BSBWHS609
Advise on the application of safe design principles to control WHS risks


Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to advise on applying safe design principles to control Work Health and Safety (WHS) risks during a product’s life cycle. The central feature of safe design is the application of relevant information and data about human experience, capabilities and behaviour to the design of objects, facilities, procedures and environments that people use.

It applies to individuals who are in a position to provide advice on the application of safe design principles in their organisation, which may be involved in one or more stages of the product life cycle.

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 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.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements 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.

1 Advise on WHS requirements of the design process

1.1 Inform decision makers about their responsibility for the safety of downstream users

1.2 Advise decision makers of their duties, under Commonwealth and state or territory WHS legislation, to manage WHS risks, and control for residual WHS risks, at each product life cycle stage

1.3 Promote WHS within the design requirements and the inclusion of a WHS risk assessment across the product life cycle

1.4 Source and make available to decision makers the most current information and data on WHS principles, materials, technology and systems for application in product design

1.5 Identify and make available required education and training to enable decision makers to manage WHS risks in the design phase

1.6 Identify and access relevant sources of information and data

1.7 Consult known and/or potential users of the product during the design phase

1.8 Identify situations where specialist and other advisers may be required

2 Advise on the development of a systematic WHS hazard identification and WHS risk assessment system for safe design

2.1 Advise on the identification of WHS hazards and WHS risk assessment across the life cycle of the designed product

2.2 Advise on the selection and implementation of the most appropriate WHS risk controls for the designed product from a systematic risk analysis arising from exposure to identified WHS hazards

2.3 Advise on ensuring WHS risk management includes potential alterations to the designed product during its life

2.4 Advise on documenting decision making during the WHS risk-assessment process and making documentation accessible to all parties

2.5 Advise on the establishment of a residual WHS risk register and the distribution of this information to those involved in the downstream or subsequent life-cycle stages

2.6 Advise on monitoring the design as it evolves, to identify potential new WHS hazards and risks and to manage any WHS hazards and risks

3 Advise on the principles of WHS risk controls

3.1 Use the hierarchy of control to advise on WHS risk controls in design

3.2 Advise on minimising the impact of possible failure or defect by ensuring the product includes fail-to-safe action

4 Advise on consultation processes in the life cycle of the designed product

4.1 Advise decision makers to consider the needs of the range of people who will use or interact with the designed product

4.2 Advise on arranging consultation between all parties during the concept and detailed design phases to identify WHS hazards and control WHS risks

4.3 Advise on appropriately communicating residual WHS risks in the designed product to those who will use or interact with the product throughout its life cycle

5 Advise on procurement systems to minimise ‘purchased’ WHS hazards and risks

5.1 Advise decision makers involved in purchasing and contractual arrangements to include a requirement to identify WHS hazards, control WHS risks, and provide information and data on residual WHS risks

5.2 Advise on including an agreement to carry out a safe design approach in the design brief or draft specifications

Foundation Skills

This section describes language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills incorporated in the performance criteria that are required for competent performance.

Skill

Performance

Criteria

Description

Reading

1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6

Identifies, interprets and analyses complex legislative and organisational texts relevant to safe design

Writing

1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.4, 2.5

Develops advice and recommendations about safe design, matching style of writing to purpose and audience

Drafts and develops a range of documents using appropriate vocabulary, grammatical structure and organisational conventions

Oral communication

1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6, 1.7, 2.1-2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1-4.3, 5.1, 5.2

Presents information or advice using language appropriate to the audience

Uses questioning and active listening to seek information and confirm understanding

Numeracy

2.1, 2.2

Selects from, and applies, a range of mathematical strategies to interpret and analyse mathematical information embedded in a range of texts

Applies mathematical processes to assess risk levels

Uses formal and informal oral and written mathematical language and representation to communicate advice on WHS risk management in product design

Navigate the world of work

1.1, 1.2

Understands legal responsibilities across WHS product design compliance contexts

Keeps up to date on changes to legislation or regulations relevant to own rights and responsibilities and considers implications of these when advising on compliance

Interact with others

1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6, 1.7, 2.1-2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1- 4.3, 5.1, 5.2

Actively identifies the requirements of important communication exchanges, selecting appropriate channels, format, tone and content to suit purpose and audience and monitoring impact when providing advice

Collaborates with others to achieve joint outcomes, playing an active role in facilitating effective group interaction, influencing direction and taking a leadership role on occasion

Get the work done

1.5, 1.6, 1.8, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 4.3

Uses logical planning processes, and an increasingly intuitive understanding of context, to organise training and identify specialist needs

Uses systematic, analytical processes in complex, non-routine situations, setting goals, gathering relevant information, and identifying and evaluating options against agreed criteria, seeking input and advice from others before taking action, when necessary

Recognises the potential of new approaches to product life cycle risk management to enhance work practices and outcomes

Uses digital systems and tools to access, record, organise, analyse, display and share information


Range Statement

This section specifies 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.

Hierarchy of control must include:

Eliminating the hazard or risk and where this is not practicable minimising risk by:

substitution of the hazard

isolating the hazard from personnel

using engineering controls

using administrative controls (for example procedures and training)

using personal protective equipment (PPE).


Sectors

Regulation, Licensing and Risk – Work Health and Safety