes

Unit sector 

Occupational health and safety

Competency field 

Co-requisite units