Elements and Performance Criteria

Context
This unit of competency describes the requirements applicable for those with responsibilities for preparing and presenting a safety case within the enterprise. This may be as a worker or as an owner of a business.

The competency is to be exhibited within the area of managerial responsibility, which may be an entire enterprise or department of an enterprise. Roles and responsibilities will vary from enterprise to enterprise.

This competency covers process manufacturing plants, which may involve working with machinery, equipment, operational procedures, products or materials, that require the preparation of a safety case as prescribed by the relevant regulations.

The safety management system for a facility must, where relevant, specify:
the critical equipment (including process equipment, machinery, electrical and instrumentation systems) that relate to, or may effect, the safety of the facility
the systems in place to ensure that the equipment is fit for the purpose:
for which it is used in normal operating conditions
to the extent that it is intended to function, or be used, in an emergency.

Enterprise policies and procedures include those that directly or indirectly cover issues relating to incidents, such as:
hazard policies and procedures
standard operating procedures
safety procedures
work instructions
emergency, fire and accident procedures
personal protective clothing and equipment procedures.

Participative arrangements for safety management system may involve:
following OHS procedures
information sessions on existing or new issues
meetings between employer and employees or representatives
access to relevant workplace information
use of clear and understandable language.

The safety case to include information regarding:
person responsible for operation of the facility
person responsible for the safety case
a description of the facility
formal safety assessment of the facility
the safety management system
reporting of incidents
address where records are kept
safety policy
organisational structure and responsibilities
published technical standards applied to or used
the design, construction, installation, operation and maintenance of the facility, and any modifications to the facility
the control system to be used for the facility
the type of machinery and equipment used at the facility
the permit to work system
the emergency response plan in relation to incidents
the emergency communication system
the key performance indicators
the system for incident recording, investigation and reviewing
training.

Assessment context and methods
Assessment for this unit of competency will be on an operating plant. The unit will be assessed in as holistic a manner as is practical and may be integrated with the assessment of other relevant units of competency. Assessment will occur over a range of situations, which will include disruptions to normal, smooth operation.

Simulation may be required to allow for timely assessment of parts of this unit of competency. Simulation should be based on the actual plant and will include walk throughs of the relevant competency components. Simulations may also include the use of case studies/scenarios and role plays.

This unit of competency requires a significant body of knowledge, which will be assessed through questioning and the use of what if scenarios both on the plant (during demonstration of normal operations and walk throughs of abnormal operations) and off the plant.

Critical aspects
It is essential that the workplace OHS system and State OHS Acts and regulations be understood and that the importance of critical procedures are known. Competence must be demonstrated in the ability to recognise and analyse potential information and then in preparing appropriate data.

Consistent performance should be demonstrated. In particular look to see if there is a working knowledge of all relevant workplace procedures. Look for knowledge and understanding in relation to:
consultation processes, either general or specific to Occupational Health and Safety
training and assignment of staff to safety critical work,
hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control measures
the need for specific hazard policies and procedures (e.g. housekeeping and inspections)
new and relevant occupational health and safety information
incident record keeping
maintenance of plant and equipment
purchasing of supplies and equipment.

These aspects may be best assessed using a range of scenarios/case studies/what ifs as the stimulus with a walk through forming part of the response. These assessment activities should include a range of problems, including new, unusual and improbable situations, which may have been generated from the past incident history of the plant, incidents on similar plants around the world, hazard analysis activities and similar sources.

Resource implications
Assessment will require access to an operating plant over an extended period of time, or a suitable method of gathering evidence of operating ability over a range of situations. A bank of scenarios/case studies/what ifs will be required as will a bank of questions, which will be used to probe the reasoning behind the observable actions.

Other assessment advice
In all plants it may be appropriate to assess this unit concurrently with relevant teamwork and communication units.

Essential knowledge
Knowledge and understanding of all workplace systems sufficient to prepare and present relevant data relating to a safety case.

Knowledge is required of relevant acts or regulations specific to the State or Territory (e.g. the Victorian Gas Safety (Safety Case) Regulations 1999) in which the relevant facility(s) is located.

Competence includes the ability to:
apply and describe method for identification of hazards having the potential to cause a incident in the workplace
locate and understand:
safety regulations specific to the relevant State or Territory in which each facility is located
locate and understand workplace OHS procedures.
apply and explain:
other safety management systems and procedures
the hierarchy of control (the preferred order of risk control measures from most to least preferred), that is:
1. elimination
2. substitution
3. engineering controls
4. administrative controls
5. personal protective equipment.