This unit of competency involves the skills and knowledge required by occupants to recognise emergencies in a facility, to report emergencies and to take appropriate action during facility emergency situations. It includes preparing for emergency situations, reporting emergencies, responding to emergency warnings and advice, choosing the most appropriate course of action and evacuating from a danger area.

The unit has been developed to cover the facilities as specified in Australian Standard (AS) 3745 and AS4083. For this unit, as covered by AS3745 and AS4083, occupants are people attending a facility on a permanent or temporary basis such as an employee, contractor, student, 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 accepted 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

Prepare for emergency situations

1.1

Facility emergency procedures to be used by occupants are identified and followed

1.2

Emergency resources in a facility are identified and located

1.3

Emergency response exercises are participated in, in accordance with facility emergency procedures

2

Report emergencies

2.1

Emergencies are identified and reported, in accordance with facility emergency procedures

2.2

Occupants in any immediate danger from an emergency or potential emergency are alerted, in accordance with facility emergency procedures

3

Respond to emergency warnings and advice

3.1

Emergency warnings and advice are responded to, in accordance with facility emergency procedures

3.2

Instructions from emergency control organisation or attending emergency services are complied with during an emergency

4

Choose most appropriate course of action

4.1

Emergencies that require evacuation are determined

4.2

Emergencies that require occupants to shelter-in-place (no evacuation) are determined

4.3

Shelter or refuge is assessed to determine suitability and sustainability when a shelter-in-place response is the preferred option

4.4

Emergencies that require lockdown are determined

4.5

Appropriate cover is assessed when lockdown is required

5

Evacuate from danger area

5.1

Need to evacuate from danger area is determined and issued under facility emergency procedures

4.2

Work area is prepared for evacuation, in accordance with facility emergency procedures

4.3

Area of danger is evacuated, in accordance with facility emergency procedures

4.4

Where it is safe to do so, assistance is provided to occupants who may require it

4.5

Evacuation procedures and instructions from emergency control organisation or emergency response personnel are followed

4.6

Alternative pathways or methods of evacuation are identified, assessed and chosen, in accordance with facility emergency procedures, if usual means of evacuation are blocked or occupants are endangered

4.7

Communication system is used to respond to facility emergencies, in accordance with facility procedures

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.

Public Safety

Facility Emergency Response