Application
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to apply work health and safety/occupational health and safety legislation and codes of practice in a mortuary environment. It applies to embalming staff and other funeral home staff involved in mortuary work and body preparation and who are required to follow in accordance to work health and safety, relevant legislation and workplace policies and procedures.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENTS | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Apply workplace safety, security and emergency procedures. | 1.1 Identify and apply relevant workplace policies and procedures. 1.2 Recognise and report workplace hazards and unsafe situations to appropriate personnel. 1.3 Locate and use emergency equipment. |
2. Perform safe manual handling. | 2.1 Identify and assess manual handling requirements. 2.2 Select and plan lifting technique according to manual handling requirements. 2.3 Prepare and clear work area of obstacles and hazards as required. 2.4 Apply correct lifting, carrying and placement techniques according to manual handling requirements. 2.5 Apply safety precautions when using mechanical aids. 2.6 Coordinate multiple person manual handling tasks as required. |
3. Implement strategies to prevent infection in the workplace. | 3.1 Apply personal hygiene practices and standard precautions. 3.2 Select, use and maintain personal protective equipment. 3.3 Handle and dispose of potentially infectious waste. |
4. Handle and store hazardous substances safely. | 4.1 Recognise hazardous substances from available workplace information. 4.2 Identify and apply storage requirements for hazardous substances according to relevant legislation and workplace policies and procedures. 4.3 Comply with signage for hazardous substances. 4.4 Identify problems with signage and take corrective action when required. 4.5 Check and use personal protective equipment when handling hazardous chemicals according to workplace policies and procedures. 4.6 Use, handle and dispose of hazardous substances according to manufacturer guidelines, relevant legislation and workplace policies and procedures. 4.7 Identify and comply with accident reporting procedures. 4.8 Check and use trolleys and take corrective action where required. 4.9 Examine and use emergency equipment and take corrective action where required. |
5. Use strategies to prevent work overload. | 5.1 Observe nominated rest times and breaks. 5.2 Identify workload and raise potential issues with appropriate staff. 5.3 Clarify and observe work roles. 5.4 Ensure debriefing opportunities as required. |
6. Carry out general housekeeping. | 6.1 Monitor cleanliness, safety and tidiness of workplace and remove general waste as required. 6.2 Use, maintain and store housekeeping equipment and supplies according to workplace policies and procedures and manufacturer guidelines. 6.3 Tag damaged items and notify appropriate personnel of maintenance requirements. 6.4 Report housekeeping issues to appropriate personnel according to workplace policies and procedures. |
7. Comply with documentation and reporting requirements. | 7.1 Complete work health and safety incident and accident reports according to relevant legislation and workplace policies and procedures. 7.2 Report ongoing workplace hazards to appropriate personnel according to and relevant legislation and workplace policies and procedures. |
Evidence of Performance
Evidence of the ability to:
follow predetermined health, safety and infection control procedures
handle hazardous substances for a given mortuary operation and in line with regulatory requirements.
Evidence of performance of incorporating mortuary work health and safety procedures in workplace activities on five or more occasions is required to demonstrate consistency of performance and ability to respond to different situations.
Evidence of Knowledge
Demonstrated knowledge of:
federal, state or territory, and local government legislation and regulations relating to work health and safety/occupational health and safety and infection control for a mortuary environment
purpose of the legal requirement to work according to health, safety and security procedures and inflection control in a mortuary environment, and the implications for not following those procedures
employer’s and employee’s responsibilities under work health and safety/occupational health and safety legislation
workplace policies and procedures in relation to work health and safety/occupational health and safety and inflection control for a mortuary environment
mortuary workplace hazards, including:
manual handling
toxic substances
industrial gases
body fluids and human tissue
infections
fire
infectious waste
sharps
chemical spills
dust and vapours
noise, light and energy sources
electrical equipment
vehicles
personal lifestyle
workplace stress
people
reporting hazards procedures and responsible personnel
use and purpose of emergency equipment
manual handling procedures
personal hygiene practices, including:
maintenance of cleanliness of work clothes
hand washing
food hygiene practices
use of personal protective equipment
standard precautions, including:
use of personal protective equipment
presumption that all blood and body fluids are infectious
covering exposed cuts and abrasions, particularly on workers’ hands, with waterproof coverings prior to commencing work
immediate treatment of puncture wounds or abrasions
use of protective clothing when cleaning spillage of body fluids
infectious and contaminated waste in a mortuary, including:
body parts
human tissue
human blood and body fluid
materials and equipment containing human blood and body fluid
contaminated garments
soiled dressings, sharps, swabs, catheters and bandages
properties of hazardous substances
environmentally sound disposal methods for all types of waste and in particular for hazardous substances disposal techniques in a mortuary
equipment and materials used to carry out housekeeping.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must be demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment that is as industry realistic as possible. In a simulated environment, it is essential that assessment is conducted:
using suitable facilities, equipment and resources, including:
a mortuary facility where deceased bodies and hazardous wastes are handled
housekeeping equipment, cleaning and disinfecting products and materials, infectious waste disposal equipment and personal protective equipment
workplace policies and procedures and template documents used for the management of work health and safety/occupational health and safety practices
under industry operating conditions where there is:
integration of tasks with possible interruptions to work typical of the job role
interaction with team members
Assessors must satisfy the NVR/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.
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.
Sectors
Embalming
Competency Field
Work Health and Safety