Application
This unit of competency covers the induction of an environmental technician into an organisation. It includes working effectively within Australia’s framework for environmental management and the culture of the organisation, safely performing environmental technical services, and interacting effectively with a diverse range of people in many industry and community settings.
This unit of competency is applicable to environmental technicians working in a range of industry sectors, such as environmental services (e.g. sampling and monitoring of air quality, water, soil and noise); environmental compliance, auditing and inspection; groundwater and clean water; water treatment, storm and wastewater management; solid and hazardous waste management, and site remediation; management of contaminated sites; geotechnical services and civil engineering; and natural resource management.
While no specific licensing or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication, environmental monitoring and management activities 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 | Work within Australia’s environmental management framework | 1.1 | Demonstrate broad knowledge of how governments, legislation, policies, codes of practice and Australian Standards provide a framework of environmental protection measures in Australia |
1.2 | Perform all work activities in accordance with relevant environmental management requirements, including sustainable energy principles and work practices | ||
2 | Work within organisation’s structure and culture | 2.1 | Demonstrate broad knowledge of organisation’s business goals, ethics, products and/or environmental services |
2.2 | Identify key worksites and/or functions and personnel | ||
3 | Work in accordance with organisation’s agreements and legislative requirements | 3.1 | Locate key workplace information and apply it correctly |
3.2 | Follow organisation’s policy and procedures relating to employment, security, confidentiality and reporting lines | ||
3.3 | Identify work health and safety (WHS) and regulatory requirements, codes of practice, standards, hazards and risks, and control measures relevant to environmental technical services provided | ||
4 | Provide environmental technical services | 4.1 | Identify workplace roles and responsibilities of personnel working within the environmental function |
4.2 | Identify typical tasks and calendar of events in work area | ||
4.3 | Recognise and locate the equipment and resources required for everyday work | ||
4.4 | Interpret work instructions correctly and seek clarification, if necessary | ||
4.5 | Follow work instructions to perform environmental technical tasks safely and efficiently | ||
4.6 | Maintain own work area, equipment and materials in a safe and organised manner according to workplace procedures | ||
5 | Organise daily work efficiently | 5.1 | Assess and prioritise workload according to level of responsibility |
5.2 | Advise supervisor if additional resources or support are required to improve performance | ||
5.3 | Undertake duties in a positive manner to enhance workplace cooperation and efficiency | ||
6 | Communicate/liaise effectively with customers, contractors and stakeholders | 6.1 | Listen actively and use appropriate language when communicating with other people |
6.2 | Respond appropriately to verbal and written messages | ||
6.3 | Record and convey information so that it is clearly understood | ||
6.4 | Respect the values, concerns and diverse views of people involved in, or impacted by, organisation’s activities | ||
6.5 | Resolve conflict through meaningful negotiation and compromise, as necessary | ||
6.6 | Redirect inquiries or disputes beyond own area of responsibility to relevant personnel for action | ||
6.7 | Adhere to site agreements and protocols in order to maintain credibility and trust | ||
7 | Accept responsibility for quality of own work | 7.1 | Monitor and adjust work practices to ensure that the quality of outputs is maintained |
7.2 | Identify and report opportunities for improvements in procedures, processes and equipment in work area | ||
8 | Identify own learning needs | 8.1 | Identify career options and training opportunities in the organisation |
8.2 | Consult appropriate personnel to identify own learning needs for future work requirements and career options | ||
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:
interpreting workplace information relevant to everyday work, such as legislative, employment, security, confidentiality and reporting requirements; site agreements and protocols; and work instructions
following procedures for working safely, minimising environmental impacts and responding to emergency incidents and accidents
planning and performing environmental technical tasks safely and efficiently either alone or in teams
safely using, maintaining and storing equipment/materials and disposing of waste
using effective communication skills to give and receive information, address differing opinions and avoid or resolve work conflicts
seeking advice when tasks, inquiries, problems or disputes are beyond own area of responsibility or technical competence
accepting responsibility for the quality of work outputs and contributing to quality improvements
identifying career options and own learning needs.
Evidence of Knowledge
Must provide evidence that demonstrates knowledge of:
key features of Australia’s environmental management framework; relevant legislation, industry codes of practice and Australian Standards relevant to job role
organisation’s business objectives, sites, product and/or service range, structure and reporting lines
role of the organisation’s environmental function (e.g. services, products, technology and compliance)
common features of job role statements and position descriptions for environmental technicians
details of own job role requirements, rights and responsibilities
basic ethical values and principles, such as respect for the law, responsibility, courtesy, diligence and confidentiality
name and function of equipment, materials and other resources used to perform environmental technical tasks in job role
workplace policies and procedures that govern own employment and personal work; health, safety and environment
relevant hazards, safe work practices and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for job role.
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 is to be assessed in the workplace, or a simulated workplace environment. A simulated workplace environment must reflect realistic operational workplace conditions that cover all aspects of workplace performance, including the environment, task skills, task management skills, contingency management skills and job role environment skills.
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).
Holistic assessment methods include:
review of candidate’s work logbook and/or examples of candidate’s work outputs against relevant industry standards and workplace requirements
feedback from supervisor about the candidate’s ability to comply with workplace policies and procedures, work safely, provide work outputs using available resources and within the agreed timeframe, and work efficiently either alone or in teams
oral and/or written questions to assess the candidate’s knowledge of the environmental industry context, common environmental technical terminology, workplace procedures/methods covering environmental technical services and use of equipment and materials.
Access is required to all instruments, equipment, materials, workplace documentation, procedures, and specifications associated with this unit, including, but not limited to:
a standard laboratory/workshop equipped with basic equipment, common measuring instruments and materials
documentation, such as organisational charts and flow diagrams, standard test methods, sampling/monitoring/survey methods, user and equipment manuals, safety data sheets (SDS) and safe work practices; employment, training and career information.
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 competency 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 an organisation providing relevant environmental monitoring, management or technology services about performing the competency being assessed within the last twelve months.
Foundation Skills
This section describes those required skills (language, literacy and numeracy) 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. | |
Legislation, regulations, standards, codes, workplace procedures and requirements include the latest version of one or more of: | federal legislation, such as the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, International Conventions and National Environmental Protection Measures state/territory government legislation and local government by-laws, policies, regulations and plans dealing with land use, cultural/heritage sites, vegetation management, biodiversity management, water and water management, pollution and contaminated sites legislation, standards and codes of practice for WHS and handling of dangerous goods Australian and international standards covering environmental management, such as AS/NZS ISO 14000 Basic Set:2007 Environmental Management Basic Set registration/licensing and/or accreditation requirements workplace environmental management plans and procedures for specific sites and/or activities (e.g. sampling, monitoring, construction and mining) workplace documents, such as standard operating procedures (SOPs), work schedules, recording and reporting procedures, equipment manuals and warranties; safety data sheets (SDS) and safety procedures; waste minimisation, containment, processing and safe disposal procedures |
Environmental technical services include one or more of: | routine site sampling of water, air, soil and/or noise packaging, labelling, storing and transporting samples routine site measurements that involve a narrow range of variables and/or easily recognised acceptable ranges straightforward field surveys entering of data into databases, checking of data quality and reporting results cleaning of equipment and/or vehicles housekeeping of work areas |
Sustainable energy principles and work practices include one or more of: | examining work practices that involve excessive use of electricity, gas and/or water switching off equipment when not in use regularly cleaning filters recycling and reusing materials wherever feasible minimising waste |
Business ethics requirements include: | following workplace policies and procedures (e.g. employment conditions, ethics, copyright, intellectual property, privacy, quality and customer service) behaving honestly and openly respecting others and treating them with courtesy and impartiality working diligently and responsibly ensuring confidentiality of information such as client identification, data and results |
WHS requirements include: | compliance with relevant federal/state/territory WHS legislation at all times assuming that samples are potentially hazardous and applying standard precautions accessing and applying current industry understanding of infection control issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and state/territory Departments of Health, where relevant |
Sectors
Environmental
Competency Field
Induction