This unit of competency involves the skills and knowledge required by occupants to identify and prevent the development of facility emergency situations or to minimise their consequences, and to report if emergency protection systems and/or equipment is compromised.

It applies to a broad range of emergencies and covers the work required before an emergency services and/or specialist response team arrives; it does not include the specific use of equipment to prevent facility emergency situations.

The unit has been developed to cover facilities as specified in Australian Standard 3745 and AS 4083. For this unit, as covered by AS 3745 and/or AS4083, occupants are people attending a facility on a permanent or temporary basis such as an employee, contractor, student or resident, but not a visitor or patient and a facility is a building, structure or workplace that is, or may be, occupied by people (occupants).

All aspects of the unit must be undertaken in accordance with legislative requirements, organisational policies and procedures and approved safe practices. It applies to occupants who are required to be ‘emergency aware’ in their facility.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

ELEMENTS

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1

Identify, monitor and report situations that could lead to facility emergencies

1.1

Situations that could lead to facility emergencies are identified by the occupant and facility emergency response procedures are followed

1.2

Immediate work area and/or public area is routinely checked for situations that could lead to emergencies

1.3

High risk activities are monitored to ensure precautions and facility emergency response procedures are followed

2

Identify, report and correct situations that could prevent facility emergencies from being safely handled

2.1

Relevant emergency protection systems and equipment are identified

2.2

Situations that could lead to emergency protection systems and equipment being impaired are identified

2.3

Immediate work area is routinely checked for situations that could lead to emergency protection systems and equipment being made inoperable and results of check are reported

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Range is restricted to essential operating conditions and any other variables essential to the work environment.

Non-essential conditions may be found in the Companion Volume Implementation Guide.

high risk activities must include three or more of the following relevant to the facility

handling dangerous goods and hazardous materials including waste

handling gases

hot work

manual handling

manufacturing

using, mixing and/or moving chemicals

working around traffic

working at heights, in confined spaces, in poorly ventilated spaces or around noise - subject to permit

working with plant and machinery

working with unstable equipment or equipment that has deteriorated

emergency protection systems and equipment must include three or more of the following relevant to the facility

access, egress and paths of travel

alarm initiation devices

any specific dangerous good and/or hazardous chemical antidotes and treatment e.g. corrosives

automatic fire, leak, spill or movement detectors

escape equipment

exit signs and emergency lighting

facility emergency response procedures contained within the facility emergency plan

fire or smoke detection,

fire or smoke doors, fire walls

first aid kits

initial response firefighting equipment

occupant warning and communications systems

shower and eyewash

special hazard identification systems

spill or leak containment equipment

suppression systems

situations that could lead to emergency protection systems and equipment being impaired must include three or more of the following relevant to the facility

emergency equipment not being maintained

emergency lighting and/or exit lighting being damaged, missing

impairing exits and/or pathways to exits

inability to access emergency equipment

inappropriate or noncompliant storage and/or handling of dangerous goods

interfering with alarm systems

not replacing or replenishing used emergency equipment

not reporting damage to emergency equipment or facilities

propping open fire or smoke doors

Public Safety

Facility Emergency Response