Unit of competency details

RIIWHS204D - Work safely at heights (Release 4)

Unit Of competency

Modification History

Release	Comments
1	This unit replaces RIIOHS204A Work safely at heights.
2	Formatting corrections.
3	Inserted Application information.
4	Required frequency and volume of evidence amended in Performance evidence. Substantial amendments made in Assessment Conditions field, including: references to Industry Sectors, assessor and subject matter expert experience requirements, how assessment should be conducted and what it should confirm.

Application

This unit describes a participant’s skills and knowledge required to work safety at heights in the Resources and Infrastructure Industries.

This unit it appropriate for those working in operational roles where they are required to perform work at heights.

Licensing, legislative, regulatory and certification requirements that apply to this unit can vary between states, territories, and Industry sectors. Relevant information must be sourced prior to application of the unit.

Note: The terms Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and Work Health and Safety (WHS) are equivalent and generally either can be used in the workplace. In jurisdictions where the National Model WHS Legislation has not been implemented RTOs are advised to contextualise the unit of competency by referring to the existing State/Territory OHS legislative requirements.

Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Identify work requirements	1.1 Access, interpret and apply height safety procedures and ensure the work activity is compliant 1.2 Inspect site to determine layout and physical condition, condition of structures, prevailing weather conditions, equipment requirements and potential hazards 1.3 Adhere to WHS requirements 1.4 Identify, select and check safety equipment for serviceability 1.5 Identify, manage and report potential risks and hazards
2. Identify work procedures and instructions	2.1 Consult with authorised personnel to select materials, tools and equipment and check for serviceability 2.2 Select, wear and care for personal protective equipment 2.3 Inspect/install fall protection and perimeter protection equipment 2.4 Identify approved methods of moving tools and equipment to work area and minimise potential hazards associated with tools at heights 2.5 Ensure safety system has been installed correctly 2.6 Select and install appropriate signs and barricades
3. Access and install equipment	3.1 Consult with authorised personnel to ensure anchor fall protection and associated equipment is correctly fitted and adjusted 3.2 Ensure all required equipment is installed 3.3 Use recommended methods to access work area for people, tools and equipment 3.4 Locate tools and materials to eliminate or minimise the risk of items being knocked down
4. Perform work at heights	4.1 Check access from ground to work area and ensure it is safe 4.2 Keep fall equipment in place and adjusted appropriately for movement during work 4.3 Undertake manual handling of materials and equipment 4.4 Locate materials and equipment ensuring that they are safely secured and distributed 4.5 Check safety system periodically for compliance 4.6 Monitor risk control measures to ensure that they are effective and appropriate 4.7 Reassess risk control measures, as required, in accordance with changed work practices and/or site conditions and undertake alterations
5. Clean up work area	5.1 Consult with authorised personnel to ensure safety system is dismantled and removed 5.2 Clear work area and dispose of or recycle materials 5.3 Clean, check, maintain and store tools and equipment

Foundation Skills

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit. Further information is available in the Resources and Infrastructure Industry Training Package Companion Volume.

Unit Mapping Information

RIIOHS204A Working safely at heights

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=88a61002-9a21-4386-aaf8-69c76e675272

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Assessment requirements

Modification History

Release	Comments
1	This unit replaces RIIOHS204A Work safely at heights.
2	Formatting corrections.
3	Inserted Application information.
4	Required frequency and volume of evidence amended in Performance evidence. Substantial amendments made in Assessment Conditions field, including: references to Industry Sectors, assessor and subject matter expert experience requirements, how assessment should be conducted and what it should confirm.

Performance Evidence

Evidence is required to be collected that demonstrates a candidate’s competency in this unit. Evidence must be relevant to the roles within this sector’s work operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria of this unit and include evidence that the candidate:

• locates and applies relevant documentation, policies and procedures
• demonstrates completion of working safely at heights that safely, effectively and efficiently meets all of the required outcomes on more than one (1) occasion including:

• accessing, interpreting and applying technical and safety information for working at heights
• assessing hazards and risk associated with working at heights and implement control methods
• selecting wearing and caring for personal protective equipment
• identifying required safety systems including fall protection and associated equipment
• checking that fitting, adjusting and anchoring of fall protection and associated equipment is correct
• performing work safely at heights

Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of the following when working safely at heights:

• names and functions of equipment, components and materials
• complying with equipment manufacturer’s instructions and specifications
• safe shifting and handling of tools and materials
• adhering to statutory and regulatory authority requirements
• the nature of work undertaken at heights
• complying with heights safety systems
• the processes of providing for safe working practices
• using safety equipment/systems and considerations to facilitate working safely at heights
• complying with safe work methods

Assessment Conditions

• An assessor of this unit must satisfy the requirements of the NVR/AQTF or their successors; and Industry regulations for certification and licensing; and,
• this unit is best assessed in the context of this sector’s work environment;
• where personal safety or environmental damage are limiting factors, assessment may occur in a simulated environment provided it is realistic and sufficiently rigorous to cover all aspects of this sector’s workplace performance, including environment, task skills, task management skills, contingency management skills and job role environment skills; and,
• this unit must be assessed in compliance with relevant legislation/regulation and using policies, procedures, processes and operational manuals directly related to the industry sector for which it is being assessed; and,
• assessment may be conducted in conjunction with the assessment of other Units of Competency; and,
• assessment must confirm consistent performance can be applied in a range of relevant workplace circumstances; and,
• assessors must demonstrate the performance evidence, and knowledge evidence as outlined in this Unit of Competency, and through the minimum years of current* work experience specified below in an Industry sector relevant to the outcomes of the unit; or,
• where the assessor does not meet experience requirements a co-assessment or partnership arrangement must exist between the qualified assessor and an Industry subject matter expert. The Industry subject matter expert should hold the unit being assessed (or an equivalent unit) and/or demonstrate equivalence of skills and knowledge at the unit level. An Industry technical expert must also demonstrate skills and knowledge from the minimum years of current work experience specified below in the Industry sector, including time spent in roles related to the unit being assessed; and,
• assessor and Industry subject matter expert requirements differ depending on the Australian Qualifications Framework Level (AQF) of the qualification being assessed and/or Industry Sector as follows:

Industry sector	AQF** Level	Required assessor or Industry subject matter expert experience
Drilling, Metalliferous Mining, Coal Mining, Extractive (Quarrying) and Civil Construction	1	1 Year
	2	2 Years
Drilling, Coal Mining and Extractive (Quarrying)	3-6	3 Years
Metalliferous Mining and Civil Construction	3-6	5 Years
Other sectors	Where this Unit is being assessed outside of the Resources and Infrastructure Sectors assessor and/or Industry subject matter expert experience should be in-line with industry standards for the sector in which it is being assessed and where no Industry standard is specified should comply with any relevant regulation.

*Assessors can demonstrate current work experience through employment within Industry in a role relevant to the outcomes of the Unit; or, for external assessors this can be demonstrated through exposure to Industry by conducting frequent site assessments across various locations.

**Where a unit is being delivered outside of a Qualification the first numeric character in the Unit code should be considered to indicate the AQF level

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=88a61002-9a21-4386-aaf8-69c76e675272

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