SITXWHS004 Establish and maintain a work health and safety system

Release: 1

SITXWHS004 Establish and maintain a work health and safety system

Modification History

Not applicable.

Application

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to develop, implement and sustain effective, professional and contemporary work health and safety (WHS) management practices. It requires the ability to establish and review systems, policies and procedures designed to ensure a safe workplace.

The unit applies to all tourism, travel, hospitality and event sectors and to any small, medium or large organisation.

It applies to those senior managers who operate with significant autonomy and are responsible for making a range of strategic management decisions.

This unit incorporates the requirement, under state and territory WHS legislation, for businesses to take a systematic approach to managing the safety of their workers and others in the workplace.

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

Pre-requisite Unit

Nil

Competency Field

Work Health and Safety

Unit Sector

Cross-Sector

Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENTS	PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
Elements describe the essential outcomes.	Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.
1. Establish and maintain a framework for health, safety and security.	1.1.Access and interpret key legislative documents to ensure WHS system complies with regulatory requirements, standards and codes. 1.2.Design a WHS management system to suit 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 WHS management practices. 1.4.Develop and clearly articulate WHS 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 WHS training requirements. 1.7.Establish and monitor a system for keeping WHS records. 1.8.Establish and maintain systems to ensure communication of WHS 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 characteristics and needs of 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 templates that incorporate 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 within procedures the roles and responsibilities of personnel for hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control. 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 WHS government regulators.
4. Evaluate organisational health, safety and security system.	4.1.Assess and maintain ongoing compliance with occupational health and safety (OHS) or WHS legislation and regulatory requirements, standards and codes. 4.2.Consult with a range of personnel to elicit feedback on WHS policies, procedures and practices. 4.3.Assess effectiveness of WHS management practices and develop, implement, document and communicate improvements and changes to the WHS system.

Foundation Skills

Foundation skills essential to performance in this unit, but not explicit in the performance criteria are listed here, along with a brief context statement.
SKILLS	DESCRIPTION
Reading skills to:	interpret unfamiliar and complex materials describing regulatory requirements for WHS management systems and internal reports providing operational feedback about the effectiveness of practices develop comprehensive yet easily accessible WHS policies, procedures and template documents.
Writing skills to:	construct high level reports about the effectiveness of WHS management practices and rationale for any change.
Oral communication skills to:	discuss training needs with key supervisory and management personnel interview personnel about incidents, accidents, or near misses.
Problem-solving skills to:	allow for a logical evaluation of the characteristics and needs of the organisation in order to design a tailored WHS system take a lead role in controlling risks and implementing interim or emergency solutions manage the response to any incident or accident.
Teamwork skills to:	consult with key personnel and incorporate their views to develop an effective WHS system.
Planning and organising skills to:	plan for, establish and regularly monitor all components of a WHS management system.

Unit Mapping Information

SITXWHS601 Establish and maintain a work health and safety system

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=68c40a93-e51d-4e0f-bc06-899dff092694