Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to maintain established infection and contamination control practices and duty of care to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in workplaces in the funeral services industry.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to funeral home and cemetery and crematorium staff members who come into contact with deceased persons or infectious or contaminated materials.

Prerequisite units 

Nil

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

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

Maintain personal hygiene.

1.1

Maintain cleanliness of work clothes according to workplace policies and procedures .

1.2

Identify and apply hand washing procedures  according to infection control practices .

1.3

Use and maintain personal protective equipment  according to infection control practices, workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation .

2

Clean and sanitise equipment and surfaces.

2.1

Identify appropriate cleaning and sanitising requirements according to workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation.

2.2

Select, prepare and use appropriate cleaning chemicals and equipment according to workplace policies and procedures.

2.3

Apply workplace cleaning schedule to maintain cleanliness of equipment and surfaces.

2.4

Store cleaning chemicals and equipment  according to material safety data sheets and workplace policies and procedures.

3

Handle materials and deceased persons in a manner that prevents contamination and spread of infectious disease.

3.1

Apply universal precautions  to deceased persons and to materials that have come into contact with deceased persons.

3.2

Identify and address OHS issues  involved in handling materials and deceased persons according to workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation.

3.3

Use appropriate personal protective equipment according to workplace policies and procedures, infection control practices and relevant legislation when handling deceased persons or materials that have come into contact with deceased persons.

4

Dispose of infectious or contaminated material.

4.1

Use appropriate personal protective equipment when disposing of infectious or contaminated material  according to infection control practices, workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation.

4.2

Sort and separate infectious waste according to workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation.

4.3

Dispose of infectious waste according to infection control practices, workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation.

5

Identify and act on hazards and spillage.

5.1

Identify potential hazards and take remedial action  according to workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation.

5.2

Assess actual hazards and spillages and implement appropriate responses according to workplace policies and procedures.

5.3

Respond to situations of risk according to workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation.

5.4

Place hazard notification notices as required.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• communication skills, including clear and direct communication to report potential and actual hazards
• literacy and numeracy skills to interpret and follow workplace policies and procedures and appropriate signage
• problem-solving skills to identify and address risk situations
• self-management skills to maintain own personal safety.

Required knowledge 

• infection control practices
• workplace policies and procedures and safe work practices to enable effective infection and contamination control
• broad working knowledge of relevant federal, state or territory, and local government legislation and regulations relating to OHS, infection control and handling human remains
• use, care and maintenance of personal protective equipment
• preparation, use and storage of workplace cleaning chemicals.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

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

Evidence of the following is essential:

• ability to access and interpret hygiene, infection and contamination control procedures and consistently apply these during day-to-day activities
• understanding the importance of following hygiene, infection and contamination control procedures and of the potential implications of disregarding those procedures
• knowledge and understanding of the legal requirement to work according to hygiene, infection and contamination control procedures
• following infection and contamination control procedures over a period of time to ensure consistency of performance and ability to respond to different situations.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure:

• demonstration of skills in a funeral home, cemetery or crematorium facility where deceased bodies and potentially infectious or contaminated waste are handled
• access to cleaning products and equipment
• access to personal protective equipment
• access to infectious waste disposal equipment.

Methods of assessment 

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

• observation of candidate applying all infection and contamination control practices and procedures in the workplace
• written or verbal questioning to assess knowledge of accessing and interpreting relevant legislation and workplace policies and procedures
• review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate.

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

• SIFOHS001A Follow OHS procedures
• SIFOHS003A Follow mortuary OHS procedures.

Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification and in the context of the job role.

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. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Workplace policies and procedures  may include:

• OHS
• standard operating procedures
• use, care and maintenance of tools and equipment
• incident reporting and recording.

Hand washing procedures  may include:

• frequency
• duration.

Infection control practices  may include:

• checking for infectious and transmittable disease
• using personal protective equipment
• sterilising apparatus and instruments
• providing sterile storage areas for instruments
• using disinfectants
• safe removal and disposal of soiled and contaminated garments
• safe ventilation
• avoiding invasive procedures on bodies
• immunisation
• periodic X-rays
• seeking medical advice
• recording injury and incidence
• reporting injury and incidence
• providing first aid kit
• performing first aid as necessary
• labelling clothing.

Personal protective equipment  may include:

• disposable gloves
• heavy duty gloves
• protective overgarments
• overshoes
• waterproof aprons
• masks and goggles
• suiting to protect against radiation.

Relevant legislation  and regulations may include:

• OHS
• federal, state or territory and local government guidelines or ordinances
• Coroner's Act
• Human Tissue Act
• federal transportation regulations
• Airlines Act
• Public Health Act
• Environment Protection Act
• Dangerous Goods Act
• cemetery Acts and by-laws
• Crematorium Acts
• Worksafe Australia certification and standards.

Chemicals and equipment  may include:

• buckets
• mops and brushes
• soap
• disinfectant hand solution
• paper towels.

Universal precautions  include:

• use of personal protective equipment
• presumption that all blood and body fluids are infectious
• covering exposed cuts and abrasions, particularly on workers' hands, with waterproof coverings prior to commencing work
• immediate treatment of puncture wounds or abrasions
• use of protective clothing when cleaning spillage of body fluids.

OHS issues  may include:

• toxic gases
• cancer producing agents
• blood borne viruses
• droplet infections
• bacterial infections
• sharps
• aerosol exposure from lungs of body
• radioactivity.

Infectious or contaminated material  may include:

• body parts
• human tissue
• human blood and body fluid
• materials and equipment containing human blood and body fluid
• contaminated garments
• soiled dressings, sharps, swabs, catheters and bandages.

Remedial action  may include:

• reporting
• protecting area
• evacuating area.

Sector 

Funeral Services

Competency field 

Occupational Health and Safety