Application
This unit of competency covers the ability to implement and monitor the work health and safety (WHS) and environmental management systems for a work group or laboratory, within the scope of a 'head officer's' responsibilities as defined in AS/NZS 2243 Set: 2006 Safety in laboratories. Where the WHS management system is already established then this unit of competency may apply to the review of the system.
The unit of competency is applicable to personnel in a senior technician or laboratory supervisor role. Personnel work in accordance with work instructions and standard operating procedures (SOPs) which incorporate all relevant aspects of WHS legislation and the codes, guidelines, regulations and Australian standards applying to environmental hazards and dangerous goods. This unit assumes that expert WHS and environmental advice is available, as required, either internal or external to the workplace.
While no specific licensing or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication, laboratory operations are governed by relevant legislation, regulations and/or external accreditation requirements. Local requirements should be checked.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. | ||
1 | Implement requirements for the WHS and environmental management systems | 1.1 | Ensure WHS and environmental responsibilities and duties are documented and accountability processes are in place |
1.2 | Ensure WHS and environmental policies and procedures are documented and that documents are accessible to all relevant personnel | ||
1.3 | Ensure implications of any proposed changes to the WHS and environmental management systems are identified and addressed | ||
1.4 | Recognise limits of own professional expertise and consult specialists as necessary | ||
2 | Implement and maintain participative arrangements for the management of WHS and the environment | 2.1 | Implement and maintain appropriate participative processes with employees and their representatives in accordance with relevant WHS legislation and industry standards |
2.2 | Provide information to employees in a format that is readily accessible and understandable | ||
2.3 | Promptly and effectively deal with and resolve issues raised through participation and consultation | ||
2.4 | Provide information about the outcomes of participation and consultation to employees | ||
3 | Implement and maintain WHS and environmental risk management processes | 3.1 | Ensure hazard, incident and injury reporting and investigation processes are in place to meet prevention and legislative requirements |
3.2 | Implement a process of hazard identification and risk assessment | ||
3.3 | Ensure risk controls and hazard specific procedures for risk control comply with legislation and the hierarchy of control | ||
4 | Implement and maintain an WHS and environmental training program | 4.1 | Conduct a training needs assessment for the work group that takes account of legislative requirements, internal policies and procedures, skills of workgroup and risk control requirements |
4.2 | Consult with relevant WHS and environment specialists about training program | ||
4.3 | Develop and implement a training program to identify and fulfil employees' WHS and environmental training needs | ||
5 | Implement and maintain a system for records | 5.1 | Identify and address the legal requirements for record keeping |
5.2 | Identify and access sources of WHS and environmental information | ||
5.3 | Ensure that records are accurately completed, collected and stored | ||
6 | Identify areas for systems improvement | 6.1 | Collect data and information to evaluate management systems |
6.2 | Analyse data and information to identify areas for improvement | ||
6.3 | Consult with stakeholders, key personnel and expert advisors | ||
6.4 | Document and communicate outcomes of analysis to key personnel and stakeholders in an easily understood format | ||
6.5 | Recognise limits of own expertise and seek appropriate advice | ||
7 | Initiate and maintain systems improvements | 7.1 | Determine priorities in consultation with stakeholders |
7.2 | Develop an WHS and environmental plan in consultation with stakeholders | ||
7.3 | Identify and source resources required for implementation of plan | ||
7.4 | Monitor achievement against plan | ||
7.5 | Monitor effectiveness of modifications to the management systems on an ongoing basis in consultation with stakeholders | ||
Evidence of Performance
Evidence of competence in this unit must satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria, and include demonstration of:
implementing and monitoring work health and safety (WHS) and environmental management systems for a work group or laboratory
accessing and interpreting relevant sections of WHS and environmental legislation, regulations and codes of practice
analysing the work environment and data and monitoring WHS and/or environmental interventions
documenting WHS and environmental responsibilities, duties and accountabilities of employees
consulting employees and other stakeholders about WHS and environmental issues
implementing a process of hazard identification and risk assessment and developing controls
raising issues related to concerns with safety of work systems and work environment through consultation with management and employees
promptly addressing WHS and environmental management issues within the area of control
developing and implementing improvements in work practices and procedures to reduce the risk of illness and injury and meet WHS legislative requirements
conducting a training needs assessment for the work group
developing and implementing a WHS or environmental management training program for the work group
communicating effectively with personnel at all levels of the organisation and WHS specialists
keeping WHS and environmental records complete, current and secure
preparing summary reports for the WHS committee, WHS representatives, managers and supervisors.
Evidence of Knowledge
Must provide evidence that demonstrates knowledge of:
definitions and workplace examples of risk, hazards, control measures, hierarchy of control and risk management
principles and practices of effective WHS and environmental management
relevant standards, codes and guidelines for WHS and environmental management systems
roles and responsibilities under WHS and environmental legislation of employers and employees, including supervisors and contractors
WHS and environmental management policies and procedures
legislative requirements for WHS information and consultation, WHS, environmental and waste status record keeping
workplace counselling/disciplinary/issue resolution processes
sources of WHS and environmental management information, including specialist advisors and key personnel within workplace
participative consultation processes used in WHS and environmental management systems.
Assessment Conditions
Judgement of competence must be based on holistic assessment of the evidence. Assessment methods must confirm consistency of performance over time, rather than a single assessment event.
This unit of competency must be assessed in a laboratory environment that either meets Australian standards for working laboratories or is accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) or the Royal College of Pathology, as appropriate.
Foundation skills are integral to competent performance of the unit and should not be assessed separately.
Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.
Knowledge evidence may be collected concurrently with performance evidence or through an independent process, such as workbooks, written assessments or interviews (provided a record is kept in each case).
This unit of competency may be assessed with:
MSL915001 Provide information to customers
MSL916003 Supervise laboratory operations in work or functional area
MSL916004 Maintain registration and statutory or legal compliance in work/functional area
Holistic assessment methods include:
review of documents, such as information, training needs analysis, and training program and plans developed by the candidate for the work group
review of records and reports generated by the candidate
feedback from team members and managers regarding provision of information and the candidate's ability to implement and monitor established management systems
written and/or oral questioning to assess required knowledge and likely reactions to simulated incidents.
Access is required to instruments, equipment, materials, workplace documentation, procedures and specifications associated with this unit, including, but not limited to:
relevant WHS and environmental legislation and regulations
codes of practice
workplace procedures.
Assessors must satisfy the assessor competency requirements that are in place at the time of the assessment as set by the VET regulator.
The assessor must demonstrate both technical competence and currency.
Technical competence can be demonstrated through:
relevant VET or other qualification/Statement of Attainment AND/OR
relevant workplace experience.
Currency can be demonstrated through:
performing the competency being assessed as part of current employment OR
having consulted with a laboratory about performing the competency being assessed within the last twelve months.
Foundation Skills
This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Range Statement
This field allows for 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. | |
Standards, codes, procedures and/or workplace requirements | Standards, codes, procedures and/or workplace requirements include the latest version of one or more of: AS/NZS 2243 Set:2006 Safety in laboratories other Australian, national and international standards, guidelines and codes covering WHS; laboratory design and construction; occupational protective equipment; labelling of workplace substances; storage, handling and transport of dangerous goods; environmental management; physical containment levels and facility types industry specific codes, regulations and guidelines, such as Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) Codes of Practice; Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) Export Control (Orders) Regulations and Import Guidelines, gene technology regulations, and National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Guidelines |
WHS and environmentalworkplace policies, procedures and programs | WHS and environmental workplace policies, procedures and programs include, but are not limited to, one or more of: procedures for handling, storage and disposal of hazardous materials, hazardous goods manifest and substance register waste minimisation, recycling, by-product collection and waste disposal purchase and maintenance of safety-related supplies and equipment minimisation of environmental threats emergency, fire and environmental incident response procedures selection and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) standard operating procedures (SOPs), safe work instructions, laboratory manuals, operator's manuals and manufacturers' operating manuals, maintenance schedules, formulas and batch sheets, and contractor and employee handbooks immunisation registers for employees at risk, monitoring and appropriate tasking of personnel with possible infections consultation and issue resolution procedures |
WHS and environmental issues | WHS and environmental issues include, but are not limited to, one or more of: identification of hazards assessment of risk and decisions about measures to reduce/control risk implementation of controls and associated problems investigation of injury and incidents, hazards not otherwise addressed clarification of policies or procedures |
Stakeholders | Stakeholders include one or more of: managers, supervisors, laboratory and production personnel WHS committees, health and safety and other employee representatives external WHS agencies the community, including workers' families |
Participative processes with employees and their representatives | Participative processes with employees and their representatives include one or more of: consultations with workers and committees (such as WHS and planning) employee and supervisor involvement in WHS activities, such as inspections, audits and risk assessments procedures for reporting hazards and raising and addressing WHS issues identification of hazards, assessment of level of risk, implementation of risk control measures and review of their effectiveness review of WHS records and statistics, injury and incident investigations job safety analysis (JSA), development/revision of policies and procedures audits and workplace inspections, and review of registers of hazardous substances and dangerous goods |
Hazard identification processes | Hazard identification processes include one or more of: review of hazard and incident reports and workplace inspections pre-purchase risk assessments review of relevant internal documentation, including material safety data sheets (MSDS), manufacturer manuals and minutes of meetings review of legislation, codes of practice, standards and guidelines review of online and printed WHS publications, journals and newsletters produced by WHS regulators, industry bodies |
Risk assessment | Risk assessment includes: analysing the risk to identify factors influencing the risk and the range of potential consequences assessing the effectiveness of existing controls, the likelihood of each consequence and combining these to obtain a level of risk comparing the determined risk with pre-established criteria for tolerance (or as low as reasonably achievable) and ranking risks requiring control |
Data for evaluation of the management systems | Data for evaluation of the management systems includes one or more of: hazard, incident and injury reports workplace inspections audit reports formal and informal input of employees |
WHS and environmental management requirements | WHS and environmental management requirements include: · complying with WHS and environmental management requirements at all times, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation. These requirements must not be compromised at any time · applying standard precautions relating to the potentially hazardous nature of samples accessing and applying current industry understanding of infection control issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and State and Territory Departments of Health, where relevant |
Sectors
Competency Field
Work health and safety