Unit of competency details

Unit Descriptor 

This competency covers the issuing and auditing of any and all permits across multiple plant areas or an entire site. It is typically undertaken by a senior process technician. This may be a routine job, a role in part of a job or a temporary role in a shut down or similar.

Application of the unit 

This competency covers both the issuing of permits directly and also the coordination of permits issued by others. It focuses on potential conflicts between work being undertaken as well as checking that the permit system is being used correctly. It includes:

• coordinating permits and the permit system
• plant preparations and isolations and the preparation system
• live auditing of permit issuers, permit recipients/holders
• auditing of permit paper trails
• overseeing and checking test regimes
• quality checking of risk assessment
• coordinating the issue of additional hazard control resources

Pre-requisite Units 

MSAPMPER300C 

Issue work permits 

Employability Skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Assess planned work for conflicts.

1.1. Identify all planned work for a time period

1.2. Determine the scope and HSE impacts of each planned job

1.3. Confirm hazard analysis and controls for each planned job

1.4. Compare hazard profiles for each planned job

1.5. Identify conflicts between planned jobs

1.6. Negotiate a solution between conflicts

1.7. Communicate results of negotiations to relevant stakeholders.

2. Issue required permits.

2.1. List those jobs which will be allowed to proceed in the time period

2.2. Confirm hazard controls required for these jobs

2.3. Identify jobs which have impacts across plant areas

2.4. Ensure controls and communications are adequate

2.5. Issue/cause to be issued required permits

2.6. Report as required by procedures.

3. Audit live permits.

3.1. Audit plant preparations

3.2. Audit permit issuing process

3.3. Check appropriate controls have been specified

3.4. Audit handover/sign on process

3.5. Audit work in progress for conformance to permit conditions

3.6. Audit work completion and hand back/closing process

3.7. Audit deisolation and return to work preparations

3.8. Take immediate and appropriate action on any problems found

3.9. Report on audit as required by procedures.

4. Audit past permits.

4.1. Obtain relevant paper work

4.2. Check for conformance to procedures

4.3. Check for appropriateness of specified hazard controls

4.4. Identify any non-conformance

4.5. Identify systemic non-conformances

4.6. Take any immediate action which is appropriate

4.7. Report on audit as required by procedures.

5. Analyse audit findings.

5.1. Identify improvements to the permit system

5.2. Identify improvements to the implementation of the permit system

5.3. Suggest improvements to the permit system as appropriate

5.4. Suggests improvements to hazard analysis processes

5.5. Suggest improvements to the plant preparation/return to operations processes

5.6. Suggest improvements to hazard controls

5.7. Suggest training required as appropriate

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.

Required skills :

This competency includes the following skills:

• analysis
• decision making
• communication
• priortisation
• leadership
• negotiation
• problem solving

Required knowledge :

Competence in this unit includes the following knowledge:

• the operations of the plant and each major unit in it
• hazards associated with all plant materials, processes and process conditions
• hazard analysis and control
• HSE legislative requirements related to plant
• plant preparation procedures
• auditing principles

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

Assessment of this unit should demonstrate competence on actual plant and equipment in a work environment. The unit will be assessed in as holistic a manner as is practical and may be integrated with the assessment of other relevant units of competency. Assessment will occur over a range of situations which will include disruptions to normal, smooth operation.

Simulation may be required to allow for assessment of parts of this unit. Simulation should be based on the actual plant and will include walk throughs of the relevant competency components. Simulations may also include the use of case studies/scenarios and role plays.

This unit of competency requires a significant body of knowledge which will be assessed through questioning and the use of what if scenarios both on the plant (during demonstration of normal operations and walk throughs of abnormal operations) and off the plant.

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

Competence must be demonstrated in the ability to specify the requirements and then select the best solution to meet the necessary and desirable requirements.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment will require access to an operating plant over an extended period of time, or a suitable method of gathering evidence of operating ability over a range of situations. A bank of scenarios/case studies/what ifs will be required as will a bank of questions which will be used to probe the reasoning behind the observable actions.

Method of assessment 

In all plants it may be appropriate to assess this unit concurrently with other relevant units.

Guidance information for assessment 

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate and appropriate to the oracy, language and literacy capacity of the assessee and the work being performed.

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. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs if the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.

Codes of practice / standards 

Where reference is made to industry codes of practice, and/or Australian/international standards, the latest version must be used.

Context 

This competency covers the issue of any and all work permits. Permits are called clearances by some organisations. The types of permit include:

• cold work
• excavation
• vehicle entry
• minor repairs
• working at heights
• hot work
• confined space
• electrical
• increased hazard
• other relevant permits.

Requirements identified on the permit may include testing of atmospheric conditions, ventilation and control measures such as isolation, barriers, tag out/lockout signs, communications, incident response.

A 'competent person' is a person who has, through a combination of training, education or experience, acquired knowledge and skills enabling that person to correctly perform a specified task.

Safety structures and controls may include automatic plant shut down buttons, cords/lanyards, alarms, barriers, guards, earth leakage devices, tag out/lock out procedures, warning lights.

Live permits 

Live permits applies to work currently being done

Past permits 

Past permits applies to any permit which has been handed back/closed.

Audit permits 

Auditing of permits includes all of:

• selecting an individual permit and following it through
• spot checking any aspect of permits
• intensively checking one aspect of the process with all permits on issue

Health , safety and environment  (HSE )

All operations to which this unit applies are subject to stringent health, safety and environment requirements, which may be imposed through State or Federal legislation, and these must not be compromised at any time. Where there is an apparent conflict between performance criteria and HSE requirements, the HSE requirements take precedence.

Unit Sector 

Competency Field 

Co-requisite Units