Unit of competency details

Unit Descriptor 

1) Scope: 

1.1) Descriptor 

This unit covers the mandatory requirements of persons in a supervisory role to implement and monitor an organisation’s occupational health and safety policies, procedures and programs. It encompasses understanding an organisation’s OHS obligations, providing safety information to staff, implementing and monitoring participative arrangements, safety procedures and training and maintaining safety records.

Application of the Unit 

2) 

This unit addresses information, processes and techniques for the application of general occupational health and safety requirements in workplaces and is essential for employees work supervisory responsibilities. The unit is based on Generic Competency A in the National Guidelines for Integrating OHS Competencies into National Industry Competency Standards [NOHSC: 7025 (1998) 2nd Edition].

Note:
All States/Territories and the Commonwealth have enacted legislation that establishes a general duty of care for workplace parties to ensure healthy and safe working conditions. In most workplaces, the final responsibility for providing a healthy and safe working environment, as far as practicable, rests with the employer. Employees also have a duty of care in relation to OHS that ensures their health and safety and that of others in the workplace. The relevant jurisdictional OHS legislation should always be consulted to ascertain the exact duties set down for employers and employees.

License to practice 

3)  

The competency described in this unit does not directly require a license to practice but is subject to regulations for occupational health and safe and contracts of training where they apply.

Prerequisite Unit(s) 

4)  

Competencies 

4.1) 

There are no prerequisite competencies for this unit.

Literacy and numeracy skills 

4.2)  

Participants are best equipped to achieve competency in this unit if they have reading, writing and numeracy skills indicated by the following scales. Description of each scale is given in Volume 2, Part 3 ‘Literacy and Numeracy’

Reading

5

Writing

5

Numeracy

5

Employability Skills 

5)  

This unit contains Employability Skills

The required outcomes described in this unit of competency contain applicable facets of Employability Skills. The Employability Skills Summary of the qualification in which this unit of competency is packaged will assist in identifying Employability Skill requirements.

6)  Elements describe the essential outcomes of a competency standard unit

Performance Criteria describe the required performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the Evidence Guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1

Provide OHS information to the work group.

1.1

Relevant provisions of occupational health and safety legislation and codes of practice are accurately and clearly explained to the work group.

1.2

Information on the organisation’s occupational health and safety policies, procedures and programs is provided in a readily accessible manner and is accurately and clearly explained to the work group.

1.3.

Information about identified hazards and the outcomes of risk assessment and risk control procedures is regularly provided and is accurately and clearly explained to the work group.

2

Implement and monitor participative arrangements for the management of OHS.

2.1

Organisational procedures for consultation over occupational health and safety issues are implemented and monitored to ensure that all members of the work group have the opportunity to contribute.

2.2

Issues raised through consultation are dealt with and resolved promptly or referred to the appropriate personnel for resolution in accordance with workplace procedures for issue resolution.

2.3

The outcomes of consultation over occupational health and safety issues are made known to the work group promptly.

3.

Implement and monitor the procedures for identifying hazards, assessing risk and controlling risks.

3.1

Existing and potential hazards in the work area are identified and reported so that risk assessment and risk control procedures can be applied.

3.2

Work procedures to control risks are implemented and adherence to them by the work group is monitored in accordance with workplace procedures.

3.3

Existing procedures to control risks are implemented and adherence to them by the work group is monitored in accordance with workplace procedures.

3.4

Inadequacies in existing risk control measures are identified in accordance with the hierarchy of control and reported to designated personnel.

3.5

Inadequacies in resource allocation for implementation of risk control measures identified and reported to designated personnel.

4

Implement the procedures for dealing with hazardous events.

4.1

Workplace procedures for dealing with hazardous events are implemented whenever necessary to ensure that prompt control action is taken.

4.2

Hazardous events are investigated to identify their cause in accordance with investigation procedures.

4.3

Control measures to prevent recurrence and minimise risks of hazardous events are implemented based on the hierarchy of control if within scope of responsibilities and competencies or alternatively referred to designated personnel for implementation.

5

Implement and monitor the procedures for OHS training.

5.1

Occupational health and safety training needs are identified accurately, specifying gaps between occupational health and safety competencies required and those held by work group members.

5.2

Arrangements are made for fulfilling identified occupational health and safety training needs in both on and off-the-job training programs in consultation with relevant parties.

6

Implement and monitor the procedures for maintaining OHS records.

6.1

Occupational health and safety records for work area are accurately and legibly completed in accordance with workplace requirements for occupational health and safety records and legal requirements for the maintenance of records of occupational injury and disease.

6.2

Aggregate information from the area’s occupational health and safety records is used to identify hazards and monitor risk control procedures within work according to organisational procedures and within scope of responsibilities and competencies.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Evidence shall show that knowledge has been acquired of safe working practices and implementing and monitoring energy sector OHS policies and procedures

All knowledge and skills detailed in this unit should be contextualised to current industry practices and technologies.

KS01-EE117A Energy sector Occupational Health and Safety, supervisory responsibilities 

Evidence shall show an understanding of OHS enterprise responsibilities to an extent indicated by the following aspects:

T1 Provisions of relevant occupational health and safety legislation

T2 Principles and practice of effective occupational health and safety management

T3 Workplace hazards, range and selection of control measures

T4 Organisational health and safety management systems and policies and procedures needed for legislative compliance

T5 Impact of characteristics and composition of the workforce on occupational health and safety management

T6 Relevance of occupational health and safety management to other organisational management policies, procedures and systems.

T7 Analysis of entire work environment and judge occupational health and safety interventions

T8 Analysis of relevant workplace data

T9 Ability to assess resources needed for risk control.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

9)  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 this Training Package.

The Evidence Guide forms an integral part of this unit. It must be used in conjunction with all parts of the unit and performed in accordance with the Assessment Guidelines of this Training Package.

Overview of Assessment 

9.1) 

Longitudinal competency development approaches to assessment, such as Profiling, require data to be reliably gathered in a form that can be consistently interpreted over time. This approach is best utilised in Apprenticeship programs and reduces assessment intervention. It is the industry-preferred model for apprenticeships. However, where summative (or final) assessment is used it is to include the application of the competency in the normal work environment or, at a minimum, the application of the competency in a realistically simulated work environment. It is recognised that, in some circumstances, assessment in part or full can occur outside the workplace. However, it must be in accordance with industry and regulatory policy.

Methods chosen for a particular assessment will be influenced by various factors. These include the extent of the assessment, the most effective locations for the assessment activities to take place, access to physical resources, additional safety measures that may be required and the critical nature of the competencies being assessed.

The critical safety nature of working with electricity, electrical equipment, gas or any other hazardous substance/material carries risk in deeming a person competent. Sources of evidence need to be ‘rich’ in nature to minimise error in judgment.

Activities associated with normal everyday work have a bearing on the decision as to how much and how detailed the data gathered will contribute to its ‘richness’. Some skills are more critical to safety and operational requirements while the same skills may be more or less frequently practised. These points are raised for the assessors to consider when choosing an assessment method and developing assessment instruments. Sample assessment instruments are included for Assessors in the Assessment Guidelines of this Training Package.

Critical aspects of evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

9.2) 

Before the critical aspects of evidence are considered all prerequisites must be met.

Evidence for competence in this unit shall be considered holistically. Each element and associated performance criteria shall be demonstrated on at least two occasions in accordance with the ‘Assessment Guidelines – UEE11’. Evidence shall also comprise:

• A representative body of work performance demonstrated within the timeframes typically expected of the discipline, work function and industrial environment. In particular this shall incorporate evidence that shows a candidate is able to:

• Implement Occupational Health and Safety workplace procedures and practices, including the use of risk control measures as specified in the performance criteria and range statement
• Apply sustainable energy principles and practices as specified in the performance criteria and range statement
• Demonstrate an understanding of the essential knowledge and associated skills as described in this unit. It may be required by some jurisdictions that RTOs provide a percentile graded result for the purpose of regulatory or licensing requirements.
• Demonstrate an appropriate level of skills enabling employment
• Conduct work observing the relevant Anti Discrimination legislation, regulations, polices and workplace procedures

• Demonstrated consistent performance across a representative range of contexts from the prescribed items below:

• Implement and monitor energy sector OHS policies and procedures as described in 8) and including:

A

Providing OHS information to the work group.

B

Implementing and monitoring participative arrangements for the management of OHS.

C

Implementing and monitoring the procedures for identifying procedures for identifying hazards, assessing risks and controlling risks.

D

Implementing the procedures for dealing with hazardous events.

E

Implementing and monitoring the procedures for OHS.

F

Implementing and monitoring the procedures for maintaining OHS records.

G

Dealing with unplanned events by drawing on essential knowledge and skills to provide appropriate solutions incorporated in a holistic assessment with the above listed items.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

9.3) 

This unit should be assessed as it relates to normal work practice using procedures, information and resources typical of a workplace. This should include:

• OHS policy and work procedures and instructions.
• Suitable work environment, facilities, equipment and materials to undertake actual work as prescribed in this unit.

These should be used in the formal learning/assessment environment.

Note:

Where simulation is considered a suitable strategy for assessment, conditions for assessment must be authentic and as far as possible reproduce and replicate the workplace and be consistent with the approved industry simulation policy.

The resources used for assessment should reflect current industry practices in relation to implementing and monitoring energy sector OHS policies and procedures.

Method of assessment 

9.4) 

This unit shall be assessed by methods given in Volume 1, Part 3 ‘Assessment Guidelines’.

Note:

Competent performance with inherent safe working practices is expected in the Industry to which this unit applies. This requires that the specified essential knowledge and associated skills are assessed in a structured environment which is primarily intended for learning/assessment and incorporates all necessary equipment and facilities for learners to develop and demonstrate the essential knowledge and skills described in this unit.

Concurrent assessment and relationship with other units 

9.5) 

For optimisation of training and assessment effort, competence in this unit may be assessed concurrently with other related units making up a qualification or possible skill clusters.

Components of this unit are included in the critical aspects of evidence of all units to help ensure the appropriate level of responsibility for safety has been acquired.

RANGE STATEMENT 

10)  This relates to the unit as a whole providing the range of contexts and conditions to which the performance criteria apply. It allows for different work environments and situations that will affect performance.

This unit shall be demonstrated in relation to implementing and monitoring energy sector OHS policies and procedures with the following attributes:

• organisation’s OHS obligations
• safety information to staff
• participative arrangements implementation and monitoring
• safety procedures
• training
• safety records maintained

Implementing and monitoring the mandatory requirements of persons in a supervisory role an organisation’s occupational health and safety policies, procedures and programs shall be demonstrated in the following:

• Relevant Occupational Health and Safety legislation, regulations and codes of practice related to hazards present in the industry and particular workplace
• Implementation of OHS and the specific safety procedures and work instructions for particular workplace

Generic terms used throughout this Vocational Standard shall be regarded as part of the Range Statement in which competency is demonstrated. The definition of these and other terms that apply are given in Volume 2, Part 2.1.

Competency Field 

11)  

Electrotechnology