Application
This unit of competency covers the ability to implement and maintain the work health and safety (WHS) management system for a site or work group. Personnel work in accordance with health and safety management policies, plans and procedures which incorporate all relevant aspects of WHS legislation and the codes, guidelines, regulations and Australian Standards that apply to the site. This unit assumes that personnel have access to a workplace manager and internal or external expert WHS advice.
This unit of competency is applicable to environmental site coordinators, environmental managers and senior environmental officers working in all industry sectors. Note that the term ‘manager’ is used to refer to management of a function, project and /or program and does not necessarily imply line 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 | Implement requirements for WHS management system | 1.1 | Ensure WHS responsibilities and duties are documented and accountability processes are in place. |
1.2 | Ensure WHS policies and procedures are documented and that documents are accessible to all relevant personnel. | ||
1.3 | Recognise limits of own expertise and consult manager and/or WHS specialists, as necessary. | ||
2 | Implement and maintain participative arrangements for WHS management | 2.1 | Implement and maintain appropriate participative processes with site personnel and their representatives in accordance with relevant WHS legislation and standards. |
2.2 | Provide information to site personnel in a format that is accessible and readily understood. | ||
2.3 | Deal with and resolve issues raised through participation and consultation promptly and effectively. | ||
2.4 | Provide information about the outcomes of participation and consultation to site personnel. | ||
3 | Implement and maintain WHS 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 WHS training programs | 4.1 | Conduct a training needs assessment for site personnel that takes account of legislative requirements, workplace policies and procedures, and risk control requirements. |
4.2 | Develop and implement training programs to meet the WHS training needs of site personnel. | ||
5 | Implement and maintain WHS record keeping system | 5.1 | Identify and address the legal requirements for record keeping. |
5.2 | Ensure that records are accurately completed, collected and stored. | ||
5.3 | Identify and access sources of WHS information. | ||
6 | Initiate and maintain WHS management system improvements | 6.1 | Collect and analyse information to regularly evaluate WHS management system performance. |
6.2 | Recognise instances of non-conformance/non-compliance and identify opportunities for improving performance. | ||
6.3 | Initiate authorised improvements in consultation with appropriate personnel and update system documentation. | ||
6.4 | Monitor the effectiveness of system modifications in consultation with site personnel. | ||
7 | Keep management informed about WHS performance | 7.1 | Provide regular reports about WHS performance, instances of potential/actual non-conformance and incidents and the actions taken in each case. |
7.2 | Report opportunities and recommendations for system improvements in accordance with workplace procedures. | ||
7.3 | Report implementation and effectiveness of system modifications. | ||
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 maintaining the health and safety management system for at least one (1) site or work group
accessing and interpreting relevant sections of WHS legislation, regulations, codes of practice and updates
analysing the work environment and assessing the need for WHS interventions
consulting employees and other stakeholders about safety issues, hazard identification, risk assessment, selection and implementation of control measures and their review
raising issues related to concerns with safety of work systems and work environment through consultation with management, employees and contractors
promptly addressing WHS management issues within their area of control/scope of responsibility
developing and implementing improvements in work practices and procedures to reduce the risk of illness and injury and meet WHS legislative requirements
developing and implementing training program(s) to meet the identified WHS training needs of site personnel
providing appropriate supervision, support and information in accordance with workplace procedures
keeping WHS records complete, current and secure
communicating effectively with personnel at all levels of the organisation and WHS specialists
preparing reports for a range of target groups, including WHS committee, WHS representatives, managers and supervisors
working safely and monitoring the safety of others.
Evidence of Knowledge
Must provide evidence that demonstrates knowledge of:
terminology, principles and practices of effective WHS management (e.g. hazard identification, risk assessment, risk control and hierarchy of control)
standards and regulator’s guidelines relating to WHS management systems
key personnel identified in workplace management structure and WHS management systems
sources of WHS management information, including specialist advisors
workplace WHS and management policies and procedures, plans, housekeeping, inspections and audits
roles and responsibilities of employers and employees under WHS legislation, including managers/supervisors and contractors
how the characteristics and composition of the workforce impact on WHS management
nature of site safety hazards and risks and existing control measures
legislative requirements for WHS information and consultation
participative consultation processes relating to WHS management systems
workplace purchasing policy and procedures for safety related supplies and equipment
workplace record keeping/reporting requirements that address WHS, privacy and other relevant legislation.
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 WHS information and/or training material developed by the candidate and provided to site personnel
review of WHS records and reports prepared by the candidate
feedback from site personnel and manager regarding the candidate’s ability to provide/collect accurate and timely WHS information and implement/monitor established WHS management systems
oral and/or written questions to assess the candidate’s knowledge of WHS legislative/regulatory requirements, roles/responsibilities, common hazards, procedures for hazard identification, risk assessment and control, and responses to simulated incidents.
Access is required to all instruments, equipment, materials, workplace documentation, procedures and specifications associated with this unit including, but not limited to:
relevant WHS legislation and regulations, codes of practice
workplace WHS policies, management plans, procedures and tools.
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 environmental monitoring, management or technology related 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: | legislation, standards and codes of practice for WHS Australian and international standards covering: environmental management (e.g. AS/NZS ISO 14000 Basic Set:2007 Environmental Management Basic Set) occupational personal protection (e.g. AS/NZS 1337 Personal eye protection series, AS/NZS 2161 Occupational protective gloves set, AS/NZS 2210 Safety, protective and occupational footwear series, AS/NZS 4501 Occupational protective clothing series, and HB 9-1994 Occupational personal protection) occupational noise management (AS/NZS 1269 Occupational noise management Set), and safe working in a confined space (AS 2865-2009 Confined spaces) flammable and combustible liquids (AS 1940-2004 The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids); corrosive substances (AS 3780-2008 The storage and handling of corrosive substances), and toxic substances (AS/NZS 4452:1997 The storage and handling of toxic substances) transport emergency procedure guide (AS 1678 Emergency procedure guide – Transport series) industry codes and guidelines, such as: Australian Dangerous Goods Code Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) Codes of Practice National Code of Practice for the labelling of workplace substances (NOHSC:2012) National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Guidelines WHS policies and procedures covering hazards, risks, controls, emergency and environmental incidents, recording and reporting; job hazard analyses; safe work procedures and work method statements; hazardous goods manifest and substance register; and safety data sheets (SDS) workplace documents, such as standard operating procedures (SOPs); equipment manuals and warranties; supplier catalogue and handbooks; waste minimisation, containment, processing and safe disposal procedures. |
Site personnel include one or more of: | managers and supervisors health and safety and other employee representatives contractors, consultants and visitors WHS committee members operations personnel external WHS agency representatives. |
Participative processes with site personnel and their representatives include one or more of: | committees, such as: WHS consultative planning employee and supervisor/manager involvement in WHS activities such as inspections, audits and risk assessments procedures for reporting hazards and raising and addressing WHS issues identification of hazards and assessment of level of risk implementation of risk control measures and review of effectiveness injury and incident investigations development of policies and procedures review of WHS records and statistics review of registers of hazardous substances and dangerous goods audits and workplace inspections job safety analysis consultation with site personnel. |
Workforce characteristics and composition that impact on WHS and environmental management include one or more of: | language and literacy communication skills cultural background gender workers with special needs part time, casual or contract workers. |
Hazard identification processes include one or more of: | review of hazard and incident reports workplace inspections pre-purchase risk assessments review of relevant internal documentation, including SDS, manufacturer manuals and minutes of meetings review of legislation, codes of practice, standards and guidelines review of publications, such as: WHS regulators industry bodies journals newsletters. |
Risk assessment includes: | analysing the effectiveness of existing controls determining the likelihood of each consequence considering exposure and hazard level combining these in some way to obtain a level of risk comparison of the determined risk with pre-established tolerance criteria and ranking of risks requiring control. |
Information for evaluation of the WHS management system includes one or more of: | hazard, incident and injury reports site inspections audit reports formal and informal input of employees and contractors. |
WHS and environmental management 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
Management