ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Manage the framework for a workplace safety systems

1.1 The organisation's commitment to occupational health and safety is modelled within area of responsibility in accordance with workplace procedures developed to underpin the framework for a workplace safety system.

1.2 Workplace health and safety procedures developed within area of responsibility are reviewed to ensure they detail how relevant occupational health and safety legislation will be implemented, consistent with overall organisational policies.

1.3 Occupational health and safety responsibilities and duties which will allow implementation and integration of the occupational health and safety system are defined, allocated and included in job descriptions and duty statements for all relevant positions.

1.4 Financial and human resources required for the operation of the occupational health and safety system within area of responsibility are identified, sought and/or provided in a timely and consistent manner.

1.5 Information on the occupational health and safety system and procedures for area of responsibility are promoted and provided in a form which is readily accessible to employees.

2. Manage participative arrangements

2.1 Participative arrangements are managed in consultation with employees and their representatives in accordance with occupational health and safety legislation, internal agreements, and consistent with the organisation's overall process for consultation.

2.2 Issues raised through participation and consultation are dealt with and resolved promptly and effectively in accordance with organisational procedures for dispute resolution.

2.3 Information about the outcomes of participation and consultation is provided in a manner accessible to employees.

3. Manage procedures for identifying hazards

3.1 Existing and potential hazards within area of responsibility are identified and confirmed in accordance with occupational health and safety legislation, codes of practice and related occupational health and safety trends.

3.2 Activities are monitored to ensure that procedures for ongoing identification of hazards are adopted and effective throughout area of responsibility.

3.3 Hazard identification is addressed at the planning, design, purchasing and evaluation stages of any change in the workplace to ensure that new hazards are not created.

4. Manage procedures for assessing risks

4.1 Risks presented by identified hazards are assessed in accordance with occupational health and safety legislation and codes of practice.

4.2 Activities are monitored to ensure that procedures for ongoing assessment of risks are adopted and effective throughout area of responsibility.

4.3 Risk assessment is addressed at the planning, design, purchasing and evaluation stages of any change to ensure that the risk from hazards is not increased.

5. Manage procedures for controlling risks

5.1 Measures to control assessed risks are developed and implemented in accordance with the hierarchy of control, relevant occupational health and safety legislation, codes of practice and related occupational health and safety trends.

5.2 When measures which control a risk at its source are not immediately practicable, interim solutions are implemented through consultation with the workforce until a control measure is developed.

5.3 Activities are monitored to ensure that risk control procedures, based on the hierarchy of control, are adopted and effective throughout area of responsibility.

5.4 Risk control is addressed at the planning, design and evaluation stages of any change within area of responsibility to ensure that adequate risk control measures are included.

5.5 Inadequacies in existing risk control measures are identified in accordance with the hierarchy of control, and resources enabling implementation of new measures are sought and/or provided according to appropriate procedures.

6. Manage procedures for dealing with hazardous events

6.1 Potential hazardous events and the risks associated with them are identified in accordance with occupational health and safety legislation and codes of practice.

6.2 Procedures which would control the risks associated with hazardous events and meet any legislative requirements as a minimum are implemented in consultation with appropriate emergency services.

6.3 Appropriate information and training is provided to all employees to enable implementation of the procedures in all relevant circumstances.

7. Manage workplace safety training

7.1 Occupational health and safety training is overseen to identify and fulfil employee and management occupational health and safety training needs as part of the organisation's general training program.

8. Monitor occupational health and safety records

8.1 The system for keeping occupational health and safety records is monitored to allow identification of patterns of occupational injury and disease within area of responsibility in consultation with occupational health and safety representatives.

8.2 Information from occupational health and safety records is used to inform risk identification procedures.

9. Evaluate workplace safety

9.1 The effectiveness of the occupational health and safety system and related policies, procedures and programs is evaluated according to the organisation's aims with respect to occupational health and safety.

9.2 Improvements to the occupational health and safety system are identified and actioned to ensure more effective achievement of the organisation's aims with respect to occupational health and safety.

9.3 Compliance with occupational health and safety legislation and codes of practice is assessed to ensure that legal occupational health and safety standards are maintained.

This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.

Skill requirements

Look for evidence that confirms skills in:

analysing relevant data and evaluating occupational health and safety system effectiveness

assessing financial and human resources required to maintain occupational health and safety management systems

reading and interpreting complex and formal documents such as legislation and codes of practice

tailoring communication to suit different audiences, such as staff, managers, safety representatives, inspectors

responding to diversity, including gender and disability

preparing reports on workplace safety requiring precision of expression

accessing legislation and codes of practice electronically or in hard copy

Knowledge requirements

Look for evidence that confirms knowledge and understanding of:

provisions of relevant occupational health and safety legislation

principles and practice of effective occupational health and safety management

management arrangements relating to regulatory compliance

organisational hazards and risks, control measures and relevant expertise required

characteristics and composition of workforce and their impact on occupational health and safety management

relevance of enterprise management systems to occupational health and safety management

current state of knowledge in relation to risks and appropriate controls that relate to own area of responsibility

The Evidence Guide specifies the evidence required to demonstrate achievement in the unit of competency as a whole. It must be read in conjunction with the Unit descriptor, Performance Criteria, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Public Sector Training Package.

Units to be assessed together

Pre -requisite units that must be achieved prior to this unit:Nil

Co -requisite units that must be assessed with this unit:Nil

Co -assessed units that may be assessed with this unit to increase the efficiency and realism of the assessment process include, but are not limited to:

PSPGOV601B Apply government systems

PSPHR621A Manage organisational design strategies

PSPLEGN601B Manage compliance with legislation in the public sector

PSPMNGT604B Manage change

PSPMNGT606B Manage quality client service

PSPMNGT608B Manage risk

PSPPOL603A Manage policy implementation

PSPREG601B Manage regulatory compliance

Excluded units that may not contribute to the same qualification as this unit:

PSPOHS601B Establish and maintain a workplace safety system

Overview of evidence requirements

In addition to integrated demonstration of the elements and their related performance criteria, look for evidence that confirms:

the knowledge requirements of this unit

the skill requirements of this unit

application of Employability Skills as they relate to this unit

management of workplace safety in a range of (2 or more) contexts (or occasions, over time)

Resources required to carry out assessment

These resources include:

occupational health and safety acts, regulations and codes of practice

occupational health and safety management information including policies and procedures

information relevant to the management of the enterprise, for example, planning, operations, maintenance, purchasing and budgeting

work areas in the area of responsibility

Where and how to assess evidence

Valid assessment of this unit requires:

a workplace environment or one that closely resembles normal work practice and replicates the range of conditions likely to be encountered when managing a workplace safety system, including coping with difficulties, irregularities and breakdowns in routine

the applicant to manage workplace safety in a range of (2 or more) contexts (or occasions, over time)

the assessor to have recognised expertise in managing occupational health and safety in the industry, or work in an assessment team with such a person

Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands, such as literacy, and the needs of particular groups, such as:

people with disabilities

people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

women

young people

older people

people in rural and remote locations

Assessment methods suitable for valid and reliable assessment of this competency may include, but are not limited to, a combination of 2 or more of:

case studies

portfolios

projects

questioning

scenarios

simulation or role plays

authenticated evidence from the workplace and/or training courses

For consistency of assessment

Evidence must be gathered over time in a range of contexts to ensure the person can achieve the unit outcome and apply the competency in different situations or environments

The Range Statement provides information about the context in which the unit of competency is carried out. The variables cater for differences between States and Territories and the Commonwealth, and between organisations and workplaces. They allow for different work requirements, work practices and knowledge. The Range Statement also provides a focus for assessment. It relates to the unit as a whole. Text in bold italics in the Performance Criteria is explained here.

A framework for occupational health and safety may include:

policy development and updating

determining the ways in which occupational health and safety functions will be managed which may include distinct occupational health and safety management activities, or inclusion of occupational health and safety functions within a range of management functions and operations such as:

maintenance of plant and equipment

purchasing of materials and equipment

designing operations, work flow and materials handling

planning or implementing alterations to site, plant, operations or work systems

mechanisms for review and allocation of human, technical and financial resources needed to manage occupational health and safety, including defining and allocating occupational health and safety responsibilities for all relevant positions

mechanisms for keeping up-to-date with relevant information and updating the management arrangements for occupational health and safety, for example:

information on health effects of hazards

technical developments in risk control and environmental monitoring

changes to legislation

mechanisms to assess and update occupational health and safety arrangements relevant to legislative and organisational requirements

a system for communicating occupational health and safety information to employees, supervisors and managers within the enterprise

Occupational health and safety legislation may include:

State/Territory/Commonwealth occupational health and safety acts, regulations and codes of practice, including regulations and codes of practice relating to hazards present in the workplace or industry

general duty of care under occupational health and safety legislation and common law

requirements for the maintenance and confidentiality of occupational injury and disease

requirements for provision of occupational health and safety information and training

provisions relating to health and safety representatives and/or occupational health and safety committees

provisions relating to occupational health and safety issue resolution

Participative arrangements may cover:

occupational health and safety committees and other committees, for example, consultative, planning and purchasing

health and safety representatives

employee and supervisor involvement in occupational health and safety management activities, for example, occupational health and safety inspections, audits, environmental monitoring, risk assessment and risk control

procedures for reporting hazards, risks and occupational health and safety issues by managers and employees

inclusion of occupational health and safety in consultative or other meetings and processes

Internal agreements may include:

enterprise bargaining agreements

certified agreements

occupational health and safety agreements

Procedures for ongoing identification of hazards may include:

workplace inspections, including plant and equipment

audits

maintaining and analysing occupational health and safety records, including environmental monitoring, health surveillance reports and compensation data

scheduled maintenance of plant and equipment

reviews of materials and equipment purchases, including manufacturers' and suppliers' information

employee reporting of occupational health and safety issues

Change in the workplace may include:

accommodation arrangements

furniture

equipment

staffing numbers and deployment

work allocation

organisational structure and functions

Procedures for assessing risks may include:

determining the likelihood and severity of adverse consequences from hazards

occupational health and safety audits

workplace inspections

maintenance of plant and equipment

purchasing of materials and equipment

planning or implementing alterations to site, operations or work systems

analysis of relevant records and reports, for example:

injuries and incidents

hazardous substances inventories/registers

audit and environmental monitoring reports

occupational health and safety committee records

compensation data/claims

state of knowledge of the risk in other work or program areas/industries

national risk management standard AS/NZS: 4360, or as revised

Measures for controlling risks may include:

assessing the occupational health and safety consequences of materials, plant or equipment prior to purchase

obtaining expert advice

appropriate application of measures according to the hierarchy of control, namely:

elimination of the risk

substitution

engineering controls

administrative controls

personal protective equipment

designing safe operations and systems of work

inclusion of new occupational health and safety information into procedures

checking enterprise compliance with regulatory requirements

Organisational procedures for dealing with hazardous events may include:

making inventories of, and inspecting, high risk operations

inspecting systems and operations associated with potentially hazardous events such as:

emergency communications

links to emergency services

fire fighting

chemical spill containment

bomb alerts

first aid services

procedures for dealing with occupational violence

counselling

Employee Assistance Program

Occupational health and safety training may include:

arrangements for ongoing assessment of training needs such as those relating to supervisors and managers

specific hazards

specific tasks or equipment

hazardous events and evacuations

training required under occupational health and safety legislation and organisational health and safety requirements (including policy and procedures)

allocation of resources for occupational health and safety training, including:

acquisition of training resources

development of staff training skills

purchase of training services

induction training

training for new operations, materials or equipment

Records system for occupational health and safety may cover:

identifying records required under occupational health and safety legislation, for example, workers compensation and rehabilitation records

hazardous substances registers

Material Safety Data Sheets

incident/injury notifications (including near misses)

certificates or licences

manufacturers' and suppliers' occupational health and safety information

occupational health and safety audits and inspection reports

maintenance and testing reports

workplace environmental monitoring and health surveillance records

records of instruction and training

first aid/medical post records

occupational health and safety committee/safety representatives meetings

change of management

Evaluation may include:

reviewing the effectiveness of the occupational health and safety management system

regular review of operating procedures

regular analysis of occupational health and safety records

audits against occupational health and safety legislative requirements and organisational health and safety policies and procedures (some organisations have more stringent requirements than legislation requires because of risks associated with the work)