Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit addresses the competence required to conduct and assess incident exercises. The person would be engaged in the construction of scenarios that approximate incident situations and exercises in dealing with those incidents.

Application of the unit 

In a typical scenario the person would be a member of the incident room team and would be responsible for ensuring that both scheduled and unscheduled incident exercises took place. Results of these exercises would provide essential input into the audit and evaluation of incident preparedness of the facility. However, a proper post-exercise debrief is critical, as the exercise likewise has a strong educative value that promotes awareness and understanding among participants.

Key aspects of the competence include:

• establishing key objectives and strategic outcomes from incident exercises
• improving the organisation's level of preparedness should an incident occur
• improving the ability of personnel to respond appropriately and safely during an incident

The person may:

• communicate extensively both inside and outside the organisation
• establish and support mechanisms for the design and conducting of incident exercises
• review and evaluate the soundness of incident response plans and management systems.

Generally the person would be an incident coordinator, manager or technical specialist and be part of an incident response team during the incident. They may have an ongoing role for managing the training and incident exercise system.

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. Determine objectives

1.1. Identify the need for the incident exercise in consultation with stakeholders

1.2. Determine the objectives of the exercise which meet the identified need

2. Design exercise

2.1. Select the exercise style, consistent with the objectives, in consultation with stakeholders

2.2. Design the exercise to ensure that objectives are met and address health, safety and environment issues

2.3. Identify and secure the resources to support the exercise

2.4. Distribute the exercise plan stating the objectives to appropriate personnel

3. Manage exercise

3.1. Brief personnel involved in the exercise in respect of aims, objectives, expectations and activity outcomes

3.2. Use the exercise plan to initiate and facilitate the conduct and direction of the exercise

3.3. Conduct the exercise in a manner that addresses health, safety and environment issues

3.4. Monitor the progress of the exercise and provide feedback to personnel

4. Evaluate outcomes

4.1. Plan a post exercise debrief based on the conduct and outcomes of the exercise

4.2. Conduct a debrief with activity personnel

4.3. Review outcomes of the activities against objectives

4.4. Prepare and distribute a report of the activity to stakeholders

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required skills 

Competence includes the ability to isolate the causes of problems within the incident response system and to be able to distinguish between causes of problems indicated by:

• exercises are not conducted according to expectations
• unintended or inappropriate exercise outcomes
• mismatches between equipment and incident requirements
• lack of appropriate feedback at the conclusion of training exercises
• an injury occurs during the conducting of the training exercise.

Required knowledge 

The knowledge referred to in the Evidence Guide for this unit includes:

• legislative and regulatory arrangements relating to incident management
• incident response plan and management systems
• incident management concepts and principles
• adult learning principles
• relevant networks
• problem solving and decision making techniques
• assessment and review techniques
• project management principles.

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 for this unit of competency will be by way of simulation or observation under incident conditions. 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 can include a variety of incident circumstances.

Simulations must, as closely as possible, approximate actual incident conditions and should be based on the actual facility. Assessments should include walk-throughs of the relevant competency components and may 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 in the facility (during demonstration of normal operations and walk-throughs of abnormal operations) and off the site.

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

Consistent performance should be demonstrated. In particular look to see that competence in this unit reflects successful assessment in the critical aspects of:

• clearly identifying the need for the exercise
• planning, conduct and evaluation of exercise
• hazard identification and control
• demonstrated understanding and ability to address health, safety and environment issues
• briefing and debriefing

These assessment activities should include a range of problems, including new, unusual and improbable situations which may have been generated from past workplace incident history, incidents in similar workplaces around the world, hazard analysis activities and/or similar sources.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment will require (1) access to an accurately simulated environment or (2) a suitable method of gathering evidence of responding ability over a range of situations. A bank of scenarios/case studies/what-ifs and a bank of questions to probe the reasoning behind the observable actions will likewise be required.

Method of assessment 

It may be appropriate to assess this unit concurrently with other relevant 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.

Context 

Types of exercise may include:

• scenario analyses
• case studies
• role plays
• discussion exercises / desktop exercises
• functional centre exercises (specific task environments within the workplace)
• field exercises
• synthetic training
• high level architecture
• multimedia
• virtual reality
• distributed interactive software

The design process may include:

• determination of activity management structure
• development of documentation
• design of activity
• issuing notifications
• briefings and debriefings

Activity personnel refers to people who assist in the conduct of the incident exercise and may include:

• activity director
• directing staff/coordinators/facilitators
• safety officers
• assessors/umpires
• public relations staff
• casualty simulators
• role player liaison officers
• administrative/welfare personnel to support learning and assessment tools

Activity documentation may include:

• activity notification
• activity management checklists
• general instructions
• safety instructions
• timetable/schedule of events, exercise plan
• activity inputs

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.

Relationship to Major Hazard Facility Legislation 

Organisations within the Chemical, Hydrocarbons and Oil Refining industries may find themselves falling under the provisions of various Major Hazard Facilities legislation. In developing this unit consideration has been given to the requirements of Sections 8 and 9 of the National Standard for the Control of Major Hazard Facilities [NOHSC:1014(2002)] and the National Code of Practice for the Control of Major Hazard Facilities [NOHSC:2016(1996)].

This unit will assist individuals to meet some of their obligations under the relevant State or Territory legislation. Responsibility for appropriate contextualisation and application of the unit to ensure compliance however, remains with the individual organisation.

Unit sector 

Support/generic

Competency field 

Co-requisite units