Unit of competency details

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Replaces and is equivalent to SITXOHS005A Establish and maintain an OHS system.

Title changed to reflect legislative change from Occupational Health and Safety to Work Health and Safety. Re-worked Required Skills and Knowledge to more fully articulate content.

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.

1. Establish and maintain a framework for health, safety and security.

1.1 Access and interpret key legislative documents to ensure that work health and safety systems comply with regulatory requirements, standards and codes.

1.2 Design a work health and safety management system  to suit the characteristics and needs of the organisation, in consultation with appropriate personnel.

1.3 Identify and provide adequate financial, human and specialist external resources to address work health and safety management practices.

1.4 Develop and clearly articulate work health and safety policies and procedures  in a format readily accessible to all personnel.

1.5 Define and allocate health, safety and security responsibilities within relevant job descriptions.

1.6 Consult with key personnel, and develop and implement a plan for all work health and safety training requirements .

1.7 Establish and monitor a system for keeping work health and safety records .

1.8 Establish and maintain systems to ensure communication of work health and safety information  to personnel.

2. Establish and maintain consultative arrangements for the management of health, safety and security.

2.1 Establish and maintain appropriate consultative processes  to suit the characteristics and needs of the organisation.

2.2 Plan for and ensure that consultation is conducted at times designated by legislation .

2.3 Resolve issues raised through consultation.

2.4 Provide employees with accessible information on the outcomes of consultation.

3. Establish and maintain practices for identifying hazards, and assessing and controlling risks.

3.1 Develop or access hazard identification and risk assessment template documents  that incorporate assessment criteria  for assessing risks.

3.2 Plan for and ensure systematic hazard identification at times designated by legislation .

3.3 Develop procedures for the ongoing identification of types of hazards designated by legislation .

3.4 Develop procedures for the assessment and control of risks associated with identified hazards.

3.5 Nominate the roles and responsibilities of personnel for hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control within procedures.

3.6 Take a lead role in controlling risks, including implementing interim or emergency solutions.

3.7 Manage the response to any incident or accident and follow legislative requirements for notifying and cooperating with work health and safety government regulators.

4. Evaluate organisational health, safety and security system.

4.1 Assess and maintain ongoing compliance with OHS or WHS legislation and regulatory requirements, standards and codes.

4.2 Consult with a range of personnel to elicit feedback on work health and safety policies, procedures and practices.

4.3 Assess  the effectiveness of work health and safety management practices, develop, implement, document and communicate improvements and changes to the work health and safety system.

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

Required skills 

• communication skills to:

• consult with a range of personnel to elicit feedback on work health and safety policies, procedures and practices
• discuss training needs with key supervisory and management personnel
• interview personnel about incidents or accidents, near misses

• critical thinking skills to:

• allow for a rational and logical evaluation of the characteristics and needs of the organisation in order to design a tailored work health and safety system
• evaluate and review the system

• literacy skills to:

• read and interpret unfamiliar and complex materials describing regulatory requirements for work health and safety management systems and internal reports providing operational feedback about the effectiveness of practices
• develop comprehensive yet easily accessible work health and safety policies, procedures and template documents
• write high level reports about the effectiveness of work health and safety management practices and rationale for change

• planning and organising skills to plan for, establish and regularly monitor all components of a work health and safety management system
• problem-solving skills to:

• take a lead role in controlling risks, including implementing interim or emergency solutions
• manage the response to any incident or accident

• self-management skills to take responsibility for work health and safety management
• teamwork skills to consult with key personnel and incorporate their views to develop an effective work health and safety system.

Required  knowledge 

• the structure, characteristics and needs of the organisation
• objectives, components and comprehensive details of relevant state or territory OHS or WHS legislation. This would include:

• actions that must be taken for legal compliance
• employer responsibilities to provide a safe workplace
• requirement to consult, designated times for consultation and acceptable consultation mechanisms
• requirements for the use of work health and safety representatives and committees, and their roles and responsibilities
• designated times for hazard identification and categories of hazards that must be identified
• acceptable mechanisms for hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control
• requirements for record keeping and acceptable record keeping mechanisms
• requirement to provide information and training
• employee responsibilities to ensure safety of self, other workers and other people in the workplace
• employee responsibility to participate in work health and safety practices

• objectives, components and comprehensive details of work health and safety codes of practice and standards developed by industry or regulatory bodies
• ramifications of failure to observe OHS or WHS laws and codes of practice
• methods of receiving updated information on OHS or WHS laws and codes of practice
• components of work health and safety management systems
• a range of methods used by the specific industry sector and organisation to:

• conduct consultation when developing policies and procedures
• communicate work health and safety policies, procedures and safe working practices
• conduct ongoing work health and safety consultation
• evaluate the effectiveness of work health and safety management practices

• a range of formats for and inclusions of:

• policies and procedures
• work health and safety templates for hazard identification and risk assessment
• incident, accidents or near miss reports
• reports that document the evaluation of systems and required changes
• work health and safety record keeping systems.

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.

Overview of assessment 

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

Evidence of the ability to:

• establish and implement a complete work health and safety system covering diverse work health and safety system components
• evaluate and make ongoing improvements to work health and safety practices over a period of time
• develop comprehensive work health and safety system documents
• integrate knowledge of management practices that must be established and maintained for compliance with state or territory OHS or WHS law.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure use of:

• a real or simulated tourism, hospitality or event industry business operation for which a tailored work health and safety management system can be established and monitored
• computers, software programs, printers and communication technology used to administer the development of a work health and safety system
• the relevant state or territory OHS or WHS legislation
• current plain English regulatory documents distributed by the local work health and safety government regulator
• codes of practice and standards issued by regulatory authorities or industry groups
• work health and safety information and business management manuals issued by industry associations or commercial publishers
• current commercial policies and procedures, and hazard identification and risk assessment template documents
• a team for which the individual establishes work health and safety management practices.

Method of assessment 

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

• evaluation of a portfolio, prepared by the individual, which incorporates an entire written work health and safety system for an organisation, including:

• policies and procedures
• hazard identification and risk assessment template documents
• information fact sheets for workers
• job descriptions incorporating work health and safety roles
• training plans
• consultation strategy

• evaluation of reports, prepared by the individual:

• how work health and safety policies, systems and procedures were tailored to suit the characteristics and needs of an organisation
• evaluation of the effectiveness of work health and safety management practices

• use of case studies and problem-solving exercises so the individual can suggest appropriate WHS systems, policies and procedures for different workplace sizes and types
• written or oral questioning to assess knowledge of:

• relevant OHS or WHS law
• methods for conducting ongoing work health and safety consultation
• methods for evaluating the effectiveness of work health and safety management practices

• review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the individual.

Guidance information for assessment 

The assessor should design integrated assessment activities to holistically assess this unit with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role, for example:

• BSBADM502B Manage meetings
• BSBPMG501A Manage projects
• BSBWRT401A Write complex documents
• SITXGLC501 Research business compliance requirements.

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.

Work health and safety management system  includes practices to ensure:

• adequate facilities for the welfare of employees
• appropriate management of incidents or accidents and notification to work health and safety government regulators
• availability of information, instructions, training and supervision that ensure employees’ health and safety
• safe:

• machinery, equipment and materials
• premises, including the provision of entrances and exits that are safe
• systems of work
• working environment.

Work health and safety policies and procedures  may cover:

• consultation
• emergencies
• evacuation of staff and customers
• handling chemicals and hazardous substances
• hazard identification and reporting
• incident and accident management and notification to work health and safety regulatory authorities
• incident and accident reporting by staff
• ongoing monitoring of risk control
• overall organisational approach to work health and safety
• participation of personnel in work health and safety management practices
• responsibilities of employees to ensure safety
• risk assessments and reporting
• safe work practices
• security management of:

• cash
• documents
• equipment
• keys
• people.

Work health and safety training requirements  may include:

• coaching or mentoring in safe work practices
• formal training programs in safe work practices
• hazard identification, risk assessment and control
• work health and safety policy and procedure induction
• work health and safety representative or committee
• provision of information, fact sheets and signage to ensure safe work practices.

Work health and safety records  may include documentation of:

• consultation:

• diaries of meetings
• agendas for and minutes of meetings
• committee members
• consultation decisions and follow-up actions

• hazard identification
• incident or accident notifications to work health and safety regulatory authorities
• incident, accident and near miss reports and related statistics
• policies and procedures
• risk assessments
• risk control actions
• training plans
• training undertaken.

Work health and safety information  may include:

• consultative arrangements for work health and safety
• emergency evacuation plan
• employee roles and responsibilities in work health and safety management practices
• legal obligations and ramifications of failure to comply
• work health and safety training information and updates
• organisation-specific policies and procedures
• specific risk control measures for the workplace
• specific regulations and codes of practice
• use of:

• hazard identification reporting documents
• risk assessment template documents.

Consultative processes  may involve:

• a diary, whiteboard or suggestion box used by staff to report issues of concern
• fact sheets to fully inform personnel about work health and safety rights and responsibilities
• formal WHS representatives and committees
• formal meetings with agendas, minutes and action plans
• informal meetings with notes
• involving personnel in:

• conducting hazard identification and risk assessment
• making decisions on how to eliminate or control risks

• work health and safety discussions with employees during the course of each business day
• recording issues in a management diary
• regular staff meetings that involve work health and safety discussions
• seeking staff suggestions for content of work health and safety policies and procedures
• special staff meetings or workshops to specifically address work health and safety issues
• staff handbook which includes work health and safety information
• surveys or questionnaires that invite staff feedback on work health and safety issues.

Times designated by legislation for consultation  will vary but may include when the organisation:

• conducts hazard identification and risk assessment or reviews hazard identification and risk assessment practices
• introduces or alters facilities for the welfare of personnel
• introduces or alters procedures for monitoring workplace risks
• is proposing to make changes to the premises, equipment, materials and systems of work that might affect the health and safety of personnel
• makes decisions about actions to eliminate or control risks
• makes initial and ongoing decisions on how best to consult with personnel.

Hazard identification and risk assessment template documents  may include:

• self-designed tools developed for the organisation as part of a work health and safety management system
• tools and templates developed:

• by external consultancy services
• by industry associations for use of member businesses
• for public use by, and found within, business management publications, including those developed by work health and safety government regulators.

Assessment criteria  may include those:

• developed by external consultancy services
• outlined in Australian standards
• self-determined for the organisation as part of a work health and safety management system
• suggested by industry associations for use by member businesses.

Systematic hazard identification at times designated by legislation  may occur:

• when changes to the workplace are implemented, including:

• before the premises are used for the first time
• before and during the installation or alteration of any plant
• before changes to work practices are introduced
• when new information relating to health and safety risk becomes available.

Types of hazards designated by legislation  may include:

• physical environment, for example:

• electrical items
• equipment
• flooring
• hot and cold environments
• lighting
• noise levels
• working space of any workers

• plant, for example:

• appliances
• equipment
• machinery
• tools

• working practices, for example:

• length of time spent at certain tasks and allocation of breaks
• opening and closing procedures
• rostering of staff and shift allocation
• security procedures
• standard operating procedures for work-related tasks.

Assess  effectiveness of WHS management practices may involve:

• monitoring the ongoing effectiveness of risk control methods
• reviewing:

• incidents or accidents, near misses
• work health and safety reports
• work health and safety statistics.