HLTWHS004
Manage work health and safety


Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to establish, maintain and evaluate work health and safety (WHS) policies, procedures and programs in the relevant work area, according to WHS legislative requirements.

This unit applies to workers who have responsibility for WHS as part of their role, including workers with obligations under WHS legislation, persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs), or their officers (as defined by relevant legislation).

The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian/New Zealand standards and industry codes of practice.


Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Elements define the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria specify the level of performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Establish work health and safety practices

1.1 Access and interpret legislation, regulations, code of conduct and workplace policies and procedures for WHS

1.2 Develop procedures for ongoing hazard identification, and assessment and control of associated risks

1.3 Ensure risk controls and hazard-specific procedures are consistent with the hierarchy of control and are monitored to support compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements

1.4 Identify requirements for expert WHS advice, and request this advice as required

2. Facilitate consultation, cooperation and communication

2.1 Develop and provide consultative WHS activities to provide advice in relation to work health and safety issues

2.2 Monitor processes for ensuring that workers have an opportunity to contribute feedback on health and safety issues

2.3 Document outcomes of consultation and communicate to workers

2.4 Develop and implement processes to ensure that responsibilities and duties are documented and accountability processes are in place

2.5 Implement and monitor training programs to ensure identified WHS training requirements are addressed, including induction process

3. Monitor compliance with risk control processes

3.1 Develop WHS record-keeping policies and procedures and provide information to workers

3.2 Monitor hazard, incident and injury reporting processes to meet legislative requirements and to inform future prevention strategies

3.3 Evaluate WHS record-keeping policies and procedures for compliance with legislative requirements

4. Evaluate and maintain WHS

4.1 Determine WHS priorities in consultation with work group

4.2 Develop a WHS action plan taking account of priorities and training needs

4.3 Identify potential barriers to improvement

4.4 Establish processes to monitor achievement against the plan and update plans as required

Foundation Skills

The Foundation Skills describe those required skills (language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills) that are essential to performance.

Written communication – in order to complete a workplace risk assessment and develop a WHS action plan in line with regulatory guidelines and organisational policies

Oral communication – in order to accurately present information to a small group of at least two participants

The remaining foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit