Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to assess the potential impacts of enterprise operations on the environment and implement cost effective strategies. Management of environmental impact is a priority across all sectors of the industry, which has invested considerably in developing best practice systems for the management and minimisation of environmental impact. The scope of the unit includes water quality, usage and waste, air quality, emissions, noise, odour, and the minimisation and disposal of solid wastes.
This unit is applicable to managers with responsibility for environmental matters and to plant engineers, production managers, chiller managers and quality managers working in a meat industry context.
At this level individuals exercise considerable autonomy, responsibility and accountability within enterprise structures and are required to make primary contributions to the values, goals and operations of the enterprise. They will typically have responsibility for establishing and reviewing systems for their site or department. They may be assisted by external experts to develop plans and strategies.
This unit must be delivered using Australian meat industry standards and regulations.
No occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements are known to apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Element | Performance criteria |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.t |
1. Determine environment management strategy requirements | 1.1 Ascertain enterprise's ethical, community and legal obligations relating to environmental management 1.2 Examine enterprise operations to identify potential environmental impacts 1.3 Analyse competitive and economic advantages and disadvantages of environmental management strategies |
2. Develop enterprise commitment to environmental management | 2.1 Obtain management commitment and formulate enterprise environmental management policy 2.2 Include agreed upon environmental management strategies in enterprise planning, operating systems and review processes 2.3 Develop consultative processes to resolve environmental issues and problems 2.4 Incorporate environmental management roles and responsibilities into job functions, position descriptions and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) 2.5 Develop and implement communication and training strategies to inform and support stakeholder commitment |
3. Prepare environmental management strategy | 3.1 Identify enterprise requirements for expert assistance and advice 3.2 Identify and evaluate environmental risks 3.3 Determine requirements of environmental management systems 3.4 Evaluate alternative environmental management strategies and systems for efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability, in accordance with enterprise requirements and regulatory compliance 3.5 Identify opportunities to minimise environmental impact and maximise commercial value of waste or waste treatment by-products 3.6 Calculate resource requirements and include them in enterprise planning processes 3.7 Develop performance criteria for environmental management |
4. Implement and monitor environmental management strategies and systems | 4.1 Negotiate licences, permits, schedules and agreements to address regulatory requirements 4.2 Communicate environment and waste management policies and responsibilities to stakeholders 4.3 Select, develop, implement and integrate environmental and waste management systems into operational systems 4.4 Develop monitoring, reporting and validation procedures 4.5 Prepare corrective action strategies and contingency plans 4.6 Establish verification procedures 4.7 Investigate causes of non-compliance and develop control measures 4.8 Review systems to reflect changes in technology, regulations and operational performance |
5. Review environmental management policies, strategies and systems | 5.1 Establish continuous review and improvement processes, including consultation with stakeholders 5.2 Assess and analyse performance information against specified criteria and standards to identify areas for improvement 5.3 Analyse and include conclusions and recommendations in enterprise planning and improvement processes |
6. Manage community relations | 6.1 Prepare environmental impact statements to address community, environmental and public health concerns and regulatory requirements 6.2 Conduct interactions with environmental authorities and agencies openly, positively and ethically 6.3 Identify and utilise opportunities to promote enterprise as good corporate citizen in relation to environmental management 6.4 Maintain, analyse and report to stakeholders details of enterprise measurement and logging of environmental impacts 6.5 Deal with community complaints promptly, openly and courteously |
Evidence of Performance
Evidence must demonstrate the candidate's consistency of performance over time.
The candidate must:
analyse and interpret current regulatory requirements, including local, state, national and international, for environmental management, such as environmental tolerance levels, and their implications for enterprise operations
assess viability of gaining commercial value from waste, including the determination of commercial quantities, costs, returns and payback periods
apply relevant mathematical and communication skills
communicate effectively with internal and external personnel with diverse roles and cultures
comply with regulatory requirements for managing enterprise environmental impact, including negotiation of agreements, plans, permits and licences with relevant environmental management authorities, confinement of environmental impacts within permissible limits and preparation of the enterprise for external audit where specified
consult with internal/external stakeholders and independent agencies to prepare contingency plans and emergency response procedures for environmental incidents
develop individual and team capacity to achieve enterprise management policies and goals, including clear communication of individual and team responsibilities for minimising environmental impact, development of consultative processes and strategies to identify and resolve environmental issues, and identification and provision of appropriate training programs
develop procedures for responding to community complaints and concerns
evaluate and recommend environmental management systems to meet enterprise needs, including identification and audit of enterprise creation of waste and environmental impacts and evaluation of control and treatment systems, comparative costs, savings and minimisation of environmental impacts
identify and apply relevant workplace health and safety, regulatory and workplace requirements
implement enterprise environmental management systems to minimise environmental impact, including the establishment of monitoring and testing regimes and record keeping systems; development of procedures for identifying, reporting and analysing the causes of environment non-conformances and incidents; development of control measures to prevent recurrence of environmental incidents, hazardous events and non-conformances
monitor performance of the enterprise environmental management system, including the identification of performance standards based on industry best practice; collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative performance data; benchmarking; and assessment of performance against standards and recommendations for improvement
prepare and update enterprise environmental impact statements and management plans
prepare information about enterprise's environmental management strategy and progress for public release in accordance with enterprise ethical standards and regulatory requirements
prepare reports and recommendations for senior management using complex language analysis and appropriate presentation styles
present reports according to legal and enterprise requirements
use effective communication, negotiation and problem-solving skills in interactions with all stakeholders, including environmental authorities, agencies and community representatives
use information and communications technology for research and data collection, analysis and reporting
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must demonstrate an in depth technical and theoretical knowledge of:
potential costs of prevention, assessment and control of environmental impact
customer and consumer, including importing country, requirements for effective environmental management and their implications for enterprise operations
enterprise requirements for expert advice, assistance and support
major air, water and solid waste environmental impacts generated by the meat industry
relevant environmental authorities, their jurisdictions, powers and the implications for enterprise operations
Assessment Conditions
Competency must be demonstrated through sustained performance over time, at an appropriate level of responsibility and authority under typical operating and production conditions for the enterprise.
Methods of assessment must include:
a third-party referee report of sustained performance at appropriate level of authority and responsibility
assignment focusing on understanding and applying of principles and theory to workplace operations
workplace projects with focus on company environment and conditions
Assessors must satisfy current standards for RTOs.
Foundation Skills
Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.