Unit of competency details

1

Identify environmental management obligations

1.1

Identify legislative, regulatory and licensing requirements that apply to work activities

1.2

Access the enterprise’s environmental management plans that apply to specific sites and projects

1.3

Confirm scope of responsibility for achieving environmental outcomes for specific sites and projects

1.4

Confirm reporting requirements

2

Implement specified management plans and procedures

2.1

Review site history and environmental management issues, objectives and procedures that have been documented for specific sites and projects

2.2

Plan work, incorporating appropriate control measures, to minimise identified risks and achieve specified environmental outcomes

2.3

Undertake all work activities safely and in accordance with environmental requirements

3

Respond to potential/actual environmental issues and incidents

3.1

Recognise and assess environmental issues, risks, impacts and incidents arising during work activities

3.2

Identify the triggers/response procedures for complaints, cultural heritage finds and other environmental incidents

3.3

Apply established enterprise procedures for dealing with complaints, cultural/heritage finds and other environmental incidents

3.4

Record details of observations, assessments and any actions taken in accordance with enterprise procedures

3.5

Notify specified personnel in accordance with enterprise procedures

4

Report the application of environmental plans and procedures

4.1

Monitor the effectiveness of environmental controls relating to work activities

4.2

Complete environmental reporting requirements for specific sites and projects

4.3

Maintain relevant environmental management documentation

4.4

Identify and report opportunities for improving environmental procedures

4.5

Contribute to regular reviews of environmental management plans and procedures

Required skills

Required skills include:

• accessing, interpreting and applying relevant legislative/regulatory requirements
• applying environmental management plans and procedures when planning and conducting work activities
• demonstrating attention to detail and due diligence
• accurately observing and recording environmental conditions at sites
• using enterprise checklists to assess environmental risks at local worksites
• conveying information using clear and concise verbal/written communication
• working both independently and in teams
• solving straightforward problems
• seeking advice when issues/problems are beyond scope of competence/responsibility
• working safely for the protection of self and others

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes:

• terms, such as environmental protection, risk, hazard, control, impact, assessment and management
• concepts, such as conservation, cultural heritage and biodiversity
• relevant legislative/regulatory requirements and responsibilities
• environmental management plans/procedures and standard operating procedures relevant to job role
• site characteristics and environmental issues, risks and impacts
• specified control measures and management actions relevant to work activities
• enterprise procedures for identifying hazards/assessing risks associated with work activities
• enterprise procedures for responding to complaints, cultural/heritage finds and other environmental incidents
• enterprise environmental reporting requirements
• relevant health and safety requirements and enterprise safe work procedures

Overview of assessment

Competency must be demonstrated in the ability to perform consistently at the required standard.

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

Assessors must be satisfied that the candidate can competently and consistently apply the skills covered in this unit of competency in new and different situations and contexts. Critical aspects of assessment and evidence include:

• assessing and explaining the environmental requirements relating to their work activities at sites
• recognising and assessing hazards, risks, environmental issues and incidents relating to their work activities at sites using enterprise checklists
• accurately recording and reporting details of hazards, risks, environmental issues and incidents
• implementing specified environmental management plans, actions and procedures
• contributing to continuous improvement of environmental procedures
• completing relevant documentation clearly and accurately.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or a simulated workplace environment.

Assessment should emphasise a workplace context and procedures found in the candidate’s workplace.

This unit of competency may be assessed with:

• MSS024000A and MSS025000A series of units
• MSL environmental monitoring, sampling or testing series of units.

The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.

Resources may include:

• site history
• relevant enterprise environmental management policies, plans, actions, procedures and checklists
• physical resources required for work activities, such as maps, laptop computer, digital camera, and monitoring and sampling equipment.

Method of assessment

The following assessment methods are suggested:

• feedback from peers and supervisors
• oral or written questioning to check underpinning knowledge of environmental requirements for typical tasks
• observation of candidate preparing for, and performing, a range of environmental/technical tasks
• review of workplace documentation completed by the candidate.

In all cases, practical assessment should be supported by questions to assess underpinning knowledge and those aspects of competency which are difficult to assess directly.

Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.

The language, literacy and numeracy demands of assessment should not be greater than those required to undertake the unit of competency in a work-like environment.

Guidance information for assessment

Codes of practice 

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

Environment 

The environment comprises the surroundings in which an enterprise and/or industry operates, and may include:

• air, water and land
• natural and built resources
• flora and fauna
• humans and how they interrelate

Legislation, standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements  

Legislation, standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements may include: 

• federal legislation, such as:
• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
• Australian Heritage Council Act 2003
• Native Title Act 1993
• state/territory government legislation and regulations and local government by-laws, policies, and plans dealing with:
• land use, acquisition, planning and protection
• environmental protection
• cultural/heritage protection
• vegetation management
• nature conservation and wildlife/plant protection
• water and water management
• soil conservation
• pollution and contaminated sites
• fisheries, forestry and mining operations
• Australian and international standards, such as:
• AS/NZS ISO 14000 Set:2005 Environmental management standards set
• Australian Dangerous Goods Code ADG7
• occupational health and safety (OHS) national standards and codes of practice
• enterprise environmental management plans and procedures for specific sites and/or activities (e.g. sampling, monitoring, manufacturing, construction and mining)

Environmental management plans 

Environmental management plans provide a framework for managing all environmental aspects, impacts, risks and obligations relevant to a site, project or significant work activity. Plans may include:

• an aim, vision and enterprise policy statement
• roles and responsibilities
• potential environmental issues
• actions to avoid, remedy and mitigate the issues
• procedures and forms to minimise and manage specific environmental impacts and risks
• quality management plans
• communication and training requirements
• monitoring, auditing and reporting requirements

Environmental issues 

Environmental issues will vary with the scope and location of the enterprise’s work activities, and may include:

• emissions to air
• releases to, and of, water
• releases to land
• soil erosion, sedimentation and salinity
• contamination of land
• disturbance of flora and fauna, threats to sensitive species and destruction of habitat
• introduction of pests, such as weeds and fire ants
• noise and vibration
• disturbance to heritage sites or items
• generation, reuse and disposal of waste
• use of energy sources
• handling, storage, spills, or exposure involving hazards, such as chemicals and radiation

Environmental risks and impacts 

Environmental risks and impacts comprise any potential (actual) adverse or beneficial change to the environment, whether direct or inferred, wholly or partially resulting from an enterprise’s activity, product or service. Risks and impacts may include:

• mismanagement of chemicals or fuel products
• mismanagement of biological agents
• land use practices
• planning deficiencies
• poor construction processes
• waste generation and disposal

Sites  

Sites may include:

• buildings and other infrastructure
• construction, mining, manufacturing, forestry, agricultural and maintenance sites
• bushland
• catchments, flood plains, surface/groundwater sites and drainage sites
• wetlands and marine/coastal areas

Environmental reporting requirements 

Environmental reporting requirements may include providing contributions to:

• regular site environmental reports
• non-conformance report forms
• hazard, near miss and safety incident report forms
• environmental incident investigation report forms
• regulatory agency reports

Environmental management documentation 

Environmental management documentation may include:

• site/project history, plans, procedures, actions and checklists
• information about applicable legislation and regulatory requirements
• records of correspondence and complaints
• incident reports and incident investigation reports
• quality assurance/verification checklists
• job hazard analyses, permits and safe work procedures
• internal check/audit reports
• training records
• records to comply with permit, licence and approval conditions

OHS and environmental management requirements  

OHS and environmental management requirements:

• all operations must comply with enterprise OHS and environmental management requirements, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation - these requirements must not be compromised at any time
• all operations assume the potentially hazardous nature of samples and require standard precautions to be applied
• where relevant, users should access and apply current industry understanding of infection control issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and State and Territory Departments of Health