Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This competency covers the scoping, establishment and review of the environmental management system in regard to environmental sustainability as an integral part of business planning.

Application of the unit 

Prerequisite units 

PMASUP520B 

Review procedures to minimise environmental impact of process 

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. Establish an environmental management system.

1.1. Select an appropriate Environmental Management System as a model for the enterprise/plant

1.2. Develop environmental management policies that reflect the organisation's commitment to environmental sustainability as an integral part of business planning and as a business opportunity

1.3. Establish strategies to encourage all stakeholders to meet high standards of environmental performance and support sustainable innovation and continuous improvement

1.4. Establish policies and procedures to incorporate and support triple bottom line principles

1.5. Establish policies/procedures which minimise environmental impacts

1.6. Check policies conform to current regulatory requirements

1.7. Address environmental management at the planning, design and evaluation stages to ensure that any changes in the workplace are identified for ongoing impact and opportunity.

2. Manage innovation and improvement.

2.1. Identify, evaluate and take into consideration changing trends and opportunities relevant to the organisation for ongoing improvement programs

2.2. Promote continuous improvement and sustainable innovation as an essential part of doing business and as a context for assessment and planning of environmental performance

2.3. Establish continuous improvement and innovation policies and procedures that include training and professional development to optimise the environmental performance of the organisation

2.4. Establish a system to analyse and communicate the costs and benefits of innovations and improvements and to measure, monitor and record environmental performance

2.5. Establish performance benchmarks and indicators and set targets to maximise continuous improvement.

3. Review environmental management system.

3.1. Develop processes to ensure that an integrated ongoing review is part of the organization policy and procedures

3.2. Promote improvement and sustainable innovation to organisational performance by ongoing evaluation and assessment, and changes to policies.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required skills 

• communication/consultation skills
• conflict resolution skills
• planning and evaluation skills
• process analysis skills
• problem solving skills.

Required knowledge 

The person must demonstrate understanding of specialised knowledge with depth in some areas.

Required knowledge is to be limited to that which is sufficient to perform the particular management function and is intended to promote environmental awareness rather than technical environmental competencies. These would include:

• relevant legislation from all levels of government that effects business operation, especially in regard to OHS and environmental issues, EEO, industrial relations and anti-discrimination
• concepts of policy development and business planning
• relevant system analysis and design principles
• performance benchmarking and indicator development relevant to the organisation's activities
• environment sustainability as a 'whole system' approach
• techniques to measure sustainability
• quality systems
• supply chain management
• strategies to maximise opportunities
• environment impact minimisation strategies
• relevant knowledge of environmental issues, especially in regard to water catchments, air, noise, ecosystems, habitat, waste minimisation
• relevant knowledge of ecological systems in regard to business operation.

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 include demonstrated 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 develop and establish environmental management policies, systems and procedures in regard to managing sustainable business practices while encompassing environmental sustainability as an integral part of business planning.

Evidence must be strictly relevant to the particular management role and is not intended to include detailed technical aspects of environmental science.

Consistent performance should be demonstrated. In particular look to see that:

• communication/consultation skills to ensure all relevant groups and individuals are advised of what is occurring and are provided with an opportunity for input
• conflict resolution skills to mediate, negotiate and/or attempt to obtain consensus between parties
• planning and evaluation skills to develop policies and procedures
• process analysis skills to identify potential environmental impacts and opportunities
• problem solving skills to deal effectively with environmental impacts and opportunities as identified
• ability to relate to people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and physical and mental abilities.

These aspects may be best assessed using a range of scenarios/case studies/what-ifs as the stimulus with a walk-through forming part of the response. These assessment activities should include a range of problems, including new, unusual and extreme situations that may have been generated from the past incident history of the plant, incidents on similar plants around the world, hazard analysis activities (eg HAZOP) and similar sources.

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 relevant teamwork units, communication units and units relevant to the process equipment.

In a major hazard facility, it may be appropriate to assess this unit concurrently with relevant OHS 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.

Triple Bottom Line  (TBL ) Principle 

The 'Triple Bottom Line' (TBL) principle is used as a framework for measuring and reporting corporate performance against economic, social and environmental parameters. It involves the focus of an enterprise being not just on the economic value they add, but also on the environmental and social value they can add.

Sustainable development 

Sustainable development is defined as 'Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'. From a business perspective, sustainable development involves the integration of this objective with the need for business growth and expansion. Effective and innovative environmental management can contribute to business growth by reducing costs, differentiating goods and services and contributing to improved corporate image and staff relations.

Environmental performance 

Environmental performance may be defined as the measure of an organisation's impact on the environment and their ability to manage and minimise negative impacts.

Legislation , codes and national standards 

Legislation, codes and national standards relevant to the workplace which may include:

• relevant Commonwealth and State Environment Acts
• applicable State environmental regulations
• licences and permit conditions
• Codes of practice
• Australian standards
• environmental treaties and conventions
• national environmental policies, strategies and initiatives such as the National Greenhouse Strategy, National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development etc.
• National Pollutant Inventory
• State of the Environment Reports
• Industry Association commitments (eg The Global Mining Initiative)

Environmental management policies must be:

• relevant to the organisation's operations
• appropriate to the scope and scale of the business.

Environmental Management Policies 

Environmental management policies may include:

• local, national and international innovations, programs and ideas
• business sustainability
• environmental load reduction
• waste minimisation
• tenders for the provision of goods and services that specify environmentally preferred selection criteria
• protection of land and habitat
• ecological considerations
• regeneration of damaged ecosystems
• media releases as a result of incidents
• environmental reporting
• communication strategies to ensure all stakeholders are informed of initiatives and to promote achievements to the wider community.

Knowledge of legislation , codes , national standards , industry codes of practice and workplace policies and procedures 

Knowledge of legislation, codes, national standards, industry codes of practice and workplace policies and procedures must:

• be strictly relevant to the particular workplace and is not intended to include detailed technical aspects of environmental science
• details of legislation must be directly relevant to the workplace
• be consistent with the concept that people at this level will be dealing with environmental concepts as part of an overall management responsibility and not as an environmental specialist.

Environmental improvement plans 

Environmental improvement plans may be established at management level and may include:

• measuring, monitoring and recording environmental performance and continually setting targets for measurable improvements
• all aspects of environmental performance including energy and other resources use, waste minimisation, recycling, transport use.

Environmental sustainability 

Environmental sustainability may be influenced by:

• the organisational culture and operations
• internal or external economic climate
• political climate
• market focus/considerations
• environmental impacts of the business operation.

Stakeholders 

Stakeholders may include:

• board members, financial backers, owners
• all members of the organisation, including management and staff members
• suppliers
• contractors
• others acting on the organisation's behalf
• customers
• external individuals or bodies who may have an interest in or may be affected by the organisation.

Maximising opportunities 

Maximising opportunities may involve:

• improved environmental performance
• increased efficiency
• use of alternative energy sources

and may improve/enhance:

• corporate image
• staff morale
• cost reduction
• product differentiation/branding
• identification of market potential.

Environmental impact 

To minimise environmental impact may include the minimisation of:

• waste/pollution
• emissions/spills
• use of resources, especially reduction of use of non-renewable resources.

Continuous improvement and innovation policies 

Continuous improvement and innovation policies may include:

• consistent reviewing activities in search of a better way
• improving the organisation in all aspects of its operation
• and may look at life cycle impacts of the organisation including:
• activities and products are designed to minimise life cycle impacts and maximise opportunities
• tendering and purchasing processes that include life cycle criteria
• product design and manufacture
• packaging policies
• product use and disposal
• vehicle policies that include use of cleaner fuels or alternative energy sources and regular servicing intervals to reduce pollution and improve efficiency.

Performance benchmarks 

Performance benchmarks and targets may include:

• best practice or industry codes for the industry/sector
• levels of performance expected of organisation sectors and/or the organisation as a whole.

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 

Support/generic

Competency field 

Co-requisite units