ACMWHS201A
Participate in workplace health and safety processes

This Unit of Competency covers the process required for an entry level employee to participate in workplace health and safety processes, in order to ensure their own health and safety at work, as well as that of others in the workplace who may be affected by their actions.

Application

This Unit is intended for application during induction of new entrants to the workplace and where the employee has basic operational knowledge and skills for a limited range of tasks and problems. It includes apprentices, trainees and casual workers.

NOTE: The terms Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and Work Health and Safety (WHS) are equivalent and generally either can be used in the workplace. In jurisdictions where the National Model WHS Legislation has not been implemented Registered Training Organisations are advised to contextualise the unit of competency by referring to the existing State/Territory OHS Legislative requirements as well as any specific workplace risks, hazards and associated safety practices.

In addition to legal and ethical responsibilities, all Units of Competency in the ACM10 Animal Care and Management Training Package have the requirement for animals to be handled gently and calmly. The individual is required to exhibit appropriate care for animals so that stress and discomfort is minimised.


Prerequisites

Nil


Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Plan and prepare to work safely

1.1 Hazards in the work area are identified, and action is taken to control risk for those hazards the employee can correct.

1.2 Hazards the employee cannot correct and inadequacies in control measures are reported, in accordance with organisation procedures.

1.3 Pre-start checks are carried out as required in accordance with work procedures.

2. Conduct work safely

2.1 Personal protective equipment is used correctly.

2.2 Work procedures and workplace instructions for ensuring safety when planning and conducting work are followed.

2.3 Incidents and injuries are reported to designated personnel in line with work procedures and workplace instructions.

2.4 Workplace health and safety housekeeping is undertaken in work area in line with work procedures and workplace instructions.

2.5 Own levels of stress and fatigue are identified to ensure ability to work safely and sustainable.

3. Participate in workplace health and safety consultative activities

3.1 Contribution is made to workplace meetings, workplace inspections or other workplace health and safety consultative activities.

3.2 Workplace health and safety issues are raised with designated personnel in accordance with organisation policies and procedures.

3.3 Input to improve workplace health and safety systems and processes is provided, in accordance with organisation procedures, to eliminate hazards or reduce risk.

4. Follow emergency response procedures

4.1 Emergency situations are identified and reported.

4.2 Organisation procedures for responding to emergencies are followed.

Required Skills

Required skills

Required skills include:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

apply workplace health and safety knowledge by participating in workplace health and safety processes in the work context to address their own health and safety within the work area and that of others who may be affected by their actions

In addition, the candidate must be able to:

clarify meaning with peers and supervisors

demonstrate preparedness to be involved in workplace health and safety activities, including inspections, meetings and risk assessments

follow clear, logical verbal or clear, logical Plain English written instructions

give accurate verbal or written descriptions of incidents or hazards

interpret selected pictorial/graphical and written signs/instructions.

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes:

awareness of the relationship between workplace health and safety and sustainability in the workplace, including the contribution of safe work practices to environmental, economic, workforce and social sustainability

legal rights and responsibilities of the workplace parties

nature of common workplace hazards, for example, chemicals, bodily fluids, sharps, noise, manual handling, work postures, underfoot hazards and moving parts of machinery

potential workplace health and safety emergency situations, alarms and signals, and required response

roles and responsibilities of health and safety representatives and workplace health and safety committees

roles and responsibilities of workers, officers and Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBUs)

safety measures related to common workplace hazards

safety signs and their meanings, including signs for:

personal protective equipment

emergency equipment

dangerous goods class signs

specific hazards such as sharps, radiation

sources of workplace health and safety information in the workplace

standard emergency signals, alarms and required responses

the difference between hazard and risk

the elements within the hierarchy of risk control

the roles and responsibilities of employees, supervisors and managers in the workplace

workplace specific information including:

designated person(s) for raising workplace health and safety issues

hazards of the particular work environment

organisation and work procedures particularly those related to performance of own work, specific hazards and risk control, reporting of hazards, incidents and injuries, consultation, use of personal protective equipment and emergency response

potential emergencies relevant to the workplace.

Evidence Required

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.


Range Statement

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.


Sectors

Workplace health and safety


Employability Skills

This Unit contains employability skills.


Licensing Information

Licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements may apply to this unit. Therefore, it will be necessary to check with the relevant State or Territory regulators for current licensing, legislative or regulatory requirements before undertaking this unit.