Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit of competency applies to an individual required to lead and coordinate an emergency team, including deployment of resources at the scene of an emergency.

Application of the unit 

A person undertaking this unit of competency would be normally nominated to assume the responsibility of emergency team leader.

Typically they would be leading an incident response or fire emergency response team.

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. Assess the nature and extent of the emergency

1.1. Determine the nature and extent of the emergency in order to ascertain the level and degree of the emergency and what required actions and management strategies should be implemented

1.2. Communicate the nature and extent of the emergency in a timely and appropriate manner to other nominated emergency or facility personnel

1.3. Facilitate the rescue of personnel at risk, control/extinguish the emergency and to make the affected area safe through application of rescue and control strategies

1.4. Ensure all team members are adequately instructed, protected and equipped to function safely and effectively in the emergency situation through the application of personal protective equipment.

2. Effect rescue of personnel at risk.

2.1. Instruct rescue teams to effect the search for, and rescue of, personnel identified as being at risk

2.2. Allocate resources to potentially exposed or threatened personnel and assets, and minimise the likelihood of escalation of the risk.

3. Confine the spread of emergency

3.1. Initiate control/extinguishing responses promptly in order to eliminate the emergency

3.2. Render affected areas safe in order to prevent the likelihood of further re-occurrence, or threat to personnel or assets

3.3. Provide feedback to facility or other nominated personnel concerning the status of the emergency.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required skills 

A person undertaking this competency must be able to demonstrate:

• leadership skills
• organisation skills
• planning skills
• team management skills
• hazard awareness and safety awareness skills
• communication skills.

Required knowledge 

Knowledge and understanding of the process sufficient to recognise emergency situations and then determine an action that is appropriate within operating guidelines and the scope of their responsibilities and competencies. It would be expected that a person would be able to communicate with team members the nature and extent of the emergency and provide the actions required.

Demonstrated knowledge of:

• characteristics of fires and fuel types
• hazard identification, assessment and control of risk
• principles and procedures of self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)
• search and rescue techniques (including self rescue techniques)
• relevant facility fire management and safety systems
• communication systems
• emergency response plans
• teamwork principles and techniques.

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 recognise and analyse potential situations requiring action and then in implementing appropriate corrective action. The emphasis should be on the ability to minimise the effects of the critical situation.

Consistent performance should be demonstrated. In particular look for:

• ability to work effectively as a team and as a team leader
• recognition of the behaviour of fire and other emergency situations
• impact of emergency tactics
• evidence that emergency operations are conducted in accordance with the organisation's safe work practices.

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 which may have been generated from the past incident history of the plant, incidents on similar plants around the world, hazard analysis activities (e.g. 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 

The skills and knowledge contained within this unit of competency could be utilised as a normal part of a person's responsibilities and duties.

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

It would be expected that a person undertaking this competency would have completed or be able to demonstrate competence in the following unit of competency before undertaking this unit:

• MSAPMOHS212A Undertake first response to fire incidents 
• PMAOHS213B Undertake fire control and emergency rescue .

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 

Those persons who normally operate or are based permanently or regularly assigned to an onshore or offshore installation or facility and lead an emergency response team would require this unit of competency.

This unit could be applied to any of the following installations or facilities:

• onshore/offshore rig/installation
• island based facility
• floating production vessel or platform
• onshore production, processing and/or storage facilities
• pipeline easements
• maintenance bases.

This competency covers process manufacturing plants which may involve workplace hazards such as:

• chemicals and hazardous materials
• gases and liquids under pressure
• moving machinery
• materials handling
• working at heights, in restricted or confined spaces, or environments subjected to heat, noise, dusts or vapours.

Emergency situations may include:

• accidents
• fires
• chemical or oil spills
• gas leak or vapour emission
• utilities failure
• bomb scares.

Equipment may include:

• fire extinguishing agents and water curtains
• hoses
• mobile extinguishers
• stretchers
• personal protective clothing and equipment such as:

• chemical protective clothing
• distress alarms
• structural fire protective clothing

• self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)
• communication equipment.

Emergency extinguishing media may include:

• water
• foam
• extinguishing powder
• gaseous extinguishing agents
• vapourising liquids
• other fire extinguishing substances.

On-scene hazards may include:

• smoke, darkness and heat
• electricity
• gas
• structural hazards
• structural collapse
• industrial - machinery, equipment, product
• hazardous products and materials
• unauthorised personnel.

Emergency strategies and tactics may include:

• direct attack
• indirect attack
• combination attack
• exposure protection
• internal/offensive attacks
• confining the spread of incident
• rescuing occupants
• cooling the fuels
• removal of fuels
• interrupting the chemical chain reaction
• exclusion of oxygen.

Relevant facility fire management and safety systems include:

• fire management systems
• communication systems
• relevant facility emergency management and contingency response plans.

Relevant legislative and safety case management principles and agreements must be adhered to.

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 

HSE

Competency field 

Co-requisite units