Assessor Resource

PMAOMIR305
Operate panel during an emergency

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: April 2024


This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to operate the control panel during a declared emergency. While most PMA units focus on keeping out of trouble, this unit applies once an emergency has been declared or where conditions in the plant or process have escalated to an emergency. This unit of competency deals with applying the relevant technical and plant knowledge to assess, monitor and respond to an emergency and maintain operations as appropriate during an emergency.

This competency applies to an individual working as part of a team or group and working in liaison with other shift and emergency response team members, and the incident commander and control room operator, as appropriate.

This unit is relevant to the National Standard for the Control of Major Hazard Facilities [NOHSC:1014 (2002)] and the National Code of Practice for the Control of Major Hazard Facilities [NOHSC:2016(1996)]. Contextualisation must be undertaken in order to ensure compliance with specific state or territory legislation.

No other licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

You may want to include more information here about the target group and the purpose of the assessments (eg formative, summative, recognition)



Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1

Assess a potential emergency

1.1

Identify emergency

1.2

Clarify cause of the alarm

1.3

Prepare for response to emergency

1.4

Escalate to emergency response, as required

1.5

Report the critical situation, as required

1.6

Return to normal operations, as appropriate

2

Respond to emergency according to procedures

2.1

Activate all relevant alarms

2.2

Communicate as required to relevant personnel

2.3

Check status of all relevant plant and take appropriate action

2.4

Maintain a record of critical information, as required

2.5

Shut down plant items, as appropriate

3

Monitor emergency

3.1

Monitor any escalation of the emergency

3.2

Monitor critical variables of relevant plant

3.3

Monitor weather and other external conditions

3.4

Clarify and act on information received

3.5

Make changes as requested by incident commander

3.6

Continue to operate any parts of the plant which are still online

3.7

Communicate as required to relevant personnel

4

Conclude emergency response

4.1

Sound all clear when instructed

4.2

Confirm plant systems which are able to be operated

4.3

Bring operational plant back to best available operating conditions

4.4

Review procedures and training

4.5

Review emergency response

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy the requirements of the elements and performance criteria, and demonstrate the ability to:

operate a distributed control system (DCS)

react appropriately under stress

monitor an emergency situation and take action to minimise risks to personnel, plant and environment

apply relevant technical and plant data and problem-solving techniques to determine possible fault causes and solutions

complete paper or electronic-based logs and records

communicate verbal/radio reports effectively under stress

follow instructions from incident commander

report problems outside area of responsibility or ability to resolve to designated person.

Evidence must be provided that demonstrates knowledge of:

organisational procedures, including those covering:

safety, hazards and hazard control

incident, fire and accident

emergency response plans

communication systems

reporting

hazards that may arise in an incident and appropriate risk controls

accessing and interpreting weather conditions

alarms, causes of alarms and false alarms

indicators of developing and existing critical situations

critical variables of relevant plant

types of emergencies that can arise and panel operations appropriate to control emergency situations.

The unit should be assessed holistically and the judgement of competence based on a holistic assessment of the evidence.

The collection of performance evidence:

should occur over a range of abnormal situations which include emergencies

may use industry-based simulation for all of the unit

may use a DCS linked to a plant simulator where a suitable simulator is available

must simulate emergency situations appropriate to the plant.

Assessment in a simulated environment should use evidence collected from demonstration of skills in a simulated environment and one or more of:

walk-throughs

pilot plant operation

use of a simulator

industry-based case studies/scenarios

‘what ifs’.

Knowledge evidence may be collected concurrently with performance evidence (provided a record is kept) or through an independent process, such as workbooks, written assessments or interviews (provided a record is kept).

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.

Conditions for assessment must include access to all tools, equipment, materials and documentation required, including relevant workplace procedures, product and manufacturing specifications associated with this unit.

Foundation skills are integral to competent performance of the unit and should not be assessed separately.

Assessors must satisfy the assessor competency requirements that are in place at the time of the assessment as set by the VET regulator.

In addition, the assessor or anyone acting in subject matter expert role in assessment must demonstrate both technical competency and currency. If the assessor cannot demonstrate technical competency and currency they must assess with a subject matter expert who does meet these requirements.

Technical competence can be demonstrated through one or more of:

relevant VET or other qualification/Statement of Attainment

appropriate workplace experience undertaking the type of work being assessed under routine and non-routine conditions

appropriate workplace experience supervising/evaluating the type of work being assessed under routine and non-routine conditions

Currency can be demonstrated through one or more of:

being currently employed undertaking the type of work being assessed

being employed by the organisation undertaking the type of work being assessed and having maintained currency in accordance with that organisation’s policies and procedures

having consulted/had contact with an organisation undertaking the type of work being assessed within the last twelve months, the consultation/contact being related to assessment

conducting on-the-job training/assessments of the type of work being assessed

being an active member of a relevant professional body and participating in activities relevant to the assessment of this type of work


Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assingnment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)


Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1

Assess a potential emergency

1.1

Identify emergency

1.2

Clarify cause of the alarm

1.3

Prepare for response to emergency

1.4

Escalate to emergency response, as required

1.5

Report the critical situation, as required

1.6

Return to normal operations, as appropriate

2

Respond to emergency according to procedures

2.1

Activate all relevant alarms

2.2

Communicate as required to relevant personnel

2.3

Check status of all relevant plant and take appropriate action

2.4

Maintain a record of critical information, as required

2.5

Shut down plant items, as appropriate

3

Monitor emergency

3.1

Monitor any escalation of the emergency

3.2

Monitor critical variables of relevant plant

3.3

Monitor weather and other external conditions

3.4

Clarify and act on information received

3.5

Make changes as requested by incident commander

3.6

Continue to operate any parts of the plant which are still online

3.7

Communicate as required to relevant personnel

4

Conclude emergency response

4.1

Sound all clear when instructed

4.2

Confirm plant systems which are able to be operated

4.3

Bring operational plant back to best available operating conditions

4.4

Review procedures and training

4.5

Review emergency response

This field allows for different work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included.

Regulatory framework

The latest version of all legislation, regulations, industry codes of practice and Australian/international standards, or the version specified by the local regulatory authority, must be used, and include one or more of the following:

legislative requirements, including work health and safety (WHS)

industry codes of practice and guidelines

environmental regulations and guidelines

Australian and other standards

licence and certification requirements

All operations to which this unit applies are subject to stringent health, safety and environment (HSE) requirements, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation, and these must not be compromised at any time. Where there is an apparent conflict between performance criteria and HSE requirements, the HSE requirements take precedence.

Procedures

All operations must be performed in accordance with relevant procedures.

Procedures are written, verbal, visual, computer-based or in some other form, and include one or more of the following:

emergency procedures

work instructions

standard operating procedures (SOPs)

safe work method statements (SWMS)

formulas/recipes

batch sheets

temporary instructions

any similar instructions provided for the smooth running of the plant

Hazards

Hazards include one or more of the following:

smoke, darkness and heat

heat, smoke, dust or other atmospheric hazards

electricity

gas

gases and liquids under pressure

structural hazards

structural collapse

equipment failures

industrial (machinery, equipment and product)

equipment or product mass

noise, rotational equipment or vibration

plant services (steam, condensate and cooling water)

limited head spaces or overhangs

working at heights, in restricted or confined spaces, or in environments subjected to heat, noise, dusts or vapours

fire and explosion

flammability and explosivity

hazardous products and materials

unauthorised personnel

sharp edges, protrusions or obstructions

slippery surfaces, spills or leaks

extreme weather

other hazards that might arise

Incident commander

The control room operator will act under the direction of a designated incident commander in a declared emergency incident.

While this role may be delegated to another, responsibility for the correct operation of the control room and its operators remains with the commander.

Reports

Reports are as required by the organisation and will include one or more of the following:

paper or electronic-based logs and reports

verbal/radio reports

Non-routine problems

Non-routine problems must be resolved by applying operational knowledge to develop new solutions, either individually or in collaboration with relevant experts, to:

determine problems needing action

determine possible fault causes

develop solutions to problems which do not have a known solution

follow through items initiated until final resolution has occurred

report problems outside area of responsibility to designated person

Non-routine problems are unexpected problems, or variations of previous problems and include one or more of the following:

loss of control of a process

unstable process, feed or utilities

loss of containment

fire/explosion

terrorist or similar threat or action

Operational knowledge includes one or more of the following:

procedures

training

technical information such as journals, engineering specifications

remembered experience

relevant knowledge obtained from appropriate people

Appropriate action

Appropriate action includes, but is not limited to one or more of the following:

determining priority of actions in response to problems

accessing and applying relevant technical and plant data

applying appropriate problem-solving techniques to determine possible fault causes

rectifying problem using appropriate solution within area of responsibility

following through items initiated until final resolution has occurred

reporting problems outside area of responsibility/ability to resolve to designated person

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy the requirements of the elements and performance criteria, and demonstrate the ability to:

operate a distributed control system (DCS)

react appropriately under stress

monitor an emergency situation and take action to minimise risks to personnel, plant and environment

apply relevant technical and plant data and problem-solving techniques to determine possible fault causes and solutions

complete paper or electronic-based logs and records

communicate verbal/radio reports effectively under stress

follow instructions from incident commander

report problems outside area of responsibility or ability to resolve to designated person.

Evidence must be provided that demonstrates knowledge of:

organisational procedures, including those covering:

safety, hazards and hazard control

incident, fire and accident

emergency response plans

communication systems

reporting

hazards that may arise in an incident and appropriate risk controls

accessing and interpreting weather conditions

alarms, causes of alarms and false alarms

indicators of developing and existing critical situations

critical variables of relevant plant

types of emergencies that can arise and panel operations appropriate to control emergency situations.

The unit should be assessed holistically and the judgement of competence based on a holistic assessment of the evidence.

The collection of performance evidence:

should occur over a range of abnormal situations which include emergencies

may use industry-based simulation for all of the unit

may use a DCS linked to a plant simulator where a suitable simulator is available

must simulate emergency situations appropriate to the plant.

Assessment in a simulated environment should use evidence collected from demonstration of skills in a simulated environment and one or more of:

walk-throughs

pilot plant operation

use of a simulator

industry-based case studies/scenarios

‘what ifs’.

Knowledge evidence may be collected concurrently with performance evidence (provided a record is kept) or through an independent process, such as workbooks, written assessments or interviews (provided a record is kept).

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.

Conditions for assessment must include access to all tools, equipment, materials and documentation required, including relevant workplace procedures, product and manufacturing specifications associated with this unit.

Foundation skills are integral to competent performance of the unit and should not be assessed separately.

Assessors must satisfy the assessor competency requirements that are in place at the time of the assessment as set by the VET regulator.

In addition, the assessor or anyone acting in subject matter expert role in assessment must demonstrate both technical competency and currency. If the assessor cannot demonstrate technical competency and currency they must assess with a subject matter expert who does meet these requirements.

Technical competence can be demonstrated through one or more of:

relevant VET or other qualification/Statement of Attainment

appropriate workplace experience undertaking the type of work being assessed under routine and non-routine conditions

appropriate workplace experience supervising/evaluating the type of work being assessed under routine and non-routine conditions

Currency can be demonstrated through one or more of:

being currently employed undertaking the type of work being assessed

being employed by the organisation undertaking the type of work being assessed and having maintained currency in accordance with that organisation’s policies and procedures

having consulted/had contact with an organisation undertaking the type of work being assessed within the last twelve months, the consultation/contact being related to assessment

conducting on-the-job training/assessments of the type of work being assessed

being an active member of a relevant professional body and participating in activities relevant to the assessment of this type of work

Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Identify emergency 
Clarify cause of the alarm 
Prepare for response to emergency 
Escalate to emergency response, as required 
Report the critical situation, as required 
Return to normal operations, as appropriate 
Activate all relevant alarms 
Communicate as required to relevant personnel 
Check status of all relevant plant and take appropriate action 
Maintain a record of critical information, as required 
Shut down plant items, as appropriate 
Monitor any escalation of the emergency 
Monitor critical variables of relevant plant 
Monitor weather and other external conditions 
Clarify and act on information received 
Make changes as requested by incident commander 
Continue to operate any parts of the plant which are still online 
Communicate as required to relevant personnel 
Sound all clear when instructed 
Confirm plant systems which are able to be operated 
Bring operational plant back to best available operating conditions 
Review procedures and training 
Review emergency response 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

PMAOMIR305 - Operate panel during an emergency
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:


Assessment Record Sheet

PMAOMIR305 - Operate panel during an emergency

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

Date: