This unit of competency supports qualified medical practitioners to effectively perform the required duties of a race day medical practitioner at harness or thoroughbred race meetings and trials.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Assess driver's or rider's fitness to compete.

1. Rules of racing and legislative obligations for medical practitioners and OHS and racing safety protocols and procedures are complied with when determining driver or rider health status.

2. Drivers or riders are examined after a fall to ensure fitness to continue with racing commitments.

3. Drivers or riders are examined on stewards' instructions for fitness to continue with racing commitments.

Report on driver or rider health and welfare.

4. Advice is provided to stewards on driver's or rider's ability to safely complete racing commitments within the legislative obligations of medical practitioners and the rules of racing.

5. Recommendations for stand-down periods or other actions to ensure the health and welfare of drivers or riders are conveyed to stewards.

6. Advice is provided to drivers or riders on health and welfare issues to ensure compliance with the rules of racing and safe racing operating procedures.

7. Racing personnel are examined and first aid provided if required at race meetings or trials in case of illness or injury.

8. Reports are prepared and lodged with stewards within procedural time frames on health and welfare issues involving racing participants.

Required skills

assessing driver's or rider's health and advising if fit to compete

communicating with stewards, racing officials, licensed and registered personnel and others using assertive communication techniques to gather, interpret and relay information related to race day medical practitioner duties

completing duties in accordance with safe operating procedures and nominated time frame

identifying and reporting swabbing irregularities

judging situations and taking appropriate action to prevent problems arising or overcome problems before they develop further

maintaining racing code requirements for confidentiality

participating safely in sample collection processes

providing advice to drivers or riders relating to health and welfare issues

providing prompt and succinct information to stewards and others as required

reading and interpreting workplace documentation and rules of racing

relating to people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with varying physical and mental abilities

responding quickly to requests from stewards or other racing officials

teamwork skills to ensure completion of job tasks

written communication skills to complete workplace documentation and reports.

Required knowledge

communication procedures within the race meeting environment and wider racing industry

indicators of human fitness and wellbeing

industry terminology related to race meeting procedures

hazard identification and risk management

medical welfare considerations in relation to licensed and other racing industry personnel

medications and treatments

protocols and procedures for communicating with stewards, and licensed and other racing industry personnel

racing industry safety requirements, including safe operating procedures

relevant rules of racing

reporting requirements for irregularities and problems, including difficulties in obtaining samples

sample collection standard operating procedures

swabbing protocols and associated rules of racing.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit and include evidence of the following:

knowledge of the requirements, procedures and instructions that are to apply performing the duties of a medical practitioner at race meetings or trials

implementation of procedures and timely techniques for the safe, effective and efficient application of medical practitioner duties

working with others to undertake and complete procedures that meet required outcomes.

Evidence should be collected over a period of time in a range of workplace-relevant contexts and include dealings with an appropriate range of situations.

Context of, and specific resources for assessment

Competency must be assessed in a racing workplace that provides access to the required resources. Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints. It is to comply with relevant regulatory requirements or Australian Standards requirements.

Assessment of the practical components of this unit will be by observation of relevant skills.

The following resources must be available:

a range of drivers or riders

materials and equipment relevant to assessing candidate's ability to perform medical practitioner duties at race meetings or trials

race meetings, trials and racing personnel swabbing facilities

work instructions and related documentation.

Method of assessment

Assessment methods must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the Racing Training Package.

The suggested strategies for the assessment of this unit are:

written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge

observed, documented and firsthand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks.

Evidence is required to be demonstrated over a period of time, therefore where performance is not directly observed any evidence should be authenticated by supervisors or other appropriate persons.

This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role.

Guidance information for assessment

Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds).

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Driver's or rider's fitness to compete considerations may include:

alcohol or drugs

blood or urine tests

dehydration

fatigue

illness

injury

physical and mental fitness.

Relevant rules of racing may include:

Australian and local rules of racing

apprentice allowances

drivers

jockeys and riders

prohibited substances

weight allowances

weighing in and weighing out.

Legislative obligations of medical practitioners will include:

legislative requirements for use of drugs and poisons

patient's rights, including refusal of medical treatment

rehabilitation policies

return to work policies

WorkCover andWorkSafe Acts

workplace health, welfare and safety responsibilities.

OHS and racing safety protocols and procedures may include:

adhering to responsibilities under OHS legislation and workplace practices

adhering to rules of racing and rules of the race venue

considering variables that influence behaviour of horses, such as:

fences and equipment

other persons or animals

vehicles

wind and noise

contributing to development of risk control measures

following safe work practices

following accident and injury procedures

identifying and reporting unsafe work practices

identifying emergency situations

wearing approved personal protective equipment.

Other actions recommended to ensure health and welfare of drivers or riders may include:

conditioning programs

physiotherapy

rehydration.

Advice provided to drivers or riders on health and welfare issues may include:

drug and alcohol use

fatigue

hydration

mental fitness

nutrition

physical fitness

stress

weight control.

Unit Sector

Harness and thoroughbred racing codes

This unit contains employability skills.