Elements and Performance Criteria

Appropriate person includes
client, supervisor and team member.

Clean-up includes
removal of plant/equipment/vehicle from site, removal/disposal of contaminated soil/liquid, shovelling, sweeping out, use of cleaning products/fluids, use of high pressure water or air-hosing and vacuuming.

Client/company includes
all forms of business enterprises in this context including government agencies, local governments/councils, private and public companies, and residents/ratepayers.

Containment and isolation may include
bund area
erect barricades
move vehicle or equipment away from hazardous area
seal leaks
transfer waste
turn off electricity and gas
use fire extinguisher
water-hosing.

Documentation includes but is not limited to
authorities notified
cause or suspected cause of emergency
damage incurred (including to personnel, vehicle, equipment and general public)
emergency and personal protective equipment used
emergency response procedures undertaken
nature of clean-up
nature, type, source and severity of emergency
recommendations for preventing future emergencies
regulatory authority documents.

Emergency may include
chemical reaction, contamination, fire, gas leak, hazardous waste spill, powerlines and vehicle accident.

Emergency and personal protective equipment must include
emergency procedure guides
face shield/mask
hard hat
hearing protection
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
spill kit.

Emergency response/action procedures include but are not limited to
clean up
contain emergency
equipment/plant isolation and shut-down
evacuation
First Aid
make safe
notification of authorities
use of appropriate personal protective equipment.

Evacuation procedures
can be found in company requirements, emergency procedures manual and relevant legislation (including occupational health and safety).

Manufacturers' specifications
are found in equipment specifications and operator manuals.

Performance of this unit is carried out in accordance with relevant requirements of the following
Australian Standards
environmental regulations
legislative requirements
manufacturers' specifications
OHS procedures
organisational procedures
relevant state/territory regulations.

Personal protective equipment required
will be cleaned/maintained, stored, worn/fitted in accordance with equipment specifications, company requirements, manufacturers' specifications, and occupational health and safety and other legislation.

Potential risks and hazards
are those risks and hazards identified by the organisation that could lead to injury or illness of employees, contractors, visitors or the public; damage to plant, vehicles or property; or that could cause harm to the environment.
This relates to on-site and off-site activities (whether company owned or occupied premises, customer/client premises or public property) over which it could be expected the organisation had control.

Protection of company interests may include
collecting details from witnesses, not admitting liability and not talking to media.

Regulated waste identification signage requirements may include
classification of dangerous goods
communications equipment
First Aid
hazardous class
HAZCHEM codes
packaging group number.

Relevant legislation and codes cover state and federal
Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road or Rail
duty of care
industry codes of conduct
occupational health and safety
Australian Standards
environmental protection legislation.

Relevant parties include
emergency services, other affected parties, relevant company personnel and relevant environmental protection agency.

Safe operating procedures include
any activity or operation conducted on site to ensure health and safety of personnel/equipment in the area.

Critical aspects of competency
Identification and communication of nature and details of emergency.
Following emergency procedures.
Implementation of correct emergency response.
Review and modification of emergency response.
Documentation of emergency situation and response actions in standardised report template (in accordance with company requirements).

Knowledge needed to achieve the performance criteria
Knowledge and understanding are essential to apply this unit in the workplace, to transfer the skills to other contexts, and to deal with unplanned events. The knowledge requirements for this unit are listed below.
HAZCHEM identification systems.
Waste types and implications in an emergency situation.
Standard emergency response procedures.
Basic First Aid appropriate to likely risks and hazards in work environment.
Methods of containment and isolation of emergencies.
Confined space procedure.
Occupational health and safety requirements.
Duty of care provision of services.
Relevant industry standards.
Relevant legislation.
Relevant industry standards.
Relevant environmental regulations.
Emergency procedures.
OHS hierarchy of control.
Location of alarms.
Location of emergency equipment.
Identification of areas.
Location of communication equipment.

Specific skills needed to achieve the performance criteria

To achieve the performance criteria, some complementary skills are required. These are:

oral communication skills including questioning, listening, following instructions, giving information, signalling, directing traffic
written communication skills
identifying regulated waste types
following emergency procedure guidelines
using emergency equipment (including fire extinguisher and spill kit)
area isolation (including bunding and erecting barriers)
using personal protective equipment (including breathing apparatus)
clear thinking and working under pressure
using communications equipment (two-way radio and mobile phone)
problem-solving
following MSDS
safe and efficient work practices.

Other units of competency that could be assessed with this unit

This unit could be assessed on its own or in combination with other competencies relevant to the job function, for example:

PRMCMN201A Participate in workplace safety arrangements
PRMCMN301A Contribute to workplace safety arrangements
BSBCMN215B Participate in environmental work practices.

Resources required to assess this unit

The following resources should be available:

range of emergency situations
case studies
role-play
emergency equipment and personal protective equipment
standard emergency procedures
site safety plan
MSDS
OHS requirements.

Gaining evidence to assess this unit
For valid and reliable assessment of this unit, the competency should be demonstrated over a period of time and be observed by the assessor (or assessment team working together to conduct the assessment). The competency is to be demonstrated in a range of situations, which may include customer/workplace interruptions and involvement in related activities normally experienced in the workplace.
Evidence of competency is best obtained by observing activities in the response to a waste emergency in a variety of waste environments. If this is not practicable, observations in realistic simulated environments may be substituted.

Consistency in performance
Assessment requires that the plan meets the objectives of the client and that it complies with industry expectations in the particular client environment. If the environment is narrowly defined or is not representative of industry needs, it may be necessary to use simulated emergencies with a variety of waste characteristics to assess competency in waste emergency response.
Oral questioning or written assessment and hypothetical situations (scenarios) may be used to assess underpinning knowledge. (In assessment situations where the candidate is offered a preference between oral questioning and written audit, questions are to be identical.)
Supplementary evidence may be obtained from relevant authenticated correspondence from existing supervisors, team leaders or specialist training staff.
Note: All practical demonstrations must adhere to the safety and environmental regulations relevant to each state or territory.

Communicating ideas and information
Communicate concisely, clearly and effectively to relevant personnel. (2)

Collecting analysing and organising information
Gather information from a number of sources (including regulatory sources and company requirements) about the correct response to waste emergency. (2)

Planning and organising activities
Plan detailed requirements throughout the response to waste emergency. (1)

Working with others and in teams
Liaise effectively with relevant personnel to respond to waste emergency. (1)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Document mathematical components of the response to waste emergency report/s. (1)

Solving problems
Identify possible problems and solutions that may occur throughout the process of responding to waste emergency. (2)

Using technology
Demonstrate the use of technology in a prompt and efficient manner to response to waste emergency. (2)