Unit of competency details

Unit Descriptor 

This unit covers the competency required to perform environmental health planning within the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

Application of the Unit 

The application of this unit in the workplace includes performing an environmental appreciation, identifying tasks and courses of action to support formation level operations, and developing detailed environmental health plans which complement the activities being supported and which promote the health of personnel.

This unit of competency is applicable to preventive medicine supervisors. This function is limited to the performance of tasks in accordance with organisational policies and procedures.

This person may also be responsible for supervising other personnel assisting in the planning process.

Employability Skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

Pre-requisite Unit /s 

Nil

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a Unit of Competency.

Performance Criteria describe the required performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the Required Skills and Knowledge and/or the Range Statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the Evidence Guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Conduct an environmental health appreciation 

1.1 Situation  in which environmental health support is to be provided is determined, to appreciate the scope and context of support required

1.2 Health intelligence sources  are accessed and reviewed to inform the environmental health appreciation

1.3 Health threat assessment is conducted to identify the key health threats  that exist and which require attention during environmental health planning

1.4 Environmental health tasks  to address each determined health threat are identified to form the basis for course of action identification

1.5 Courses of action are determined that incorporate the identified tasks and are suited to the scope and context of support required

1.6 Courses of action are compared using responsiveness to potential obstacles and key health threats as a basis for comparison

1.7 Health appreciation findings are formulated into a brief and are presented to relevant personnel  for critique and guidance on the course of action to be adopted for development

2. Develop environmental health plan 

2.1 Environmental health teams are identified for specific tasking within the plan

2.2 Environmental health assets  are allocated within the plan along with the need to re-allocate environmental health assets and the need to obtain additional assistance outside of integral assets to support the plan

2.3 Environmental health tasking is prioritised and sequenced within the plan to minimise the health threat to the organisation and to enable sustained environmental health support

2.4 Principles of health support  are applied to the plan to ensure the plan complements the nature and circumstances of the activity being supported

2.5 Plan is developed in detail to minimise oversight and to ensure it can survive changing circumstances and be adaptable to situations presented

2.6 Plan is documented and presented to relevant personnel for approval

2.7 Points of adjustment advised by relevant personnel are integrated into plan to ensure plan complements the higher operational objectives

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required Skills 

• accurately interpret information from a range of sources so it may be drawn together to form balanced judgements and opinions to aid health support planning
• communicate complex issues and ideas in a logical and persuasive manner
• facilitate input from others to develop well considered and robust health support plans
• form judgements about balancing health support with operational imperatives
• make decisions that maximise the effective implementation of health support plans
• manage basic projects
• manage time with competing interests
• negotiate complex issues and ideas to arrive at a common understanding
• prepare complex verbal or written health assessments for communication to others that can be readily understood
• research information to aid health support assessment
• use problem solving skills

Required Knowledge 

• Geneva conventions
• health support logistics
• health support planning process
• health support resources capabilities
• health threat analysis
• injury risk assessment and management
• Laws of Armed Conflict
• organisation standing and routine orders
• organisational policies and procedures pertinent to own capability
• organisational structure, and lines of authority and communication within the organisation
• principle of health support
• structure and function of the ADF Health Services
• team leadership management principles
• theory of health support
• vectors of disease

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

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

Assessment must confirm the ability to:

• accurately determine the health threats to an organisation 
• tailor the allocation of environmental health assets to address the key health threats and to complement the organisation being supported 
• demonstrate redundancy in the plan and to modify the plan to adapt to changing circumstances .

Consistency in performance 

Competency should be demonstrated over a minimum of two assessment scenarios.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Context of assessment 

Competency should be assessed in an actual workplace situation or in a simulated situation or scenario.

Specific resources for assessment 

Access is required to:

• actual situation or scenario requiring environmental health planning , with all supporting information 
• equipment required to perform environmental health planning 
• well developed health intelligence .

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 in the Performance Criteria is detailed below.

Situation may include 

Enemy situation:

• communicable disease in enemy forces
• enemy public health capabilities
• enemy sanitation levels
• immunisation status
• level of field sanitation training
• nuclear, biological and chemical capabilities

Friendly situation:

• operational situation
• potable water quality/quantity
• preventive medicine resources equipment
• status of preventive medicine - individual and unit supplies
• types of rations used
• unit preventive medicine readiness

Characteristics of dependent organisation:

• acclimatisation
• clothing and equipment
• fatigue/resistance to disease
• immunisation status
• numbers
• organisation structure
• presence of disease
• status of nutrition

Characteristics of operating area:

• climate and weather
• flora and fauna
• local population
• terrain

Health intelligence sources may include 

Country briefings

Doctrine

Health intelligence reports and databases

Health research

Manuals and textbooks

Organisation intranet sites

Organisational policy and procedure

World wide web

Health threats may include 

Environment health threats:

• animal
• disease
• terrain
• vegetation
• weather

Occupational health threats:

• industrial injury
• road traffic accident

Operational health threats:

• chemical/biological injury
• combat injury
• psychiatric injury

Environmental health tasks may include 

Epidemiology

Disease vector control

Field sanitation

Food sanitation

Occupational hygiene

Waste management

Water purification

Relevant personnel may include 

Activity commander

Environmental health officer

Senior health officer

Senior planning officer

Team leader

Environmental health assets may include 

Environmental health team

Environmental health platoon

Health assessment teams

Vector control team

Principles of health support may include 

To provide immediate first aid to an injured person

To facilitate the provision of resuscitation by a medical officer within an hour of being injured

To facilitate the provision of initial wound surgery within three hours of being injured

To prevent injury and illness

To ensure conformity of the health plan with higher operational plans

To enable control of health resources by technically qualified personnel best placed to employ them

To ensure continuity of health care between levels of treatment and between different agencies involved in treatment

To maintain flexibility to adapt the health plan to the changing circumstances of ADF operations

To ensure that health support maintains mobility with the activity of the group being supported

To ensure that health support maintains its proximity to the activity being supported

Co-requisite Unit /s 

Nil