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 make decisions about the safety of occupants during a facility emergency and to give instructions on the priority order for responding to an emergency incident.

It includes leading the preparation of facility emergency response procedures; commanding, controlling and coordinating facility emergency response procedures and responses and concluding the facility emergency incident. Individuals who undertake this work may also act as the primary liaison with emergency services after their arrival.

The unit has been developed to cover the facilities as specified in Australian Standard (AS) 3745 and AS4083. For this unit, as covered by AS3745 and AS4083, occupants are people attending a facility on a permanent or temporary basis such as an employee, contractor, student or resident, but not a visitor or patient and a facility is a building, structure or workplace that is, or may be, occupied by people (occupants).

All aspects of the unit must be undertaken in line with legislative requirements, organisational policies and procedures and approved safe practices. It applies to members of an Emergency Control Organisation (ECO) who are chief wardens, deputy chief wardens and communications officers.

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

PUAFER005 Operate as part of an emergency control organisation

Facility Emergency Response

Public Safety

ELEMENTS 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

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

1  

Prepare for an emergency in a facility 

1.1 

Possible emergency situations in a facility are identified

1.2 

Information on developments and characteristics of possible facility emergency situations is gathered, assessed, analysed and applied, in accordance with the facility emergency plan

1.3 

Emergency actions for facility emergency is identified, in accordance with the facility emergency plan

2 

Undertake pre -emergency planning 

2.1 

Emergency planning committee meetings, training and exercises are attended

2.2 

Regular exercises are conducted

2.3 

Facility emergency response procedures are maintained and updated

2.4 

Emergency control organisational membership information is maintained and updated

3 

Take appropriate actions in an emergency 

3.1 

Emergency signals and warnings are identified or initiated

3.2 

Action is taken to ensure emergency stations are attended and operated, in accordance with facility emergency response procedures

3.3 

Emergency is assessed and the action plan is initiated, in accordance with facility emergency response procedures

3.4 

Entry to affected areas is controlled, in accordance with facility emergency response procedures

3.5 

Directions are given, decisions are made appropriate to the situation and others are kept informed

3.6 

Evacuation progress is monitored and action taken is recorded

3.7 

Reports of areas affected by the emergency are received or requested

3.8 

Attending emergency services are briefed on their arrival and senior emergency services officer instructions are followed

4 

Conclude emergency 

4.1 

When emergency is safe and/or attending emergency services return control to building owner and/or manager ECO members are notified about when occupants can return to the facility

4.2 

Process for occupants to return to the facility is implemented, in accordance with facility emergency response procedures

4.3 

Reinstatement of emergency systems is reported to building owner and/or manager

4.4 

Information for debriefing is provided and it is organised in a timely manner

4.5 

Report is compiled for emergency planning committee and management, in accordance with facility emergency response procedures

4.6 

Documentation is filed, in accordance with facility emergency response 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.

This unit replaces and is equivalent to PUAWER006B Lead an emergency control organisation.

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 and performance criteria on at least one occasion and includes

• applying Work, Health and Safety (WHS)/Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements
• briefing emergency services personnel
• commanding, controlling and coordinating of facility emergency response procedures
• complying with legislation, industry standards, codes of practice and regulations concluding facility emergency
• giving clear directions and keeping others informed throughout the emergency in accordance with facility emergency plan
• identifying evacuation assembly areas
• implementing facility emergency response procedures
• interpreting information displayed on emergency control indicator equipment including fire indicator panel, building management system and security management system
• preparing for emergencies in a facility
• responding to emergency signals and warnings appropriately
• undertaking pre-emergency planning

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

• actions in response to developing situations
• collation of information and reporting on the status of the emergency and/or evacuation
• command, control and coordination framework
• dynamic risk assessment
• emergency response structure including external organisations and/or agencies
• emergency signals, warnings and procedures including audible and visual alarms or vibrating pagers; coded or uncoded public address announcements; email; screen alerts; stench alarms; verbal alerts and emergency devices
• emergency stations including assembly or marshalling points; designated telephone or intercom; designated muster points; emergency control points; master emergency control point and Wardens' Intercommunication Telephones (WIP)
• facility documentation, policies and procedures
• facility emergency plan and response procedures
• how and when emergency signals and warnings may occur in a facility
• leadership responsibilities during an emergency in a facility
• legislation, industry standards, codes of practice and regulations
• liaison requirements of emergency services
• own role in facility emergency plan including role and authority of attending emergency services
• processes and procedures for briefings
• typical behaviour of people in an emergency
• Work, Health and Safety (WHS)/Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements

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
• applicable documentation including organisational policies, facility emergency plan, facility emergency response procedures, emergency systems and equipment, industry standards, equipment specifications, regulations, codes of practice and operation manuals.