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 the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Assessment of this unit should include demonstrated competence on actual plant and equipment in a work environment. The unit will be assessed in as holistic a manner as is practical and may be integrated with the assessment of other relevant units of competency. Assessment will occur over a range of situations which will include disruptions to normal, smooth operation.

Simulation may be required to allow for assessment of parts of this unit. Simulation should be based on the actual plant and will include walk-throughs of the relevant competency components. Simulations may also include the use of case studies/scenarios and role plays.

This unit of competency requires a significant body of knowledge which will be assessed through questioning and the use of what-if scenarios both on the plant (during demonstration of normal operations and walk throughs of abnormal operations) and off the plant.

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

Competence must be demonstrated in the ability to recognise and analyse potential situations requiring action and then in implementing appropriate corrective action within the scope and level of their responsibilities and competencies.

Consistent performance should be demonstrated. In particular look to see that wherever possible:

the scene is secure and evidence is preserved

evidence is collected in accordance with legislative requirements

point of origin and most likely cause of incident is determined

a range of other possible causes can be identified and analysed

obvious problems in related plant areas are recognised and an appropriate contribution made to their solution

emergency reporting procedures are understood and followed.

These aspects may be best assessed using a range of scenarios/case studies/what-ifs as the stimulus with a walk-through forming part of the response. These assessment activities should include a range of problems, including new, unusual and extreme situations which may have been generated from the past incident history of the plant, incidents on similar plants around the world, hazard analysis activities (eg HAZOP) and similar sources.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment will require access to an operating plant over an extended period of time, or a suitable method of gathering evidence of operating ability over a range of situations. A bank of scenarios/case studies/what-ifs will be required as will a bank of questions which will be used to probe the reasoning behind the observable actions.

Method of assessment

In all plants it may be appropriate to assess this unit concurrently with relevant teamwork and communication units.

Guidance information for assessment

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate and appropriate to the oracy, language and literacy capacity of the assessee and the work being performed.

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

Required skills

Competence includes the ability to apply and describe or explain:

factors affecting fire behaviour

characteristics of fire and fuel types

security of an incident scene

examination of an incident scene

collection of physical evidence

workplace documentation and recording systems

use of personal protective equipment

liaison techniques with third parties

workplace procedures and work instructions

company policies regarding health and safety and environment

hazard identification, assessment and control of risk

basic risk assessment of workplace jobs/tasks

environmental impacts likely to arise from activities

measures for eliminating and/or reducing impacts on the environment.

Required knowledge

Knowledge and underpinning skills are required in:

communication (listening, questioning) and negotiation in questioning witnesses

analytical and decision making skills

problem solving skills in responding to a range of emergency situations

exhibit handling and preserving continuity of evidence

witness management, in particular demonstration of ethical behaviour and cultural awareness.

Knowledge and understanding of the investigation of incidents sufficient to recognise and assess causes of emergency situations and then to determine improvements to the actual response within the scope and level of the IR responsibilities and competencies.

A demonstrated working knowledge and application of the company-specific work organisations and workflow would be highly regarded. An ability to coordinate own work and the work of other team members is also regarded as a component of this unit of competency.

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. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs if the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.

Codes of practice/ standards

Where reference is made to industry codes of practice, and/or Australian/international standards, the latest version must be used.

Context

Job safety and environment analysis will be conducted in accordance with required company procedures and policies.

This competency covers process manufacturing plants which may involve workplace hazards such as:

chemicals and hazardous materials

gases and liquids under pressure

moving machinery

materials handling

working at heights, in restricted or confined spaces, or environments subjected to heat, noise, dusts or vapours.

Incidents/emergencies

Incidents/emergencies may include, but are not limited to:

accidents

fire

chemical or oil spills

gas leak or vapour emission

utilities failure

bomb scares

OHS incidents

environmental incidents.

Enterprise policies and procedures

Enterprise policies and procedures include those which directly or indirectly cover emergency situations, such as:

emergency, fire and accident procedures

hazard policies and procedures

standard operating procedures (SOPs)

safety procedures

work instructions

personal protective clothing and equipment procedures.

Evidence gained

Evidence gained as a result of investigations may include:

video tapes

audio tapes

drawings

photographs

plans

manifests

relevant documents

personal notes

physical evidence/materials

debris

soil.

Support services

Support services may include incident scene specialists:

pathologists

forensic investigators

coroner

government medical officers

interpreters

technical services

legal officers

undertakers

forensic accountants

information technology consultants

document examiners

handwriting experts

financial organisations

external law enforcement agencies.

Interview strategies

Interview strategies may vary but require consideration of:

location

timing

method (direct questioning, empathetic questioning)

strategies for developing rapport

who is being interviewed

exclusion of leading questions

avoidance of cross-examination.

Legal and policy requirements

Legal and policy requirements differ according to the status of the person being interviewed. Such requirements may include:

the presence of a solicitor, independent person, family member or interpreter

special consideration that applies disabled, child, parent, age, gender, ethnicity and race.

Post investigation documentation

Post investigation documentation may include:

statements

proformas

photographs

tape recordings.

Designated personnel

Designated personnel for incident investigation referrals may include:

employer

personnel directly involved in responding to the incident, including:

first response personnel

emergency response team members

emergency team leader(s)

First Aid officers

other personnel with emergency team leader responsibilities.

Health, safety and environment (HSE)

All operations to which this unit applies are subject to stringent health, safety and environment requirements, which may be imposed through State or Federal legislation, and these must not be compromised at any time. Where there is an apparent conflict between Performance Criteria and HSE requirements, the HSE requirements take precedence.