Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to follow safe working practices and environmental policy in the management of telecommunications workplace tasks. It involves awareness of safe handling of active optical fibre cabling, laser sources and equipment.

For splicing and terminating of optical fibre, one or both of the following competencies should be completed based on the needs of the work environment:

ICTCBL2065A Splice and terminate optical fibre cable for carriers and service providers

ICTCBL3010A Install and terminate optical fibre cable on customer premises

For more comprehensive safe working practices on optical installations particularly on live fibre, the following competency should be completed based on the needs of the work environment:

ICTBWN3100A Work safely with live fibre to test and commission an FTTX installation

It requires the ability to demonstrate personal awareness of OHS legislative requirements, and the basic principles of risk management and prevention of injury and illness in the construction industry.

Some cabling and installation work may fall within the definition of construction work. If so, people entering the construction site are required to complete the general induction training program specified by the National Code of Practice for Induction Training for Construction Work (Australian Safety Compensation Council, May 2007).

Achievement of the unit CPCCOHS1001A Work safely in the construction industry from the CPC08 Construction and Plumbing Services Integrated Framework Training Package fulfils this requirement.

Licensing requirements will apply to this unit of competency depending on the regulatory requirements of each jurisdiction. Users should confirm requirements with the relevant federal, state or territory authority.

Application of the unit 

Field officers deploying broadband Access Networks using optical technologies apply the skills and knowledge in this unit. They combine technical skills with specific OHS skills to work safely on live systems.

This unit applies to telecommunications staff working under supervision in a technical environment. This includes school-based workers, entry-level workers, trainees and apprentices. This unit applies in conjunction with other technical industry or enterprise-specific units.

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. Identify OHS legislative requirements

1.1. Identify and explain applicable OHS legislative requirements relevant to own work, role and responsibilities

1.2. Identify duty of care requirements

1.3. Identify and explain own responsibilities to comply with safe work practices

2. Identify construction hazards and control measures

2.1. Identify basic principles of risk management 

2.2. Identify and discuss common construction hazards 

2.3. Identify measures for controlling hazards and risks 

3. Follow workplace procedures for hazard identification and risk control

3.1. Recognise and report hazards  in the work area to designated personnel  according to workplace procedures 

3.2. Follow OHS legislative requirements, workplace procedures and work instructions to control risks 

3.3. Comply with safe work practices

3.4. Implement duty of care requirements

3.5. Complete job safety analysis  (JSA ) sheets according to work requirements, including hazard identification  and risk assessment 

3.6. Use and maintain personal protective equipment  according to work requirements

4. Recognise safety requirements for work with optical fibre equipment

4.1. Identify safe working practices when handling optical fibre, lasers and optical connectors

4.2. Use safe work practices when handling optical fibre, lasers and optical connectors according to the relevant Australian standards 

4.3. Identify safe working practices when handling and disposing of chemical waste

5. Identify OHS communication and reporting processes

5.1. Identify and discuss OHS  communication processes, information and documentation

5.2. Identify and explain the role of designated OHS personnel

5.3. Identify and explain safety signs and symbols

5.4. Identify procedures and relevant authorities for reporting hazards, incidents and injuries

6. Identify OHS incident response procedures

6.1. Identify and explain general procedures for responding to incidents and emergencies 

6.2. Identify procedures for accessing first aid

6.3. Identify and demonstrate requirements for the selection and use of relevant personal protective equipment

6.4. Identify and discuss fire safety equipment 

7. Contribute to the management of OHS

7.1. Raise OHS issues with designated personnel according to workplace procedures and relevant OHS legislation

7.2. Contribute to participative arrangements  for OHS management in the workplace within organisational procedures and scope of responsibilities and competencies

8. Contribute to the management of workplace environmental issues

8.1. Raise environmental issues with designated personnel according to workplace procedures and relevant environmental requirements  and legislation

8.2. Contribute to participative arrangements for environmental management in the workplace within organisational procedures and scope of responsibilities and competencies

8.3. Record and report all OHS issues, risks and hazards to designated personnel

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required skills 

• communication skills to:

• ask effective questions and clarify requirements
• listen to, and liaise with, relevant personnel on technical and operational matters
• raise and report OHS matters, discuss and relay OHS information to others
• explain legislative requirements and principles of risk management, safety signs and symbols and common hazards in relation to own work

• literacy skills to interpret technical documentation and standards and demonstrate knowledge by incorporating technical language into written tasks, such as report on recommendation to minimise hazards and injury
• numeracy skills to interpret technical data, such as specifications of laser operations
• problem solving skills to apply methodology in minimising risks
• research skills to access technical information and sources to understand and report on safety requirements
• safety awareness skills to:

• apply precautions and required action to minimise, control or eliminate hazards that may exist during work activities
• select and use required personal protective equipment conforming to industry and OHS standards
• work systematically with required attention to detail without injury to self or others, or damage to goods or equipment
• select and use appropriate methods for laser handling

Required knowledge 

• applicable Commonwealth, state or territory OHS legislation, regulations, standards, codes of practice and industry standards and guidance notes relevant to own work, role and responsibilities
• common construction hazards
• general construction work activities that require licenses, tickets or certificates of competency
• environmental control processes:

• air quality management
• disposal and handling of hazardous and dangerous substances
• noise pollution
• safe disposal of fibre offcuts
• stormwater and materials spillage
• waste disposal

• OHS responsibilities and rights of duty holders/workplace parties under environmental and OHS Acts, regulations and codes of practice, including:

• persons in control of construction work/projects
• employers and self-employed persons
• supervisors
• employees
• designers
• inspectors
• manufacturers and suppliers

• optical fibres and equipment:

• hazards relating to handling of optical fibre and laser light source in the workplace
• injuries:

• damage to retina from lasers
• damage to lungs from inhalation of fibre offcuts and particles
• needle stick injury from fibres and offcuts

• laser warning signs and labels relating to optical fibre components and equipment
• safety requirements when handling and working with:

• devices
• laser light sources
• optical fibre connectors
• optical fibres
• patchcords

• own responsibilities to comply with safe work practices relating to:

• housekeeping
• identification of hazards
• preventing bullying or harassment
• smoking
• use of amenities
• use of drugs and alcohol

• principles of risk management and assessment for construction work
• ways in which OHS is managed in the workplace, and activities required under OHS legislation, including:

• hazard identification
• hazards that exist in the workplace
• OHS instruction
• preferred order of ways to control risks (known as the hierarchy of control)
• risk assessment and controls
• role of OHS committees and representatives
• training and provision of OHS information
• types of common personal protective equipment and fire safety equipment
• types of OHS information and documentation

• workplace environmental and OHS procedures relevant to the work being undertaken, including procedures for:

• designated personnel responsible for OHS
• employee participation in OHS management
• general first aid response requirements
• general workers' compensation and injury management requirements
• meaning of OHS symbols found on signs and labels in the workplace
• raising OHS issues
• recognising and reporting on:

• accidents
• dangerous occurrences
• emergencies
• hazards
• incidents
• injuries
• near misses

• responding to:

• accidents
• emergencies
• evacuation procedures
• fires and
• hazards
• incidents
• injuries

• work operations to control risks

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 

Evidence of the ability to:

• apply personal awareness of:

• OHS legislative and safety requirements for construction work, including duty of care
• the range of common construction hazards and procedures for the assessment of risk and application of the hierarchy of control
• OHS communication processes, information and documentation including the role of OHS committees and representatives, the meaning of common safety signs and symbols, and procedures for reporting hazards, incidents and injuries
• general procedures for responding to incidents and emergencies, including evacuation, first aid, fire safety equipment and personal protective equipment

• recognise and report hazards to designated personnel
• follow workplace procedures necessary to control risks in the workplace
• safely handle optical fibres and laser sources.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure:

• relevant OHS Acts, regulations and codes of practice
• OHS implementation resources, such as sample forms, signs and procedures
• enterprise OHS policies and procedures
• personal protective equipment
• first aid equipment
• fire safety equipment
• relevant work areas for identification of hazards and control measures.
• optic fibre cabling and equipment.

Method of assessment 

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

• direct observation of the candidate applying safety aspects to the handling of optical fibres and lasers
• direct observation of the candidate following or participating in common OHS workplace procedures
• oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of OHS concepts and applications
• evaluation of written reports on hazards and safety recommendations.

Guidance information for assessment 

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended.

Aboriginal people and other people from a non-English speaking background may have second language issues.

Access must be provided to appropriate learning and assessment support when required.

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and appropriate to the oral communication skill level, and language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

In all cases where practical assessment is used it will be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge. Questioning techniques should not require language, literacy and numeracy skills beyond those required in this unit of competency.

Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with special needs.

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 legislative requirements  relate to:

• Australian standards
• duty of care
• health and safety representatives, committees and supervisors
• industry OHS standards and guidelines
• licences, tickets or certificates of competency
• national safety standards
• OHS and Welfare Acts and regulations
• safety codes of practice
• construction industry OHS standards and guidelines
• National Code of Practice for Induction Training for Construction Work

Duty of care requirements  relate to:

• legal responsibility to do everything reasonably practicable to protect others from harm
• own responsibilities to comply with safe work practices:

• activities that require licences
• tickets
• certificates of competency

• relevant state OHS requirements, including:

• construction supervisors
• construction workers
• designers
• employers and self-employed persons
• inspectors
• manufacturers and suppliers
• persons in control of the work site
• subcontractors.

Safe work practices  relate to:

• access to site amenities:

• drinking water
• toilets

• appropriate warning labels on cabinets and enclosures
• avoiding coming into contact with chemicals, breathing in fumes and vapours, and digesting such materials
• being aware of what to do and how to treat any potential accident
• drugs and alcohol at work
• general requirements for:

• safe use of plant and equipment
• use of personal protective equipment and clothing

• housekeeping to ensure a clean, tidy and safe work area
• manufacturer's warnings or instruction labels in relation to the laser product are not damaged or obscured during installation
• no fibre particles, hazardous solvents or chemicals left on site at the completion of the work
• preventing bullying and harassment
• relevant Australian standards of required health and safety precautions
• smoking in designated areas
• specific organisational safety requirements
• storing and removing debris
• using a wet cleaning process and making sure all solvent residues are disposed of according to environmental policy
• warning labels used in conjunction with laser and optical fibre systems.

Principles of risk management  include:

• assessing the risks involved
• consulting and reporting ensuring the involvement of relevant workers
• controlling the hazard
• identifying hazards
• reviewing to identify change or improvement.

Common construction hazards  include:

• confined spaces
• electrical safety
• excavations, including trenches
• falling objects
• hazardous substances and dangerous goods
• HIV and other infectious diseases
• hot and cold working environments
• manual handling
• noise
• plant and equipment
• traffic and mobile plant
• unplanned collapse
• ultraviolet (UV) radiation
• working at heights.

Measures for controlling hazards and risk  include:

• administrative control
• elimination
• engineering control
• isolation
• personal protective equipment
• substitution.

Hazards  may include:

• activating equipment without notifying other staff who may be working remotely on the network
• cleaning alcohol, epoxy resins and other solvents and chemicals may be carcinogenic, cause allergies or be dangerous to health in other ways
• environmental hazards:

• air pollution
• damage to natural or heritage precincts
• dangerous gases
• ground water contamination
• heavy or noxious metals pollution
• noise
• petrochemical spillage
• release of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC)

• flammable cleaning chemicals fluids and solvents
• fibre offcut damage to eyes and skin
• health hazards:

• dangerous or harmful substances
• handling of optic fibres and lasers
• risk of infection
• risk of sustained injury from repetitive tasks

• inhalation of fibre offcuts and particles from vacuum cleaning of worksite
• laser damage to eyes
• safety hazards:

• biomechanical
• lifting
• potentially harmful procedures such as welding
• working at heights.

Designated personnel  includes:

• management
• managers
• OHS personnel
• other persons authorised or nominated by the enterprise or industry to:

• approve specified work
• direct specified work
• inspect specified work
• perform specified work

• supervisors
• team leaders.

Workplace procedures  may include:

• assessing risks
• consulting and participating
• controlling hazards
• emergency responses to:

• accidents
• emergencies
• fires

• identifying hazards
• reporting OHS issues
• resolving OHS issues
• using personal protective equipment.

Control risks  may include:

• three steps in risk management process:

• identify hazard
• assess risk
• implement control methods.

Job safety analysis  (JSA ) may include:

• health, safety and environmental hazards
• each new workplace or worksite situation
• sheets to record the steps in the risk management process:

• assessment
• control
• identification

• primary application of assessment.

Hazard identification  includes:

• checking equipment and work area:

• before work commences
• during work

• housekeeping
• reviewing accident or incident records
• workplace inspections.

Risk assessment  includes:

• a scale:

• low
• medium
• high

• awareness of likelihood and consequence factors
• JSA.

Personal protective equipment  used to control a hazard may include:

• aprons
• arm guards
• breathing apparatus

• dust masks
• respirators

• clothing

• boots
• gloves
• overalls
• protective jackets or pants for preparing, cutting or jointing optical fibres

• eye protection
• face and head protection

• face masks
• goggles
• helmets

• gloves
• hard hat
• hearing protection
• high visibility retro reflective vests
• protective, well fitting clothing
• respiratory protection
• safety footwear
• UV protective clothing and sunscreen
• protective eyewear designed specifically for laser
• radiation detectors.

Australian Standards  may include:

• Australian Communications Industry Forum (ACIF) standards and codes
• Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) standards TS 14
• AS Communications Cabling Manual (CCM)
  Volume 1
• AS/NZS 3000:2007
• AS/NZS 3080:2003
• AS/NZS 3084:2003
• AS/NZS 3085.1:2004
• AS/NZS IEC 61935.1:2006
• AS/NZS IEC 61935.2:2006
• AS/NZS ISO/IEC 14763.3:2007
• AS/NZS ISO/IEC 15018:2005
• AS/NZS ISO/IEC 24702:2007
• cabling security codes and regulations
• Environmental Protection Acts
• International Standards ISO 9000 and 9001
• International Telecommunications Union (ITU) recommendations
• OHS Acts and relevant codes and standards
• road and traffic control legislation and codes
• technical standards AS/ACIF S008:2006 and AS/ACIF S009:2006
• Telecommunications Act and relevant codes.

OHS communication processes  may include:

• discussions with OHS representatives
• OHS meetings
• OHS notices, newsletters, bulletins and correspondence
• OHS participative arrangements
• processes for raising OHS issues
• toolbox talks
• workplace consultation relating to OHS issues and changes.

OHS information and documentation  may include:

• accident and incident reports
• Acts and regulations
• Australian standards
• codes of practice
• construction documentation and plans
• emergency information contact
• evacuation plans
• guidance notes
• job safety analyses
• labels
• material safety data sheets (MSDS)
• proformas for reporting hazards, incidents and injuries
• reports of near misses and dangerous occurrences
• risk assessments
• safe work method statements
• safety meeting minutes
• site safety inspection reports.

Designated OHS personnel  may include:

• first aid officers
• OHS committee members
• OHS representatives
• supervisors.

Safety signs and symbols  may include:

• emergency information signs:

• equipment
• exits
• first aid

• fire signs, location of fire alarms and fire fighting equipment
• hazard signs danger and warning
• regulatory signs:

• mandatory
• limitation or restriction
• prohibition

• safety tags and lockout:

• danger tags
• out of service tags.

Relevant authorities  may include:

• emergency services:

• ambulance
• emergency rescue
• fire brigade
• police

• OHS regulatory authority
• supervisor.

Incidents  may include:

• accidents resulting in personal injury or damage to property
• near misses or dangerous occurrences which do not cause injury but may pose an immediate and significant risk to persons or property, and need to be reported so that action can be taken to prevent recurrence, for example:

• breathing apparatus malfunctioning to the extent that the user's health is in danger
• collapse of the floor, wall or ceiling of a building being used as a workplace
• collapse or failure of an excavation more than 1.5 metres deep including any shoring
• collapse or partial collapse of a building or structure
• collapse, overturning or failure of the load bearing of any scaffolding, lift, crane, hoist or mine-winding equipment
• damage to or malfunction of any other major plant
• electric shock
• electrical short circuit, malfunction or explosion
• uncontrolled explosion, fire or escape of gas, hazardous substance or steam
• any other unintended or uncontrolled incident or event arising from operations carried on at a workplace.

General procedures for responding to incidents and emergencies  may include:

• basic emergency response:

• keep calm
• raise alarm
• obtain help

• evacuation
• notification of designated OHS personnel and authorities
• notification of emergency services, when and how
• referring to site emergency plans and documentation.

Emergencies  may include:

• chemical spill
• fire
• injury to personnel
• structural collapse
• toxic and flammable vapours emission
• vehicle and mobile plant accident.

Fire safety equipment  may include:

• breathing apparatus
• fire blankets
• fire fighting equipment.

Participative arrangements  may include:

• committees:

• consultative
• OHS
• planning
• purchasing

• concerns
• health and safety representatives
• OHS informal meetings
• reports
• requests
• suggestions.

Environmental requirements  must include:

• clean-up management
• dust
• noise
• waste management.

Unit sector 

Telecommunications

Co-requisite units 

Competency field 

Occupational health and safety