Elements and Performance Criteria

What tools, equipment and machinery may be required to maintain the workplace?
Tools, equipment and machinery may include knives, trowels, handsaws, hand and battery-powered secateurs, hedge trimmers both manual and powered, spades, forks, rakes, hoes, shovels, brooms, wheelbarrows, hand edging tools, 2 and 4 stroke pedestrian and ride-on rotary mowers, cylinder mowers, blower/vacs, pavement sweepers, diesel ride-on mowers and sweepers, turf edging machines, brush-cutters, hoses and hose attachments, cleaning materials and equipment, high pressure air and water cleaners, repair tools, and materials such as nails, screws, solvents and glues.

What services may need to be located?
Services may include water supply, gas, power (electricity), telecommunications, irrigation, stormwater and drainage.

What OHS hazards may be associated with maintaining the workplace?
Hazards may include disturbance or interruption of services, solar radiation, dust, air and soil-borne organisms, noise, sharp tools and equipment, manual handling, moving vehicles, machinery and machinery parts, uneven surfaces and flying objects.

What environmental implications may be associated with maintaining the workplace?
Beneficial impacts may result from maintaining tidy work areas, depots and workshops, thus reducing the likelihood of litter blowing or washing into the external environment. By maintaining clean and tidy work surfaces, buildings and structures, using environmentally responsible cleaning agents and work practices, offensive odours, noise and unsightly areas may be reduced. Prompt identification of faulty tools, equipment and machinery for repair will also reduce their continued use, which may create unnecessary noise and particulate emissions.
Detrimental impacts on the external environment may result from the generation of excessive noise and run-off of water and cleaning agents from maintenance activities, as well as the failure to promptly segregate waste into disposal containers, process waste materials and keep work areas tidy and free of clutter.

What personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required to maintain the workplace?
Personal protective equipment may include hat, boots, overalls, gloves, goggles, safety harness, respirator or face mask, face guard, hearing protection, sunscreen lotion and hard hat.

What disposal containers may be used in maintaining the workplace?
Disposal containers may be segregated for specified toxic waste materials (such as weed seed heads, noxious weeds and toxic chemicals), recyclable materials (such as paper, plastic and metal-based waste), composting waste (such as soft plant materials), reusable materials (such as cloths and containers for washing, woody waste), and returnable materials (such as oils, batteries and chemical containers).

What OHS requirements may be relevant to this standard?
OHS requirements may include removal of slip/trip hazards, keeping access ways clear of obstructions, cleaning, maintaining and storing tools, equipment and machinery, appropriate use, storage and maintenance of personal protective equipment including sun protection, drinking to avoid dehydration, safe operation of tools, equipment and machinery, correct manual handling, basic first aid, personal hygiene, identifying and reporting hazards to supervisor, protection of people in the workplace, and protection from hazardous substances, noise, organic and other dusts.

What structures may require maintenance?
Structures may include buildings, roads, tracks, soil conservation works, trellises, shelters, shade cloth, bird netting, hail netting, glass houses, yards, fences, drying racks, irrigation and drainage systems, covered grounds of bitumen, cement or gravel for vehicle parking or low maintenance care, and enterprise signs.

What workplace surroundings may require maintenance?
Workplace surroundings may include natural areas of existing or volunteer native plants, and landscaped and/or planted display areas.

What maintenance of structures and workplace surroundings may be appropriate to this standard?
Maintenance activities may include basic repair work such as tightening or replacing loose fixtures, painting small areas, and replacing depleted surfaces such as gravel and mulch.

What specific knowledge is needed to achieve the performance criteria?

Knowledge and understanding are essential to apply this standard in the workplace, to transfer the skills to other contexts and to deal with unplanned events. The knowledge requirements for this competency standard are listed below:

Enterprise standards for presentation of buildings, structures and surroundings.
The effect of outdoor climatic conditions (e.g., rain, hail, extreme heat and/or wind, or very high ultraviolet radiation), which may prevent or impede maintenance activities, or influence the selection of tools, equipment and safety equipment to minimise the hazards presented.
Awareness of the relationship between specific maintenance activities and the external environment, and reasons for procedures that help to minimise the impact that these activities may have on the environment.
Workplace hazards, OHS legal rights and responsibilities, and OHS safety symbols and signs.

What specific skills are needed to achieve the performance criteria?

To achieve the performance criteria, appropriate literacy and numeracy levels as well as some complementary skills are required. These include the ability to:

Participate in teams and contribute to team objectives.
Understand instructions.
Read labels, site plan measurements and OHS symbols.
Communicate effectively with team members and supervisor.
Tally work hours, calibrate tools and equipment, measure volumes to apply cleaning agents, measure quantities of materials and estimate areas.
Minimise noise, dust and water run-off to prevent nuisance-level environmental disturbance.

Are there other competency standards that could be assessed with this one?
This competency standard could be assessed on its own or in combination with other competencies relevant to the job function.

Essential Assessment Information
There is

What processes should be applied to this competency standard? There are a number of processes that are learnt throughout work and life, which are required in all jobs. They are fundamental processes and generally transferable to other work functions. Some of these are covered by the key competencies, although others may be added. The questions below highlight how these processes are applied in this competency standard. Following each question a number in brackets indicates the level to which the key competency needs to be demonstrated where 0 = not required, 1 = perform the process, 2 = perform and administer the process and 3 = perform, administer and design the process.
Communicating ideas and information
Ideas and information about the workplace, maintenance activities and problems such as OHS concerns should be discussed with other members in the work team and the supervisor. (1)

Collecting analysing and organising information
Supervisor's instructions and work documents such as manufacturers service specifications should be interpreted and applied, and further clarification sought when necessary. (1)

Planning and organising activities
Maintenance activities will be planned with regard to the supervisor's instructions, and may require consultation with other team members. (1)

Working with others and in teams
Consultation with others in the team, in seeking clarification of instructions and discussing problems. Coordinating movement of tools, equipment and machinery will contribute to safe, effective and efficient completion of maintenance activities. (1)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Mathematical techniques will be applied to the calculation of volumes, application rates and areas, tallying, counting and estimating. (1)

Solving problems
Problems relating to tools, equipment and machinery, maintenance processes, workplace safety and other team members may arise when maintaining a workplace. (1)

Using technology
Technology may be applied in the preparation, use and maintenance of tools, equipment and machinery. (1)