Unit of competency details

HLT07 Version 4

HLT07 Version 5

Comments

HLTOHS601A Improve workplace OHS processes

HLTWHS601A Improve workplace WHS processes

Updated in V5 - Changes to address new national Work Health and Safety (WHS) Bill and updated legislation

Descriptor 

This unit specifies the workplace performance required by an individual who is responsible for the review and improvement of a systematic approach to managingWHS, where there is some autonomy regarding development of policies, procedures and processes, and in the allocation of roles and resources

Application 

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

Employability Skills 

This unit contains Employability Skills

Elements define the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

The Performance Criteria specify the level of performance required to demonstrate achievement of the Element. Terms in italics are elaborated in the Range Statement.

• Collect and analyse information

1.1 Identify and access relevant WHS legislation, standards, codes of practice/compliance codes, guidance material and other sources of WHS information and evaluate their relevance to workplace performance

1.2 Analyse other WHS information from a wide range of internal and external sources in relation to organisation needs, including information relating to sustainability issues

1.3 Identify due diligence requirements of management personnel

1.4 Identify relationship of WHS to other functional areas and management processes, including management to achieve a range of sustainable outcomes

1.5 Identify implications for the workplace of any changes in WHS legislation, regulations, standards, codes of practice/compliance codes and guidance materials

1.6 Identify WHS implications of proposed changes to the workplace, work processes or work organisation

1.7 Identify valid and reliable indicators of WHS performance in consultation with stakeholders

• Evaluate information to establish WHS framework

2.1 Evaluate organisation policies and procedures for compliance with legislative requirements and a systematic approach to managing WHS

2.2 Develop and/or implement processes to ensure that WHS responsibilities and duties are documented and accountability processes are in place

2.3 Review processes for specification, design, purchasing and commissioning of new buildings, plant, equipment and work processes within a safe design framework to ensure that WHS issues are addressed

2.4 Analyse information and compare against relevant benchmarks where available

2.5 Document outcomes of analysis and communicate them to key personnel and stakeholders

2.6 Identify resources for effective management of WHS and develop a budget

2.7 Recognise limits of own expertise and seek expert advice as required

• Initiate improvements

3.1 Determine priorities in consultation with appropriate managers and according to consultative procedures

3.2 Identify potential barriers to improvement

3.3 Develop an WHS plan in consultation with stakeholders and key personnel

3.4 Identify resources required for implementation of plan

• Maintain improvements

4.1 Establish processes to monitor achievement against the plan and update plans as required

4.2 Monitor effectiveness of the systematic approach to managing WHS on an ongoing basis

4.3 Consult stakeholders and key personnel according to legislative requirements and organisation procedures

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

Essential knowledge:

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

This includes knowledge of:

• Due diligence and general duty requirements of WHS legislation
• Examples of WHS management benchmarks
• Hazards of the particular work environment and how they cause harm
• Hazard identification procedures relevant to the hazards in their workplace:

• awards and enterprise agreements that impact on the particular workplace
• organisation procedures related to WHS including hazard, incident and injury reporting, hazard identification, risk assessment and control, consultation and participation, incident investigation, record keeping
• the characteristics and composition of the workforce and how they may impact on the management of WHS

• Job and work role design and how this impacts on workplace safety and worker wellbeing (e.g. remote work, shift work, solo worker)
• Legal requirements for WHS record keeping and reporting
• Legislative requirements for consultation
• Principles of risk assessment
• Principles of safe design processes
• Regulatory requirements relevant to the particular industry/type of work site
• Relationship between WHS and managing sustainability issues in the workplace, including environmental, economic, workforce and social sustainability
• Requirements for hazard identification
• Roles and responsibilities of Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) and Health and Safety committees (HSCs)
• Roles and responsibilities of workers, officers and Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBUs)
• Sources of WHS information both internal and external to the workplace, including Safe Work Australia and relevant state/territory regulators
• The difference between hazard and risk
• The hierarchy of risk control and its application
• Use and limitations of a range of WHS performance measures
• WHS management processes including elements of WHS management systems
• Workplace specific information on WHS

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to

• Review and improve WHS processes for an organisation or part of an organisation

In addition, the candidate must be able to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

This includes the ability to:

• Analyse and interpret WHS legislation, regulations, standards, codes of practice/ compliance codes and guidance material for relevance to the organisation context
• Apply a quality improvement process
• Assimilate information from a range of sources to evaluate effectiveness of processes
• Communicate with supervisors, other managers, staff, WHS inspectors and expert advisers in a range of contexts, and using a range of media and formats
• Conduct effective meetings
• Establish and promote opportunities to address waste minimisation, environmental responsibility and sustainable practice issues
• Identify and support individuals to access external and internal support services as employee assistance programs, workplace counselling and medical services as appropriate
• Relate to people from a range of social, cultural and ethic backgrounds and physical and mental abilities
• Use language and writing skills to develop easily understood policies and procedures
• Use technical skills to access WHS information

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 this Training Package.

Critical aspects of assessment:

• The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
• Evidence gathered by an assessor to determine competence will include:

• verbal and/or written responses to scenarios, case studies and role plays
• written reports
• reports from persons who have been involved in review and improvement processes
• portfolio of workplace documents

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

Products that could be used as evidence include:

• Verbal and written responses to case studies, scenarios
• Responses to scenarios, simulations, role plays
• Completed reports, plans, policies and procedures developed
• Written directions, emails, memos and other information
• Reports from team leaders, senior managers, other managers, specialist advisors

Processes that could be used as evidence include:

• How WHS information was sourced and analysed
• How consultation to determine priorities were conducted
• How achievement against the WHS plan was monitored

Access and equity considerations:

• All workers in the health industry should be aware of access and equity issues in relation to their own area of work
• All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
• In recognition of particular health issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities

Related units:

Assessment of this unit should address and build on the content of related unit:

• HLTWHS300A Contribute to WHS processes

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any 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.

WHS legislation varies in different states and will include:

• National Work Health and Safety Model
• Current relevant state/territory WHS legislation
• Relevant state/territory Manual Handling Code of Conduct

Standards include:

Documents produced by national bodies, WHS 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.

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 is:

Is an advisory technical document, providing detailed information for use by unions, officers, PCBUs, 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

Hierarchy of risk control (from Safe Work Australia Work Health And Safety - Risks Code of Practice) includes:

The ranking of ways control risks ranked from the highest level of protection and reliability to the lowest, including:

• Level 1 controls

• Eliminate hazards

• Level 2 controls

• Substitute the hazard with something safer
• Isolate the hazard from people
• Use engineering controls

• Level 3 controls

• Use administrative controls
• Use personal protective equipment (PPE)

WHS information includes:

Persons, organisations and references where knowledge about WHS may be obtained

These sources may be:

Internal, including:

• hazard, incident and investigation reports
• workplace inspections
• incident investigations
• minutes of meetings
• Job Safety Analyses (JSAs) and risk assessments
• organisation data such as insurance records, enforcement notices and actions, workers compensation data, WHS performance data
• reports and audits
• Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and registers
• employees handbooks
• employees including questionnaire results
• Health and Safety Representatives
• manufacturers’ manuals and specifications

External, including:

• Employee Assistance Program providers and workplace counselling services
• relevant state WHS Acts, regulations, codes and guidance material
• other relevant legislation
• Safe Work Australia
• State/territory regulatory bodies
• databases such as national and state injury data
• WHS specialists and consultants
• newspapers and journals, trade/industry publications
• internet sites
• industry networks and associations including unions and employer groups
• WHS professional bodies
• specialist advisors
• research information

Due diligence requirements include:

All precautions reasonable in the circumstances to protect the health and safety of workers and others who may be affected by actions or omissions of the individual or corporation.

Other functional areas and management processes refers to:

Functions other than WHS specific functions that impact on the management of WHS and may include:

• strategic planning
• purchasing, procurement and contracting
• logistics including supply chain and distribution
• HR, IR and personnel management, including payroll
• engineering and maintenance
• information, data and records management
• finance and auditing
• environmental management
• quality management.

Indicators of WHS performance include:

• Lead indicators that assess how successfully a workplace is developing or improving WHS by measuring the activities that drive or ‘lead’ the safety performance. They may be either:

• a quantitative indicator that can be counted or measured and described numerically (for example, number of safety audits conducted) or
• a qualitative indicator that describes or assesses a quality or behaviour (such as rating of management commitment to achieving ‘best practice’ in WHS).

• Lag indicators that assess how successfully a workplace is developing or improving WHS by measuring outcomes such as numbers or frequency of injuries or claims costs:
• They measure loss and, as changes to these measures usually take considerable time (or ‘lag’) behind the implementation of any improvement strategy, they are termed lag indicators.

Stakeholders are

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

• officers
• PCBUs
• Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs)
• Health and Safety committees (HSCs)
• workers and contractors
• the community

Organisation policies and procedures include:

Policies and procedures underpinning the management of WHS including:

• hazard, incident and injury reporting
• hazard identification, risk assessment and control
• human resources policies and procedures such as harassment and grievance procedures, induction programs, team meetings, alcohol and drug policies
• consultation and participation
• incident investigation
• quality system documentation.

Legislative requirements include:

• National Work Health and Safety Model
• Current relevant State/territory WHS legislation
• Other relevant legislation covering:
• dangerous goods
• workers compensation
• environment protection
• privacy legislation
• contract law
• criminal law
• common law
• industrial relations law
• equal employment opportunity and anti- discrimination law.

Systematic approach to managing WHS includes:

• all the comprehensive processes that are combined in a methodical and ordered manner to minimise the risk of injury or ill health in the workplace
• processes of planning, allocation of resources, communication, consultation, hazard management, record keeping, reporting, training and assessment, and review and evaluation for ongoing improvement.

Accountability includes:

The processes of verification of proper conduct or by which a person with (WHS) responsibilities demonstrates fulfilment of those responsibilities to those to whom they are answerable.

Safe design is:

A process that applies information and data about human capabilities and behaviour to the design of objects, facilities, procedures and environments that people use.

Safe design generally provides for the minimisation of risk through engineering, rather than reliance on human behaviour.

Benchmarks may include:

• legislation
• regulations
• codes of practice/compliance codes
• national standards
• Australian standards
• industry standards
• standards established by other organisations
• standards developed internally by the organisation.

Resources include:

• personnel
• finance
• hardware and equipment.

Expert advice may be sought from:

Persons either internal or external to the organisation including:

• safety professionals
• ergonomists
• employee assistance and workplace counselling services
• occupational hygienists
• audiologists
• safety engineers
• toxicologists
• occupational health professionals
• Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs)
• Health and Safety committees (HSCs)

Other persons providing specific technical knowledge or expertise in areas related to WHS including:

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

Barriers may include:

• language
• literacy and numeracy
• special needs of workers
• shift work and rostering arrangements
• contractual arrangements
• timing of information provision
• workplace organisation structures (e.g. geographic, hierarchical)
• workplace culture related to WHS.

WHS plan is

The strategy for implementing the WHS policy and includes:

• strategic documents developed to improve WHS within an organisation that identifies objectives together with strategies and accountabilities for achieving the objectives and:
• WHS performance indicators (i.e. objectives and targets that are achievable and practical) reflecting systematic approaches to managing WHS
• is usually developed annually but may be developed for a shorter or longer period
• is reviewed regularly
• provides the basis for WHS Action Plans which are developed to implement the strategic WHS plan

Key personnel include:

• managers from other areas
• people involved in WHS decision making
• people who are impacted by decisions