Elements and Performance Criteria

Codes of practice
Where reference is made to industry codes of practice, and/or Australian/international standards, it is expected the latest version will be used
Legislation, standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements
Legislation, standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements may include:
federal legislation, such as:
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Australian Heritage Council Act 2003
Native Title Act 1993
state/territory government legislation and regulations and local government by-laws, policies, and plans dealing with:
land use, acquisition, planning and protection
environmental protection
cultural/heritage protection
vegetation management
nature conservation and wildlife/plant protection
water and water management
soil conservation
pollution and contaminated sites
fisheries, forestry and mining operations
Australian and international standards, such as:
AS/NZS ISO 14000 Set:2005 Environmental management standards set
enterprise or regulator procedures for sampling, monitoring and in-field testing
enterprise procedures and tools for assessment of environmental risks and impacts
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
enterprise environmental management plans for sites and projects
safe work procedures
Project activity or process
The project activity or process will be of a complexity consistent with the role of an environmental officer working under the supervision of an environmental scientist, engineer or planner, and may include:
construction activities
plant operations
functions and processes relocating to new premises
changes in processes involving changes in use of products or generation of waste
production of new materials
any work activities with significant risk to, or potential impact on, the environment
Enterprise environmental management documents
Enterprise environmental management documents may include:
notice of intention, initial advice statement
environmental impact assessment
environmental impact statement
public environment report
environmental management plans for specific sites and projects
site environmental management procedures and actions for specific issues
site environmental management action checklists
quality verification checklists
work method statements
job hazard analyses
reporting forms
Site or project environment
Site or project environment may include:
physical, biological and social components
land uses and tenures
climate
geology, landforms and soils
surface and groundwater, water quality and hydrology
air quality and dust
noise
pollutants and contaminants
vegetation, plant diseases, clearance and weeds
animal life, habitats, mobility and threats
rare and endangered species
community infrastructure
ethnography of area
archaeology
regional and local demography
Environmental issues
Environmental issues may include:
physical issues, including:
significant land disturbance, erosion, subsidence and instability
alteration of water courses
effects on quality, quantity or availability of surface water or groundwater
salination of water or land
acid drainage
heavy metal contamination
impact on coastal or marine landforms
ecological issues, including:
direct impacts on vegetation
loss of habitat
displacement of fauna
impact on ecological processes and linkages
loss of biodiversity
potential for spreading plant diseases and noxious weeds
impact of toxic or hazardous materials
creation of new habitats
land use issues, including:
major changes of land use
compatibility of development with surrounding land uses
preclusion of alternative land use (e.g. conservation or recreation)
increased demand on scarce natural resources
creation of new water storage and supplies
creation of opportunities for alternative beneficial land uses
social issues, including:
influx of population
impact on health and safety
changes in community character
creation of employment
increased revenue for local communities
community and cultural aspects
infrastructure issues, such as load on existing roads
impact on services, including utilities, health, education and community services
Occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental management requirements
OHS and environmental management requirements:
all operations must comply with enterprise OHS and environmental management requirements, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation - these requirements must not be compromised at any time
all operations assume the potentially hazardous nature of samples and require standard precautions to be applied
where relevant, users should access and apply current industry understanding of infection control issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and State and Territory Departments of Health

Overview of assessment
Competency must be demonstrated in the ability to perform consistently at the required standard.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Assessors must be satisfied that the candidate can competently and consistently apply the skills covered by this unit of competency in new and different situations and contexts. Critical aspects of assessment and evidence include:
interpreting and applying enterprise procedures and tools for conducting assessments of environmental risks or impacts
identifying the significant environment risks and impacts for specified project activities or processes
logically assessing risks and impacts using enterprise assessment criteria
evaluating existing methods for controlling risks and minimising impacts, and suggesting improvements or practical alternatives
recognising the limits of their technical competence, role and responsibility
working safely.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or a simulated workplace environment.
Assessment should emphasise a workplace context and procedures found in the candidate’s workplace.
This unit of competency may be assessed with:
MSS025015A Plan and conduct environmental project work.
The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.
Resources may include:
enterprise environmental management documentation for site
enterprise risk assessment procedures and tools.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of reports of risk/impact assessments for project activities or processes prepared by the candidate
feedback from peers and supervisors that the candidate consistently follows enterprise risk assessment procedures and works safely
oral/written questioning about environmental risk/impact assessment tasks typically conducted by environmental officers under supervision.
In all cases, practical assessment should be supported by questions to assess underpinning knowledge and those aspects of competency which are difficult to assess directly.
Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.
The language, literacy and numeracy demands of assessment should not be greater than those required to undertake the unit of competency in a work-like environment.
Guidance information for assessment