Elements and Performance Criteria

Appropriate personnel may include
health and safety representatives
managers
OHS personnel
other persons including emergency service personnel, authorised or nominated by the enterprise or industry to:
approve specified work
direct specified work/functions
inspect specified work
perform specified work/functions
supervisors/team leaders.

Company requirements may include
counselling/disciplinary processes
maintenance of plant and equipment
purchasing of supplies and equipment
work procedures and work instructions.

Emergency procedures may include
accident/incident reporting
chemical containment
evacuations
following instructions from authorised or designated personnel during hazardous events
provision of First Aid.

Hazardous events may include
accidents (including motor vehicle accidents)
acts of violence
bomb threats
chemical spills
fire and explosions
inhalation of dangerous substances
natural disasters.

Hazards may include
associated with electrical or mechanical faults
environmental e.g. improper use of hazardous materials/chemicals
ergonomic e.g. improper manual handling methods
obstructive e.g. blocked access to emergency entry/exit points.

Identify hazards may include activities such as
checking equipment or the work area before work commences and during work
regular housekeeping activities
workplace inspections of equipment and work areas.

OHS legislation may include
general duty of care under OHS legislation and common law
provisions relating to OHS issue resolution
provisions relating to roles and responsibilities of health and safety representatives and/or OHS committees
regulations and codes of practice including regulations and codes of practice relating to hazards present in the workplace or industry
state/territory/Commonwealth OHS Acts.

Participative arrangements may include
formal and informal meetings of-
OHS committees
other committees e.g. consultative, planning and purchasing
suggestions, requests, reports and concerns put forward by employees to management.

Workplace procedures may include specific OHS procedures and organisational policies or procedures relating to
assessing and controlling risks
consultation and participation arrangements for employees
emergency response
OHS issue resolution
safe operating procedures or instructions that cover but are not limited to:
awareness of electrical hazards
confined space procedures
First Aid
safe use of tools and equipment
working safely around electrical wiring, cables, and overhead powerlines
fspecific hazards
reporting OHS issues
use of personal protective equipment
workplace safety inspections.

Critical aspects of competency
Ability to accurately follow workplace procedures relevant to controlling risks in the workplace.
Ability to identify hazards and risks in the workplace and report such hazards and risks to designated personnel.
Ability to correctly follow emergency procedures in emergency situations. Note that evidence in this area may be gathered through simulations.

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.
Rights and responsibilities of parties in the workplace under relevant OHS Acts, regulations and codes of practice.
Communication channels and procedures to report OHS concerns.

Common workplace hazards and risk control measures including:

range and meanings of safety signs and symbols in the workplace
types and purpose of personal protective equipment
site safety plan
ways in which OHS is maintained in emergency situations
equipment and material use, storage, cleaning and disposal procedures.

Specific skills needed to achieve the performance criteria

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

follow safe work procedures
identify potential and existing risks or hazards
follow emergency response procedures
communicate OHS information to appropriate personnel.
use tools and equipment and products safely

use literacy and language skills to:

understand and comply with work instructions
interpret safety signs
read and comprehend product instructions
participate in OHS training.

Other units of competency that could be assessed with this unit
Competency in this unit will underpin competency in other aspects of the candidate's role in managing their work tasks.
This unit could be assessed on its own or in combination with other competencies relevant to the job function.

Resources required to assess this unit

The candidate and the assessor should have access to the appropriate documentation and resources normally utilised in the workplace. This includes access to the following:

a suitable work area, or a simulated workplace environment, that allows for identification of hazards
personal protective equipment commonly used to reduce workplace risk
relevant products, tools, specialist equipment, and associated instructions
manuals and relevant documentation including occupational health and safety policies and procedures
assessment documentation forms and record books.

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.

When assessing candidates, assessment techniques that allow a collection of evidence from relevant workplace experience should be used. Assessment against this unit may involve the following:

continuous assessment in the workplace (observation), or a setting that simulates the conditions of a workplace (simulation), taking into account the range of variables affecting performance
Self-assessment of performance on the same terms as those described above.
interviews and/or provision of learning activities to check underpinning knowledge requirements
supplementary evidence that may be obtained from relevant authenticated correspondence or reports from supervisors or team leaders.
Performance and assessment of this unit must be carried out within the relevant requirements of the legislative and industry framework and as set out in organisational OHS policies and procedures.

Communicating ideas and information
Information regarding the work environment is compared against relevant policies and procedures. (1)

Collecting analysing and organising information
Report or discuss OHS issues with relevant or designated personnel. (1)

Planning and organising activities
Organise work tasks according to safe work practices. (1)

Working with others and in teams
Participate in ensuring a safe work environment. (1)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Mix chemicals according to product labels and follow equipment maintenance schedules. (1)

Solving problems
Identify hazards and report to appropriate persons. (1)

Using technology
Use equipment appropriately in the workplace. (1)