Elements and Performance Criteria

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.
Workplace health and safety legislation
Workplace health and safety legislation varies in different states and will include:
National Work Health and Safety Model
current relevant State/Territory workplace health and safety legislation
relevant state/territory Manual Handling Code of Conduct.
Standards
Standards include documents produced by national bodies, workplace health and safety regulators or industry bodies, that prescribe preventative action to avert occupational deaths, injuries and diseases.
Standards are of an advisory nature only, except where a law adopts the standard and thus makes it mandatory.
They may be called up as evidence in court or other enforcement action.
Codes of practice/compliance codes
Codes of practice/compliance codes are documents generally prepared to provide advice to employers and workers, of an acceptable way of achieving standards. They may:
be incorporated into regulations
not relate to a standard
be called up as evidence in court or other enforcement action.
Guidance material
Guidance material is an advisory technical document, providing detailed information for use by unions, employers, management, health and safety committee members and representatives, safety officers and others requiring guidance. It
advises on 'what to do' and 'how to do it'.
has no legal standing.
Other sources of workplace health and safety information
Other sources of workplace health and safety information include persons, organisations and references where knowledge about workplace health and safety may be obtained. These sources may be:
internal including:
hazard, incident and investigation reports
workplace inspections
incident investigations
minutes of meetings
job safety analyses (JSAs) and risk assessments
organisation data such as insurance records, enforcement notices and actions, workers compensation data, workplace health and safety performance data
reports and audits
material safety data sheets (MSDSs) and registers
employees handbooks
employees including questionnaire results
health and safety representatives
workplace health and safety committees
manufacturers' manuals and specifications
external, including:
employee assistance program providers and workplace counselling services
relevant state workplace health and safety Acts, regulations, codes and guidance materials
other relevant legislation
Safe Work Australia
State/territory regulatory bodies
databases, such as national and state injury data
workplace health and safety specialists and consultants
newspapers and journals, trade/industry publications
internet sites
industry networks and associations, including unions and employer groups
workplace health and safety professional bodies
specialist advisors
research information.
Workplace health and safety information
Workplace health and safety information includes:
collated information on hazard incidents and injuries
information on hazards, including MSDSs
investigation and audit reports
outcomes of hazard identifications and workplace inspections
requirements under workplace health and safety legislation, regulations, standards, codes of practice/compliance codes and guidelines
rights and responsibilities
risk assessments
risk controls
training records
workplace health and safety policies and procedures
work procedures.
Risk controls
Risk controls include the devices and methods to, where practicable, eliminate the hazard or, where this is not practicable, minimise the risk associated with the hazard.
Legal requirements
Legal requirements for record keeping include that specified under workplace health and safety legislation and regulations for:
serious incident and injury reporting
registered plant
hazardous substances and dangerous goods
environmental monitoring
health surveillance
privacy legislation.
Workplace health and safety records
Workplace health and safety records may include:
employees handbooks
environmental monitoring records
first aid records
hazard, incident and investigation reports
health surveillance records
job safety analyses (JSAs), safe work method statements and risk assessments
maintenance and testing reports
material safety data sheets (MSDSs) and registers
minutes of meetings
plant and equipment operation records, including those relevant to registered plant
training records
workplace inspection reports.
Participative processes
Participative processes include processes that:
inform employees and other stakeholders of workplace health and safety matters
seek their input
offer opportunity for stakeholders to participate in decisions that may impact on their health and safety
Participative processes may also be referred to as 'consultative processes', however 'participation' implies a higher level of involvement.
Organisation policies and procedures
Organisation policies and procedures include:
policies and procedures underpinning the management of workplace health and safety, including:
hazard, incident and injury reporting
hazard identification, risk assessment and control
human resources policies and procedures such as harassment and grievance procedures, induction programs, team meetings, alcohol and drug policies
consultation and participation
incident investigation
quality system documentation.
Consultation
Consultation includes processes for seeking information or the opinions from one or more people prior to decision making.
Consultation should particularly include those who may affect the outcomes or be affected by the decisions made but may also include specialist sources.
Hazard
A hazard is a source or situation with the potential for harm in terms of human injury or ill-health, damage to property, the environment, or a combination of these.
Common workplace hazards (from Safe Work Australia Work Health and Safety Risks - Code of Practice) include:
Manual tasks - overexertion or repetitive movement can cause muscular strain
Gravity - falling objects, falls, slips and trips of people can cause fractures, bruises, lacerations, dislocations, concussion, permanent injuries or death
Electricity - potential ignition source. Exposure to live electrical wires can cause shock, burns or death from electrocution
Machinery and equipment - being hit by moving vehicles, or being caught by moving parts of machinery can cause fractures, bruises, lacerations, dislocations, permanent injuries or death
Hazardous chemicals - chemicals (such as acids, hydrocarbons, heavy metals) and dusts (such as asbestos and silica) can cause respiratory illnesses, cancers or dermatitis
Extreme temperatures - heat can cause burns, heat stroke or fatigue. Cold can cause hypothermia or frost bite
Noise - exposure to loud noise can cause permanent hearing damage
Radiation - ultra violet, welding arc flashes, micro waves and lasers can cause burns, cancer or blindness
Biological - micro-organisms can cause hepatitis, legionnaires’ disease, Q fever, HIV/AIDS or allergies
Psychosocial hazards - effects of work-related stress, bullying, violence and work-related fatigue.
Examples of hazards in an animal care environment may include:
animal bites, envenomation, kicks, scratches or crush injuries
biological hazardous waste
bodily fluids
chemicals and medicines
sharps
zoonotic and exotic disease possibilities.
Incident
Incident includes any event that has caused or has the potential for injury, ill-health or damage.
Hazard identification
Hazards identification is the process of identifying sources of harm, and may be required:
before new forms of work and organisation of work are implemented
before changes are made to workplace, equipment, work processes or work arrangements
as part of planning major tasks or activities, such as equipment shutdowns
following an incident report
when new knowledge becomes available
at regular intervals during normal operations
prior to disposal of equipment, or materials.
Risk
Risk in relation to any hazard means the probability and consequences of injury, illness or damage resulting from exposure to a hazard.
Risk assessments
Risk assessments involve analysing a hazard to:
identify factors influencing the risk and the range of potential consequences:
effectiveness of existing controls
likelihood of each consequence considering exposure and hazard level
and combining these in some way to obtain a level of risk.
Hierarchy of risk control
Hierarchy of risk control (from Safe Work Australia Work Health and Safety Risks - Code of Practice) includes:
Level 1 controls
eliminate hazards
Level 2 controls
substitute the hazard with something safer
isolate the hazard from people
use engineering controls
Level 3 controls
use administrative controls
use personal protective equipment (PPE).
Expert advisors
Expert advisors include persons either internal or external to the organisation including:
audiologists
ergonomists
employee assistance and workplace counselling services
occupational health professionals
occupational hygienists
health and safety representatives
workplace health and safety committees
safety engineers
safety professionals
toxicologists
Expert advisors may also include other persons providing specific technical knowledge or expertise in areas related to workplace health and safety including:
engineers (e.g. design, acoustic, mechanical, civil)
health professionals
injury management advisors
legal practitioners with experience in workplace health and safety
maintenance and trade persons
regulatory bodies
risk managers
security and emergency response personnel
workplace trainers and assessors.
Workplace health and safety induction
Workplace health and safety induction includes the processes by which new employees are introduced to, and acquainted with their job and the new workplace, including familiarisation with:
hazards and risks associated with the work,
risk control measures,
welfare facilities and
emergency response procedures.
Stakeholders
Stakeholders are those people or organisations who may be affected by, or perceive themselves to be affected by an activity or decision including:
officers
Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBUs)
health and safety representatives
workplace health and safety committees
workers and contractors
the community.
Workplace health and safety action plans
Workplace health and safety action plans include documented plans developed within the workplace to implement a systematic approach to workplace health and safety management and contain:
actions that support an integrated strategy to address deficiencies, meet obligations or provide for improved outcomes
allocated responsibilities
timeframes.

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.
Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this Unit
To demonstrate competence in this Unit, a candidate must be able to provide evidence of managing workplace health and safety processes for a small organisation or a group of persons undertaking a range of work.
Evidence gathered by an assessor to determine competence will include:
written or verbal responses to scenarios and case studies
provision of workplace examples
reports from persons who have been involved in the management processes
portfolio of workplace documentation.
Evidence of workplace performance over time must be obtained to inform a judgement of competence.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Products that could be used as evidence include:
verbal and written responses to verbal, written or physical scenarios
demonstrated action to scenarios, simulations and role plays
completed reports to senior managers
written directions, emails, memos and other information provided to supervisors in area of responsibility
reports from team leaders, senior managers, other managers, specialist advisors..
Processes that could be used as evidence include:
how training needs were identified and addressed
how action plans are developed, monitored and updated
how hazard identification and risk assessment occur
how incident investigation occurs.
Method of assessment
This Unit should be assessed together with other Units of Competence relevant to the function or work role.
Guidance information for assessment
Access and equity considerations:
all assessment should be applied with respect to relevant work-related access and equity issues
competence should reflect an ability to work in a culturally diverse environment.
assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities.