Application
This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to undertake an appropriate first response to fire incidents in onshore and offshore situations/emergencies.
People working, operating or who regularly travel to an onshore or offshore hydrocarbon/petrochemical installation or facility or major hazard facility may require this competency.
This unit could be applied to any of the following installations or facilities:
factories and production plants
onshore/offshore rig/installation
island based facility
floating production vessel or platform
onshore production, processing pipeline systems and/or storage facilities
pipeline easements
maintenance bases.
This unit of competency applies to operators who are required to respond to fires in the workplace (other than evacuating to the assembly point). It covers the first response (only) to fire, and does not include aggressive fire-fighting. Typically this response would be undertaken to contain/extinguish a minor fire or to contain a more major fire until external help arrives (for an urban plant) or to allow for mobilisation of more highly trained responders or evacuation (for a remote/offshore plant).
This unit of competency applies to an individual working alone or as part of a team or group and working in liaison with other shift team members and the control room operator, as appropriate.
Organisations within the chemical, hydrocarbons and refining industries may find themselves falling under the provisions of various Major Hazard Facilities legislation. In developing this unit consideration has been given to the requirements of Sections 8 and 9 of the National Standard for the Control of Major Hazard Facilities [NOHSC:1014 (2002)] and the National Code of Practice for the Control of Major Hazard Facilities [NOHSC:2016 (1996)].
No other licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element | ||
1 | Identify fire emergency and raise alarm | 1.1 | Evaluate and communicate the location, nature and extent of the fire emergency in a timely and appropriate manner |
1.2 | Determine first response requirements in order to evaluate the need to attack the fire emergency or evacuate the affected areas | ||
2 | Initiate basic fire responses | 2.1 | Maintain personal safety at all times in accordance with work health and safety (WHS) guidelines |
2.2 | Put on appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with organisation procedures | ||
2.3 | Select appropriate extinguishing agents and equipment based on knowledge of fire and fuel types | ||
2.4 | Operate basic fire-fighting equipment safely, according to manufacturer specifications and organisation procedure, in order to contain the fire emergency | ||
2.5 | Observe changing conditions at the fire, their effects on fire behaviour and report |
3 | Notify responsible authorities | 3.1 | Follow emergency reporting procedures |
3.2 | Identify and notify appropriate authorities | ||
3.3 | Clearly and unambiguously communicate information concerning the emergency in a timely manner |
4 | Undertake safe evacuation | 4.1 | Evacuate area in a safe and controlled manner when first response has failed to control the fire emergency, or has proven inappropriate |
4.2 | Secure immediate area of the emergency to ensure no further loss occurs to people, equipment, process and environment |
Evidence of Performance
Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and demonstrate the ability to:
recognise and assess fire situations, including the identification of different types of fires and fuels
determine appropriate actions according to procedures and within scope of own responsibilities, including:
evacuate (self/others)
seek assistance as appropriate
apply control measures
select and use a range of first response fire-fighting safety equipment
select and use appropriate extinguishing agent
apply defensive fire-fighting tactics and techniques
select and use personal protective equipment (PPE)
minimise the effect of a fire incident
communicate clearly and unambiguously with a range of personnel on fire emergency conditions, related problems and safety and emergency procedures.
Evidence of Knowledge
Evidence must be provided that demonstrates knowledge of:
organisational procedures, including:
site or organisation emergency procedures and response plans
site-specific isolation procedures
characteristics of fire and fuel types
composition and uses of extinguishing agents
types and application of basic firefighting equipment
types and application of PPE
roles and responsibilities of internal and external personnel in relation to fire incidents
appropriate responses to different fire situations.
Assessment Conditions
Competency must be achieved before performing this work unsupervised. Therefore this unit will typically be assessed off the job. Where assessment is undertaken on the job appropriate supervision and safety precautions must be provided.
The unit should be assessed holistically and the judgement of competence based on a holistic assessment of the evidence.
The collection of performance evidence:
should provide evidence of the ability to perform over the range of situations which might be expected to be encountered, including typical disruptions to normal, smooth work conditions
must include the use of appropriate firefighting tools, equipment, extinguishing media and safety gear requiring demonstration of preparation, operation, completion and responding to problems
must include responding to an actual fire in a simulated industrial situation (e.g. a fire ground).
Off-the-job assessment must sufficiently reflect realistic operational workplace conditions that cover all aspects of workplace performance, including environment, task skills, task management skills, contingency management skills and job role environment skills.
Knowledge evidence will be collected independently of the above practical assessment and may use workbooks, written assessments, interviews (provided a record is kept) or other methods.
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.
Conditions for assessment must include access to all tools, equipment, materials and documentation required, including relevant workplace procedures, product and manufacturing specifications associated with this unit.
The regulatory framework will be reflected in workplace policies and procedures and is not required to be independently assessed.
Persons seeking verification of competence/retraining must meet the same evidence requirements as above.
Foundation skills are integral to competent performance of the unit and should not be assessed separately.
As a minimum, assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015 assessor requirements.
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. | |
Regulatory framework | The latest version of all legislation, regulations, industry codes of practice and Australian/international standards, or the version specified by the local regulatory authority, must be used, and include one or more of the following: legislative requirements, including work health and safety (WHS) industry codes of practice and guidelines environmental regulations and guidelines Australian and other standards licence and certification requirements National Standard for the Control of Major Hazard Facilities [NOHSC:1014 (2002)] (where applicable) National Code of Practice for the Control of Major Hazard Facilities [NOHSC:2016 (1996)] (where applicable) |
Procedures | All operations must be performed in accordance with relevant procedures. Procedures are written, verbal, visual, computer-based or in some other form, and include one or more of the following: emergency procedures manufacturer specifications work instructions standard operating procedures (SOPs) safe work method statements (SWMS) temporary instructions any similar instructions provided for the smooth running of the plant |
Hazards | Hazards include one or more of the following: smoke, darkness and heat heat, smoke, dust or other atmospheric hazards electricity gas gases and liquids under pressure structural hazards structural collapse equipment failures industrial (machinery, equipment and product) equipment or product mass noise, rotational equipment or vibration limited head spaces or overhangs working at heights, in restricted or confined spaces, or in environments subjected to heat, noise, dusts or vapours fire and explosion flammability and explosivity hazardous products and materials unauthorised personnel sharp edges, protrusions or obstructions slippery surfaces, spills or leaks extreme weather other hazards that might arise |
Tools and equipment | Tools and equipment include one or more of the following: appropriate PPE breathing apparatus handheld extinguishers hose reels fire monitors fire blankets smoke or self rescue respirators mobile and portable equipment first aid equipment pipeline repair clamps lamb air movers barricades and signage communication equipment, such as two-way radios, mobile and satellite phones and pagers fire-extinguishing media, including water, foam, extinguishing powder, gaseous extinguishing agents, vapourising liquids, and other fire-extinguishing substances |
Basic fire response | Basic fire response includes one or more of the following fire-fighting tactics: direct attack indirect attack combination attack exposure protection It does NOT include internal/offensive attacks |
Responsible authorities | Responsible authorities include one or more of the following: internal: employer supervisor employees elected as incident team leader other personnel with incident team leader responsibilities external: police fire brigade ambulance |
Sectors
Competency Field
Work health and safety