This unit applies to people who work in a range of WHS roles across all industries and who apply a substantial knowledge base and well-developed skills in a wide variety of WHS contexts.
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 RTOs are advised to contextualise the unit of competency by referring to the existing State/Territory OHS legislative requirements.
Not applicable.
1. Access information and data to contribute to the systematic management of WHS risk | 1.1 Identify sources of information and data 1.2 Obtain information and data to determine the purposes, objectives, principles and framework of a systematic approach to managing WHS risk |
2. Contribute to effective consultation and participation during all stages of the risk-management process | 2.1 Identify individuals and parties who need to participate and be consulted 2.2 Apply knowledge of effective consultation and participation to contribute to ensuring effective consultation and participation processes occur |
3. Contribute to establishing the context for risk management | 3.1 Apply knowledge of WHS legislation to identify duty holders and legislative requirements for WHS risk management 3.2 Identify individuals and parties impacting on risk management 3.3 Apply knowledge of organisation to identify factors that will impact on risk control 3.4 Contribute to establishing the context of the risk-management process 3.5 Contribute to defining risk criteria |
4. Contribute to risk assessment | 4.1 Apply knowledge of workplace hazards and risks to contribute to risk identification 4.2 Apply knowledge of WHS legislation, risk assessment and workplace WHS information and data to contribute to risk analysis and evaluation |
5. Contribute to risk treatment | 5.1 Apply knowledge of WHS hazard and risk control, and WHS legislation to contribute to the selection of risk treatment options 5.2 Apply knowledge of the organisation’s WHS management system (WHSMS) and WHS information system (WHSIS) to prepare and implement risk treatments |
6. Contribute to monitoring, reviewing and recording risk-management process | 6.1 Apply knowledge of the organisation’s WHSMS to contribute to monitoring and reviewing risk-management process 6.2 Apply knowledge of the organisation’s WHSIS to contribute to recording risk-management process |
Required skills
analytical skills to read and interpret relevant workplace information and data
communication skills to:
conduct effective formal and informal meetings and communicate effectively with personnel at all levels of the organisation, and with external parties and individuals
use language appropriate to the work team and the task
consultation and negotiation skills to:
develop plans
implement and monitor designated actions
information technology skills to:
access and download internal and external information and data on WHS
use a range of communication media
literacy skills to write policies, procedures and plans
numeracy skills to:
analyse workplace information and data
carry out calculations
identify trends
organisational skills to manage own tasks within a timeframe
project-management skills to:
achieve continuous improvement
action processes about WHS matters
research skills to:
access relevant WHS information and data
identify areas for improvement
interpret information and data.
Required knowledge
difference between hazard and risk
formal and informal communication and consultation processes, and key personnel related to communication
how the characteristics and composition of the workforce impact on WHS risk and the management of WHS, including:
communication skills
cultural background and diversity
gender
labour market changes
language, literacy and numeracy levels of the workforce
structure and organisation of the workforce, including part time, casual and contract workers; shift rosters; and geographical location
workers with specific needs and limitations
workplace culture towards alcohol and other drug use
internal and external sources of WHS information and data, and how to access them
limitations of generic hazard identification and risk assessment checklists, and risk ranking processes
nature of workplace processes (work flow, planning and control) and hazards relevant to the workplace
organisational behaviour and culture as they impact on WHS and on change
organisational culture as it impacts on the work team
organisational WHS policies, procedures, processes and systems
other functional areas that impact on the management of WHS
pertinent sections of relevant Australian standards and publications, including:
AS/NZS ISO 31000–2009 Risk Management – Principles and Guidelines
Standards Australia publication HB 327:2010 Communicating and consulting about risk (Companion to AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009)
Standards Australia publication HB 158-2010 Delivering assurance based on ISO 31000:2009 – Risk management – Principles and guidelines
principles and practices of a systematic approach to managing WHS
principles of duty of care, including concepts of causation, foreseeability and preventability
principles of incident causation and injury processes
range of risk analysis and assessment techniques and tools, and their application and limitations
relevant commonwealth and state or territory WHS Acts, regulations, codes of practice, standards and guidance material, and other relevant publications, including the Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
risk as the effect of uncertainty on objectives
risk management as a duty of persons conducting businesses or undertakings (PCBUs) or their officers under WHS legislation
roles and responsibilities of individuals and parties under WHS legislation
sources of occupational disease and their prevention
standard industry controls for a range of hazards
techniques, tools and processes for identifying and controlling health and safety hazards and risks, including:
hazard and risk checklists
hazard hunts
job safety analyses
manifests and registers, including for dangerous goods, hazardous chemicals and plant
safe work method statements
surveys using questionnaires, interviews and other survey techniques
workplace inspections and walk throughs
toxicology of hazardous chemicals and potential health effects in the workplace.
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 | Evidence of the following is essential: contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of a systematic approach to WHS risk management knowledge of pertinent sections of relevant Australian standards and WHS Acts, regulations, codes of practice and standards, including the Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks preparing an action plan to implement a systematic approach to WHS risk management preparing positive performance indicators for evaluation of a systematic approach to WHS risk management. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure access to: actual workplaces and stakeholder groups office equipment and resources relevant legislation, standards and guidelines workplace documentation reports from other parties consulted during the approach to WHS risk management. |
Method of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: analysis of responses to case studies and scenarios demonstration of techniques used to identify, analyse, evaluate, control and monitor risks direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third-party reports of on observation of performance in role plays observation of presentations review of information and data communicated to stakeholders about the WHS risk process assessment of comparison of outcomes of WHS risk analysis with criteria review of documentation of process and outcomes of analysis and evaluation of WHS risk of a task or process. |
Guidance information for assessment | Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example: BSBWHS502A Manage effective WHS consultation and participation processes BSBWHS504A Manage WHS hazards and risks BSBWHS506A Contribute to developing, implementing and maintaining WHS management systems BSBWHS507A Contribute to managing WHS information systems BSBWHS508A Manage WHS hazards associated with plant. |
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.
Sources of information and data may include: | Australian Standard AS/NZS ISO 31000–2009 Risk management – Principles and guidelines Standards Australia publication HB 327:2010 Communicating and consulting about risk (Companion to AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009) Standards Australia publication HB 158-2010 Delivering assurance based on ISO 31000:2009 – Risk management – Principles and guidelines industry associations Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks unions WHS professionals WHS professional associations WHS specialists. |
Individuals and parties may include: | contractors and suppliers health and safety committees health and safety representatives industry associations managers and supervisors PCBUs or their officers unions WHS inspectors WHS professionals WHS professional associations WHS regulators WHS specialists workers. |
WHS legislation may include: | WHS Acts, regulations and codes of practice, including the Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks. |
Duty holders may include: | as specified in WHS Acts: PCBUs or their officers workers other persons at a workplace. |
Context of the risk-management process may include: | as specified in Australian Standard AS/NZS ISO 31000–2009 Risk management – Principles and guidelines as specified in WHS Acts, regulations, codes of practice and standards, including the Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks organisational requirements, such as integration with work processes, and other organisational systems, for example information technology, human resources, quality, management and environment. |
Risk criteria may include: | as specified in Australian Standard AS/NZS ISO 31000–2009 Risk management – Principles and guidelines as specified in WHS Acts, regulations, codes of practice and standards, including the Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks. |
Risk identification may include: | analysing existing WHS information – desktop identification as specified in Australian Standard AS/NZS ISO 31000–2009 Risk management – Principles and guidelines as specified in the Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks incident investigations using hazard registers workplace inspections. |
Risk analysis and evaluation may include: | as specified in Australian Standard AS/NZS ISO 31000–2009 Risk management – Principles and guidelines meeting requirements of WHS Acts, regulations, codes of practice and standards, including the Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks gathering information on hazards to see what harms they may cause assessing who and how many may be harmed by a hazard examining acceptability of a risk examining severity and likelihood of harm occurring using risk level matrices to rate and prioritise risks. |
Risk treatment options may include: | as specified in Australian Standard AS/NZS ISO 31000–2009 Risk management – Principles and guidelines options based on the hierarchy of control options based on the as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP) principle options that meet the requirements of WHS Acts, regulations, codes of practice and standards, including the Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks. |
Regulation, Licensing and Risk – Work Health and Safety
This unit contains employability skills.
No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.