This unit describes a fundamental workplace skill for those working within the service industries and applies to the full range of industry sectors and environments.

Frontline operational personnel who work under close supervision and guidance from others are involved in applying safe work practices during the normal course of their daily activities. They would be required to apply little discretion and judgement because they operate within predefined organisational OHS procedures. Safe working practices and following OHS procedures apply to all personnel operating at any level within the service industries.

Nil

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1

Follow workplace procedures for health, safety and security.

1.1

Correctly and consistently follow the organisation's health, safety and security procedures according to relevant legislative requirements.

1.2

Incorporate safe work practices into all workplace activities.

1.3

Follow the safety directions of supervisors or managers and heed any workplace safety warning signs.

1.4

Use any required protective equipment and wear required personal protective clothing.

1.5

Identify and promptly report unsafe work practices, issues and breaches of health, safety and security procedures.

1.6

Report any suspicious behaviour or unusual occurrences promptly to the designated person.

2

Follow procedures for emergency situations.

2.1

Recognise emergency and potential emergency situations promptly and determine or take required actions within the scope of individual responsibility.

2.2

Follow the organisation's emergency procedures correctly.

2.3

Seek assistance promptly from colleagues or other authorities where appropriate.

2.4

Report details of emergency situations accurately according to organisation procedures.

3

Participate in the organisation's OHS practices.

3.1

Participate in OHS management practices developed by the organisation to ensure a safe workplace.

3.2

Actively participate in the OHS consultation processes and identify and report safety and procedural issues requiring attention.

3.3

Ensure immediate work area is free from hazards, participate in scheduled hazard identification activities and report hazards on an ongoing basis.

3.4

Participate in risk assessments and suggest appropriate ways of controlling risk.

3.5

Raise OHS issues and concerns with designated persons according to organisation and legislative requirements.

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

The following skills must be assessed as part of this unit:

literacy skills to read and interpret workplace safety signs, procedures, emergency evacuation plans, and hazard identification and risk assessment tools and template documents

communication skills to participate in consultation processes, to clearly report and explain hazards, to contribute to risk assessments and to assertively suggest control methods.

The following knowledge must be assessed as part of this unit:

individual employee responsibilities in relation to ensuring safety of self, other workers and other people in the workplace

broad understanding of employer's responsibilities under relevant state or territory OHS legislation

broad understanding of employee's responsibility to participate in OHS practices under relevant state or territory OHS legislation

ramifications of failure to observe OHS policies and procedures and legislative requirements

working knowledge and understanding of the contents of health, safety and security procedures that relate to the individual workplace

major workplace hazards and associated health, safety and security risks associated with the hazards as relevant to the individual workplace

safe work practices relevant to individual job roles and responsibilities

broad understanding of the particular consultation, hazard identification and risk assessment methods used in the particular workplace

familiarity with hazard identification and risk assessment tools and template documents.

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

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

Evidence of the following is essential:

project or work activities that show the candidate's ability to follow predetermined health, safety and security procedures, incorporate safe work practices into all workplace activities and participate in consultation, hazard identification and risk assessment activities for a given service industry operation in line with regulatory requirements

knowledge and understanding of the implications of disregarding those procedures

knowledge and understanding of the legal requirement to work according to health, safety and security procedures.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

project or work activities that show candidate's ability to apply safe working practices within the context of the particular industry sector and job role in which they are working or seeking work; for those undertaking generic pre-employment training, assessment must cover a range of industry contexts to allow for a broad range of vocational outcomes

use of the current plain English regulatory documents distributed by the local OHS regulatory authority, any codes of practice and standards issued by regulatory authorities or industry groups, and OHS information and business management manuals issued by industry associations or commercial publishers

use of current commercial policies and procedures and template documents used for the management of OHS practices.

Methods of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess the practical skills and knowledge required to follow health, safety and security procedures. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

direct observation of the candidate explaining workplace safety or emergency procedures to a colleague or customer

direct observation during an integrated assessment of the candidate demonstrating safe work practices for particular job roles

case studies and problem-solving exercises, role-plays and simulations for emergency situations

role-plays to assess participation in consultation meetings

activities, case studies and problem-solving exercises to assess participation in hazard identification and risk assessment

written and oral questions or interview to test knowledge of legislation and individual requirements relating to workplace safety and security

written and oral questioning or interview to test knowledge of appropriate protective equipment and clothing for particular jobs and situations

review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate.

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example, SITXOHS002A Follow workplace hygiene procedures and any operative skills that would allow integration of safe work practices.

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 in the performance criteria is detailed below.

Health, safety and security procedures may involve:

emergency, fire and accident

incident and accident reporting

consultation

hazard identification

risk assessment

risk control

security, including:

documents

cash

equipment

people

key control systems.

Safe work practices may include:

use of personal protective clothing and equipment

safe posture and movements, including sitting, standing and bending

using safe manual handling techniques for such things as lifting and transferring

taking designated breaks

rotating tasks

using knives and equipment and handling hot surfaces

taking account of the dangers associated with inert gases used in beverage dispensing systems

using computers and electronic equipment

safe handling of chemicals, poisons and dangerous materials

using ergonomically sound furniture and workstations

clearing any hazards from immediate work area

paying attention to safety signage.

Issues and breaches of health, safety and security procedures may include:

loss of keys

strange or suspicious persons

broken or malfunctioning equipment

loss of property, goods or materials

damaged property or fittings

lack of suitable signage when required

lack of training on health and safety issues.

Emergency situations may include:

bomb threats

irrational customers

accidents

robberies or armed hold-ups

fires

floods

earthquakes

power failure.

Participation in OHS management practices may involve:

active participation in OHS induction training and safe work practice training

involvement in hazard identifications

involvement in risk assessments

involvement in suggesting methods for and making joint decisions on how to eliminate or control risks

involvement in writing parts of OHS policies and procedures.

Consultation processes may involve:

OHS discussions with all employees during the course of each business day

a diary, whiteboard or suggestion box used by staff to report issues of concern

regular staff meetings that involve OHS discussions

special staff meetings or workshops to specifically address OHS issues

surveys or questionnaires that invite feedback on OHS issues

informal meetings with notes

formal meetings with agendas, minutes and action plans

discussions with and reports to formal OHS representatives and committee members.

Sector

Cross Sector - Occupational Health and Safety

Occupational Health and Safety

This unit contains employability skills.