Application
This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to establish and implement a support plan to facilitate search and rescue operations.
This unit of competency applies to experienced operators in roles such as senior technician, team leader or manager who are required to establish local support for interaction between an isolated facility and appropriate agencies, initiate a muster, provide advice to assist the search and rescue, liaise with all relevant internal and external personnel, provide details of local weather, contact the search controller and activate incident response system.
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 and emergency response team members, and the incident commander and control room operator, as appropriate.
This unit of competency applies to search and rescue operations arising from any incident and/or context, for example:
lost plane/helicopter transporting crew
lost supply vessel
lost truck/vehicle
individual or groups requiring rescue
hazardous or non-hazardous goods
land and sea rescue.
This unit of competency applies to site/facility personnel who will need to provide organisation input to the specialist search and rescue organisations. It does not cover the development of search and rescue plans, or the conduct/coordination of a search and rescue.
No 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 | Establish a search and rescue support plan related to the facility | 1.1 | Identify possible search and rescue scenarios in liaison with relevant personnel |
1.2 | Identify relevant local (or other) agencies | ||
1.3 | Identify key contacts with relevant agencies | ||
1.4 | Liaise with relevant agencies to develop/review site/agency interaction plans for a search and rescue | ||
1.5 | Assess plans for operability and practicality | ||
1.6 | Assess proposed plans with relevant agencies for compatibility with each other and own systems | ||
1.7 | Negotiate and resolve conflicts | ||
1.8 | Ensure site emergency plans are consistent with agreed agency interaction plans | ||
2 | Activate search and rescue support plan | 2.1 | Recognise that a search and rescue is required |
2.2 | Obtain information required by the procedures and determine relevant agency/agencies to contact | ||
2.3 | Contact relevant agency/agencies and activate search and rescue | ||
2.4 | Provide all relevant and available information to the agency | ||
2.5 | Activate site incident response system relevant to the incident | ||
3 | Liaise with search and rescue agency/agencies | 3.1 | Monitor local situation and advise agency/agencies of any relevant changes |
3.2 | Monitor search and rescue progress and provide relevant information to site incident response team | ||
3.3 | Advise relevant personnel in own organisation of progress | ||
3.4 | Negotiate issues with agency/agencies and own organisation | ||
3.5 | Determine the need for additional/different resources and negotiate their timely acquisition | ||
3.6 | Identify problems/potential problems with the search and rescue and develop solutions in liaison with the agency/agencies and own organisation | ||
4 | Conclude search and rescue support | 4.1 | Negotiate a conclusion to the search and rescue with the agency/agencies and own organisation |
4.2 | Collect and preserve all relevant information | ||
4.3 | Debrief with relevant people involved | ||
4.4 | Complete reports as required | ||
4.5 | Identify items for improvement and take action to have improvements implemented/built into support plans |
Evidence of Performance
Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy the requirements of the elements and performance criteria, and include the ability to:
interpret the search and rescue plans for different agencies and determine interfaces with own organisation/site/facility
keep required records before, during and after a search and rescue incident
effectively communicate, negotiate and consult with internal and external parties.
Evidence of Knowledge
Evidence must be provided that demonstrates knowledge of:
organisational procedures, including those covering:
safety, hazards and hazard control
incident, fire and accident
communication systems
emergency response plans
external support agencies and their roles
types and limitations of rescue vessels, aircraft or motor vehicles
accessing and interpreting weather conditions
response times
available local resources.
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 a simulated search and rescue
must include the use of appropriate tools, equipment and safety gear requiring demonstration of preparation, operation, completion and responding to problems.
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.
Assessment in a simulated environment should use evidence collected from one or more of:
walk-throughs
demonstration of skills
industry-based case studies/scenarios
‘what ifs’.
Knowledge evidence may be collected concurrently with performance evidence (provided a record is kept) or through an independent process, such as workbooks, written assessments or interviews (provided a record is kept).
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.
Foundation skills are integral to competent performance of the unit and should not be assessed separately.
Assessors must satisfy the assessor competency requirements that are in place at the time of the assessment as set by the VET regulator.
In addition, the assessor or anyone acting in subject matter expert role in assessment must demonstrate both technical competency and currency. If the assessor cannot demonstrate technical competency and currency they must assess with a subject matter expert who does meet these requirements.
Technical competence can be demonstrated through one or more of:
relevant VET or other qualification/Statement of Attainment
appropriate workplace experience undertaking the type of work being assessed under routine and non-routine conditions
appropriate workplace experience supervising/evaluating the type of work being assessed under routine and non-routine conditions
Currency can be demonstrated through one or more of:
being currently employed undertaking the type of work being assessed
being employed by the organisation undertaking the type of work being assessed and having maintained currency in accordance with that organisation’s policies and procedures
having consulted/had contact with an organisation undertaking the type of work being assessed within the last twelve months, the consultation/contact being related to assessment
conducting on-the-job training/assessments of the type of work being assessed
being an active member of a relevant professional body and participating in activities relevant to the assessment of this type of work
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 All operations to which this unit applies are subject to stringent health, safety and environment (HSE) requirements, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation, and these must not be compromised at any time. Where there is an apparent conflict between performance criteria and HSE requirements, the HSE requirements take precedence. |
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 work instructions standard operating procedures (SOPs) safe work method statements (SWMS) formulas/recipes batch sheets temporary instructions any similar instructions provided for the smooth running of the plant |
Hazards | Hazards include one or more of the following: heat, smoke, darkness, 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 plant services (steam, condensate and cooling water) limited head spaces or overhangs working at heights, in restricted or confined spaces, or in environments subjected to heat, noise, dusts or vapours 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 |
Relevant agencies | Relevant agencies include one or more of the following: national maritime search and rescue state emergency services (SES) police Information required by agencies includes, as available: last known position expected route and arrival and departure times local weather conditions relevant conditions at site, such as landing facilities |
Sectors
Competency Field
Incident readiness and response