Release 1.  This is the first release of this unit of competency in the PUA Public Safety Training Package.

This unit of competency involves the skills and knowledge required to assess and evaluate a facility’s fire and incident safety management systems for dangerous goods and/or hazardous chemicals. It is applicable to personnel authorised by their organisation to undertake an assessment of a facility where dangerous goods and hazardous substances are stored.

The fire sector is those sections of government departments, statutory authorities or organisations that have responsibility under jurisdictional arrangements for the delivery of firefighting and fire management services.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

It is essential that the prerequisite units listed below are obtained prior to the issuance of this unit to individuals within the fire sector or the units contributing to the attainment of a fire qualification.

PUAFIR404 Inspect dangerous goods facilities

Fire

Fire

ELEMENTS 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1  

Assess hazards of materials on site 

1.1 

Emergency response plans, tactical fire plans and other documentation are accessed and reviewed

1.2 

Identification of hazards of onsite materials is carried out

1.3 

Facility risk factors are determined

1.4 

Potential incidents are determined

1.5 

Factors which may contribute to loss of containment, control of, or fire involving hazardous materials are assessed

1.6 

Information about hazardous materials is accessed using a range or sources

2 

Identify, determine and assess consequences of release of onsite materials (non-fire scenario) 

2.1 

Range of dangerous goods onsite are identified and assessed, in accordance with organisational procedures

2.2 

Consequences of dangerous goods releases are identified and assessed, in accordance with organisational procedures

2.3 

Impact on immediate area, personnel, property and the environment is identified, in accordance with organisational procedures

2.4 

Resources available to combat the release of onsite materials are identified and assessed

3 

Determine and assess consequences of the fire scenario (fire, chemical and gas release) involving hazardous materials 

3.1 

Range of fire scenarios involving hazardous materials, including gas and chemical is identified, in accordance with organisational procedures

3.2 

Consequences of each fire scenario involving hazardous materials are identified and assessed, in accordance with organisational procedures

3.3 

Impact on immediate area, personnel, property and environment of a hazardous materials fire is identified, in accordance with organisational procedures

3.4 

Resources available to combat the release of onsite materials are identified and assessed

4 

Assess fire and incident and safety management systems and their performance 

4.1 

Fire, incident and safety management systems including prevention, preparedness, response and recovery are identified

4.2 

Operation and performance of fire, incident and safety management systems is assessed, in accordance with performance based criteria

4.3 

Fire, incident and safety management system design assumptions and fire organisational operations are assessed

4.4 

Recovery strategies are identified and assessed, in accordance with organisational procedures

5 

Report and recommend action 

5.1 

Proposed or existing fire, incident and safety management systems are documented

5.2 

Evaluation of fire, incident and safety management systems is recorded

5.3 

Recommendations and proposed upgrades to fire, incident and safety management systems are reported, documented and forwarded, in accordance with organisational procedures

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Range is restricted to essential operating conditions and any other variables essential to the work environment.

Non-essential conditions may be found in the Companion Volume Implementation Guide.

information about hazardous materials must be sourced from one or more of the following

• ADR hazardous identification system
• electronic databases
• emergency procedures guides
• Global Harmonised System (GHS)
• HAZCHEM emergency action code
• HAZMAT action guides
• safety data sheets

scenarios must include at least two or more of the following

• boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion
• bund, flash and jet fires
• leak into bunded or unbunded areas
• pool fires
• structural failure of storage vessels on part of manufacturing plant
• structure fire
• toxic vapour clouds
• vapour cloud explosion
• vehicle fires

fire and incident and safety management systems must include

• alternative fire suppression system
• bunding
• explosion relief devices
• fire and flame detection and alarm system
• fire hydrant and hydrant booster system
• fire indicator panels, occupant warning and communications systems
• fire main system
• fire sprinkler and sprinkler booster system
• gas and vapour detection and alarm system
• passive fire protection
• smoke and ventilation control system
• static water and pump sets
• systems for evacuation

and must include one or more of the following

• Australian and New Zealand Standards and codes of practice
• facility emergency procedures
• facility fire and incident response teams' material handling system
• facility's mutual aid agreements
• facility's work practices

This unit replaces and is equivalent to PUAFIR514 Assess and evaluate a facility's fire and incident safety management systems and PUAFIR508B Assess and evaluate a facility's fire/incident safety management systems in hazardous materials.

Release 1.  This is the first release of this unit of competency in the PUA Public Safety Training Package.

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all the requirements of the elements, performance criteria and range of conditions on at least one occasion and includes

• applying Work, Health and Safety (WHS)/Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) organisational requirements
• assessing fire, incident and safety management systems and their performance
• assessing hazards of onsite materials
• determining and assessing consequences of a release (fire and non-fire) using scenarios
• evaluating whether fire safety management system within a structure meets regulatory performance requirements in the event of a fire or other emergency
• identifying and assessing hazardous onsite materials
• identifying hazardous materials using a range of information sources
• implementing legislation, industry standards, codes of practice and regulations
• inspecting premises using a risk based approach
• interpreting risk related documentation
• preparing reports and providing recommendations
• using information sources including chemdata HAZMAT action guides, emergency response guides, HAZCHEM emergency action code, Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), technical specialists, dangerous goods - initial emergency response guide, electronic chemical databases, safe storage and handling information cards, reference texts and Identification Maritime Dangerous Good Code (IMDC)
• using scenarios to evaluate possible outcomes
• utilising legislation, industry standards, codes of practice and regulations
• working with recovery strategies

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all the requirements of the elements, performance criteria and range of conditions and includes knowledge of

• consequences of dangerous good release and/or fire inclusive of impact on environment, people and property
• emergency response plans
• emergency shutdown systems
• fire safety and hazard and operability studies (HAZOP)
• fire scenarios and consequences
• information sources including chemdata/HAZMAT action guides, emergency response guides, HAZCHEM emergency action code, Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), technical specialists, dangerous goods - initial emergency response guides, electronic chemical database, safe storage and handling information cards, reference texts and Identification Maritime Dangerous Good Code (IMDC)
• legislation, industry standards, codes of practice and regulations organisational documentation, policies and procedures
• recovery strategies
• types of onsite fire safety systems
• Work, Health and Safety (WHS)/Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) organisational requirements including risk mitigation, risk analysis and identification of hazards

As a minimum, assessors must satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, which include requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

As a minimum, assessment must satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, which include requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.

Assessment must occur in workplace operational situations. Where this is not appropriate, assessment must occur in industry approved simulated workplace operational situations that reflect workplace conditions.

Resources for assessment must include access to

• a range of relevant exercises, case studies and/or simulations
• relevant and appropriate materials, equipment, tools and personal protective clothing and equipment currently used in industry including

• facility plans, documentation, fire safety study and suitable facility for inspection

• applicable documentation including organisational procedures, industry standards, equipment specifications, regulations, codes of practice and operation manuals.