Elements and Performance Criteria

The range statement relates to the Unit of Competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Hazard
A hazard is a source or situation with the potential for harm in terms of human injury or ill-health, damage to property, the environment, or a combination of these.
Common workplace hazards (from Safe Work Australia Work Health and Safety Risks - Code of Practice) include:
Manual tasks - overexertion or repetitive movement can cause muscular strain
Gravity - falling objects, falls, slips and trips of people can cause fractures, bruises, lacerations, dislocations, concussion, permanent injuries or death
Electricity - potential ignition source. Exposure to live electrical wires can cause shock, burns or death from electrocution
Machinery and equipment - being hit by moving vehicles, or being caught by moving parts of machinery can cause fractures, bruises, lacerations, dislocations, permanent injuries or death
Hazardous chemicals - chemicals (such as acids, hydrocarbons, heavy metals) and dusts (such as asbestos and silica) can cause respiratory illnesses, cancers or dermatitis
Extreme temperatures - heat can cause burns, heat stroke or fatigue. Cold can cause hypothermia or frost bite
Noise - exposure to loud noise can cause permanent hearing damage
Radiation - ultra violet, welding arc flashes, micro waves and lasers can cause burns, cancer or blindness
Biological - micro-organisms can cause hepatitis, legionnaires’ disease, Q fever, HIV/AIDS or allergies
Psychosocial hazards - effects of work-related stress, bullying, violence and work-related fatigue.
Examples of hazards in an animal care environment may include:
animal bites, envenomation, kicks, scratches or crush injuries
biological hazardous waste
bodily fluids
chemicals and medicines
sharps
zoonotic and exotic disease possibilities.
Risk
Risk in relation to any hazard means:
the probability and consequences of injury, illness or damage resulting from exposure to a hazard
Hierarchy of risk control (from Safe Work Australia Work Health and Safety Risks - Code of Practice) includes:
Level 1 controls
eliminate hazards
Level 2 controls
substitute the hazard with something safer
isolate the hazard from people
use engineering controls
Level 3 controls
use administrative controls
use personal protective equipment (PPE)
Residual risk is:
the risk which remains after controls have been implemented.
Personal protective equipment
Personal protective equipment includes equipment worn by a person to provide protection from hazards, by providing a physical barrier between the person and the hazard:
clothing and footwear
face and eye protection
hand protection
head protection
hearing protection
respiratory protection.
Incidents
Incidents include any event that has caused, or has the potential for, injury, ill-health or damage.
Designated personnel
Designated personnel may include:
team leaders/supervisors
officers
health and safety representatives
workplace health and safety committee members
Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBUs)
organisation workplace health and safety personnel
other persons designated by the organisation.
Workplace health and safety housekeeping
Workplace health and safety housekeeping includes workplace and personal routines designed to improve health and safety, for example:
cleaning up spills
keeping walkways, exits and traffic areas clear.
Emergency situations
Emergency situations may include any abnormal or sudden event that requires immediate action, such as:
serious injury events
events requiring evacuation
fires and explosions
hazardous substance and chemical spills
explosion and bomb alerts
security emergencies, such as armed robberies, intruders and disturbed persons
internal emergencies, such as loss of power or water supply and structural collapse
external emergencies and natural disasters, such as flood, storm and traffic accident impacting on the organisation.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this Unit
To demonstrate competence in this Unit, a candidate must be able to provide evidence of the application of their knowledge of workplace health and safety:
in an actual or simulated workplace context involving relevant work processes
to their own health and safety within their work area
to that of others who may be affected by their actions.
A candidate must also be able to provide evidence of participating in workplace health and safety processes.
Evidence gathered by an assessor to determine competence will include practical demonstration of competence, including:
workplace demonstration, simulation exercise, scenario or role play
indirect evidence from workplace supervisor reports and workplace documentation.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Products that could be used as evidence include:
verbal and written responses to verbal, pictorial, or physical scenarios
demonstrated action to scenarios, simulations, role plays
completed hazard or incident reports, completed workplace inspection checklists
reports from work group members, supervisor.
Processes that could be used as evidence include:
how contributions were made to consultative processes
how hazard inspections were carried out
how incident investigation reports were completed.
Method of assessment
This Unit should be assessed together with other Units of Competence relevant to the function or work role.
Guidance information for assessment
Access and equity considerations:
all assessment should be applied with respect to relevant work-related access and equity issues
competence should reflect an ability to work in a culturally diverse environment.
assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities.