Application
Professional practitioners across all sectors and areas of expertise are responsible for the management of safety. This unit applies to those who may be sole practitioners, or those who work in collaborative teams. For those employed in organisations, OHS units from BSB07 Business Services Training Package may be more appropriate.
At this level, the practitioner applies a self-directed approach to ensuring safety.
Prerequisites
Not applicable.
Elements and Performance Criteria
1. Determine OHS requirements for professional practice | 1.1 Research key features of legislation that apply to professional practice 1.2 Source and evaluate practice-specific codes, standards and guidelines that affect the management of safety in the relevant work environment 1.3 Develop systems and procedures for effective integration of OHS in practice management 1.4 Evaluate the role of others in practice safety and ensure appropriate involvement |
2. Manage hazards and risks | 2.1 Assess existing and potential hazards and risks specific to the area of practice using relevant methods, templates and tools 2.2 Apply established processes for assessing and controlling hazards and risks according to OHS legislation and codes of practice 2.3 Adopt and monitor procedures for risk assessment and control 2.4 Develop and maintain current and accurate documentation to support hazard and risk management 2.5 Address the issues of hazard identification, risk assessment and control at the planning, design and evaluation stages of any change in the workplace to ensure that new hazards are not created |
3. Monitor and enhance safety of the practice | 3.1 Maintain currency of OHS knowledge relevant to own area of practice 3.2 Proactively identify sources of information and professional development opportunities relating to safety 3.3 Integrate current and emerging ideas and technologies into own practice |
Required Skills
Required skills |
communication skills to clearly articulate and document OHS requirements critical thinking skills to analyse and respond to specific OHS requirements learning and self-management skills to engage in ongoing professional development about safety issues literacy skills to interpret complex materials describing general and specific regulatory requirements for OHS numeracy skills to work with specific types of risks where control measures involve calculations, measurements and estimation planning and organising skills to develop and action safety management strategies problem-solving skills to develop responses to particular safety challenges |
Required knowledge |
OHS Acts, regulations and codes of practice, including legal responsibilities of employers, manufacturers, suppliers, employees and other parties with legal responsibilities relevant industry or process-specific safety guidelines as they apply to particular areas of work principles and practices of effective OHS management, including: elements of an effective OHS management system appropriate links to other management systems hierarchy of control measures participation and consultation over OHS incident and accident investigation role of technical information or experts in designing control measures, monitoring systems and health surveillance risk management approach hazards and associated risks that exist in the specific professional practice, including: range of control measures available for these hazards considerations for choosing between different control measures considerations regarding when to seek expert advice potential impacts of not addressing hazards and risks in the specific area of practice organisational OHS management systems, policies and procedures necessary to ensure OHS regulatory compliance for any professional practice, including systems and procedures for: communicating about OHS consulting about and participating in OHS management where relevant identifying and reporting on hazards assessing risks controlling risks monitoring risk control measures reporting on financial, technical and other resource needs responding to and dealing with hazardous events OHS training OHS record keeping and collection, and use of OHS related data other organisational systems, policies and procedures relevant to OHS management, including: business planning, especially new technology and organisational change purchasing maintenance training consultation where relevant |
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 | Evidence of the ability to: analyse the needs of a particular practice and develop a set of systems, procedures and practices to support safety in that context apply knowledge of key safety issues, including specific hazards and risks in the relevant area of practice apply knowledge of general OHS legislation and specific codes, standards or guidelines that apply to the particular work context. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure access to: general and practice-specific OHS information. |
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: evaluation of presentation or documentation prepared by the candidate detailing safety systems, procedures and practices to achieve a safe practice evaluation of reports prepared by the candidate detailing how OHS policies, systems and procedures were established and monitored in a given project participation in discussions with the candidate and others about safety issues in a given area oral or written questioning about OHS legislation and practice-specific issues review of portfolios of evidence review of third-party reports from experienced practitioners. Assessment methods should closely reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy) and the needs of particular groups (e.g. people with disabilities, and people who may have literacy or numeracy difficulties, such as speakers of languages other than English, remote communities and those with interrupted schooling). |
Guidance information for assessment | Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended. |
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.
Key features of legislation | common law duties to meet general duty of care requirements regulations and approved codes of practice relating to hazards in the work area requirements for establishing consultative arrangements, including those for health and safety representatives, and health and safety committees requirements for effective management of hazards requirements for provision of information and training, including training in safe operating procedures, procedures for workplace hazards, hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control, and emergency and evacuation procedures requirements for the maintenance and confidentiality of records of occupational injury and disease. |
Work environment | field location office interior or exterior site performance venue studio workshop. |
Methods, templates and tools | methods: conduct of site safety audits creation and completion of safety checklists investigation of accidents and incidents regular inspections templates and tools: created by industry associations developed by suppliers and manufacturers developed by OHS authorities self-designed. |
Established processes | four step hierarchical process for risk assessment: identifying the injury or illness consequences that could result from the hazard determining the exposure to the hazard estimating the probability that an incident or injury will occur determining an overall risk level for the identified hazard five step hierarchical process for controlling risk: substituting a system of work or equipment with something safer isolating the hazard introducing engineering controls using personal protective equipment (PPE) implementing combined control methods to minimise risk. |
Documentation may include: | material safety data sheets (MSDS) technical data sheets (TDS) equipment safety data (ESD) sheets MSDS labels for decanted materials tools and equipment operating manuals process manuals workplace floor plans, including details on: emergency exits electrical supply water and gas storage and plumbing hazardous chemicals storage equipment shutdown procedures. |
Hazards may relate to: | environment: cleanliness moisture noise pollution, including dust, fumes and vapours temperatures workplace design equipment: machinery tools materials: chemicals gases raw materials, both man-made and natural people: ergonomics failure to monitor ignorance lack of systems taking short cuts unsafe work practices. |
Sectors
Industry capability – professional practice
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills.
Licensing Information
No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.