Application
This unit of competency describes the outcomes required to develop plans to manage the risk of biohazard incidents involving fungal, viral, bacterial, insect and vertebrate infestations. Plans are developed to ensure hazards are controlled and that any infestation has minimal social, economic and environmental impact. The unit applies to the full scope of forest and wood products industry workplaces and to operations of all sizes.
The unit applies to job roles including Environmental Planners and Managers, Forest/Timber Harvester, Forest Planner, Forest Sustainability Manager, Forestry Manager, General Manager, Plantation Manager, Sustainability Manager and Technical Forester.
No licensing, legislative, regulatory, or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENTS | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the range of conditions. |
1. Review legal and system requirements | 1.1 Identify legal, safety and environmental protection requirements for managing biohazards. 1.2 Review traceability chain for biohazard documentation to ensure compliance with appropriate standards. 1.3 Evaluate organisational biohazard contingency management practices. 1.4 Identify communication protocols for inclusion in the contingency plan. |
2. Prepare a contingency plan | 2.1 Identify the range of potential biohazards present in organisational operations. 2.2 Estimate potential social, economic and environmental impacts of biohazard infestations. 2.3 Complete risk assessment for the potential of biohazard infestations. 2.4 Develop controls and action plans to limit the spread of infestation in that event; include in the contingency plan. 2.5 Review operational procedures to ensure adequate risk controls and contingency plan are in place. 2.6 Identify routine infestation treatments and action plans for inclusion in contingency plan. 2.7 Incorporate communication protocols in the contingency plan. 2.8 Document training and induction processes for workforce involved with the implementation of risk controls. |
3. Ensure effectiveness of contingency plan | 3.1 Organise support and resources to enable the ongoing functionality of the contingency plan. 3.2 Implement continuous improvement processes to ensure plan remains effective and gain approval for changes. 3.3 Monitor activities on an ongoing basis to identify potential biohazard incidents and implement changes to plan. |
Evidence of Performance
A person demonstrating competency in this unit must satisfy all of the elements, performance criteria and foundation skills of this unit, and must be able to provide evidence that they can:
Develop a comprehensive written plan to manage the risk of biohazard incidents involving fungal, viral, bacterial, insect and vertebrate infestations.
Incorporate these inclusions in the plan:
risk assessment for the potential of biohazard infestations from operational activities
estimates of social, economic and environmental impacts of biohazard infestations
routine infestation treatments and action plans to avoid infestations
controls and action plans which would be used in the event of an infestation to limit the spread
training and induction processes to communicate responsibilities for implementing plans.
Organise required support and resources
Review plan and incorporate improvements
Evidence of Knowledge
A person competent in this unit must be able to demonstrate knowledge of:
Purpose and key content and of applicable commonwealth, state or territory legislation and regulation relevant to managing biohazards and controlling infestations.
Industry and organisational standards for managing the traceability chain of biohazard documentation.
Characteristics of a range of potential biohazards present in forest and wood products industry operations, including:
fungal hazards
viral hazards
bacterial hazards
insect hazards
vertebrate hazards.
Methods used to control biohazard infestations and limit the spread, including:
eradication
quarantine
fumigation
use of pesticides
use of biological controls
culling of infected plants.
Economic impacts of biohazard infestations and methods used to estimate monetary losses, including:
loss of forest values
loss of current markets
loss of potential markets
damage to trading status.
Key features of social and environmental impacts of biohazard infestations.
Purpose, format, content and use of biohazard contingency plans.
Methods used to train personnel on the content of biohazard contingency plans and their role in implementing it.
Organisational procedures for documenting and communicating plans.
Assessment Conditions
The following resources must be made available:
Computers, keyboards, printers and software used to prepare a biohazard contingency plan.
Applicable commonwealth, state or territory legislation and regulations relevant to managing biohazards and controlling infestations.
Industry and organisational standards for managing the traceability chain of biohazard documentation.
Operational procedures for managing risks of biohazard infestations.
Worksheets and proformas commonly used to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate a biohazard contingency plan.
Organisational procedures for documenting and communicating plans.
Competency is to be assessed in the workplace or a simulated environment that accurately reflects performance in a real workplace setting.
Assessor requirements
Assessors must:
Hold the appropriate assessor competency standards as outlined in regulations; and
be able to demonstrate vocational competencies at least to the level being assessed; and
be able to demonstrate how they are continuing to develop their VET knowledge and skills as well as maintaining their industry currency and assessor competence.
Foundation Skills
This section describes those core and employment skills that are essential to performance and are not explicit in the performance criteria. | |
Numeracy skills to: | Calculate complex numerical data to establish economic impacts of biohazard infestations. |
Reading skills to: | Interpret complex information in a range of internal and external source documents to develop effective biohazard contingency plans. |
Writing skills to: | Develop and document comprehensive biohazard contingency plans in a style and format easily understood by the full scope of organisational employees. |
Planning and organising skills to: | Source, collect and organise a range of data to inform biohazard contingency plans. Plan and manage own timing and productivity to complete initial and amended plans. |
Technology skills to: | Use a computer, keyboard and software to prepare biohazard contingency plans. |
Sectors
Common Technical