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 in the Performance Criteria is detailed below.
Personal documentation may include:
field operations guide
medical clearance for international travel
medication lists
passport and other travel documentation
passport photos
personal identification documentation
record of inoculations/vaccinations required for international travel
Personal kit may include:
suitable and sufficient personal clothing and personal/health items commensurate with the duration and nature of deployment
Task information may include:
cause of collapse
current situation
emergency evacuation procedures/point
environmental and other hazards
incident location
local cultural awareness
occupancy
other public safety organisations
safety and security, including potential hazards e.g. HAZMAT
special or unusual considerations
type and magnitude of incident
type and number of casualties/vehicles
type of collapse
type of structure
weather
Sources of information may include:
Emergency Management Australia (EMA)
Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS)
incident controller
local emergency management authority (LEMA)
Office of Coordination and Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
onsite operations coordination centre (OSOCC)
reception/Departure Centre (RDC)
reconnaissance team
relief web
situation reports
task force leader
team leader
United Nations Disaster Assessment Coordination (UNDAC)
virtual OSOCC
Rescue resources may include:
atmosphere monitoring equipment
canine search teams
concrete breaking and breaching equipment
cutting equipment for structural steel and reinforcing
earth moving equipment
electrical and lighting
hand tools
heavy lifting equipment
medical equipment
shoring and building stabilisation
technical search equipment
vertical access equipment
Personal protective equipment and clothing must meet the Australian/New Zealand Standards (if applicable) and may include:
atmospheric monitoring equipment
boots
breathing apparatus/airlines
chaps
chemical splash suit/fully encapsulated gas-tight suits
ear protection (plugs, and muffs)
eye protection (goggles, glasses)
gloves
hearing protection
helmet and helmet light
knee/elbow protection
masks and respirators
protective clothing
safety harnesses
surgical gloves
thermal clothing
torch
wet weather gear
whistle
Situational and cultural sensitivities may include:
diversity
ethnicity
gender
INSARAG Guidelines
organisational code of conduct
political
religious
Briefings may include:
command structure and communication plan
Incident Action Plan
intelligence regarding potential location of casualties within a collapsed structure
liaison with reconnaissance team
recording requirements, logistical arrangements
safety hazards (known and potential), escape routes, refuge areas
situation reports
Relevant personnel may include:
relevant local emergency management personnel
Rescue scene reconnaissance may include:
assessment of need for additional resources (equipment and/or personnel)
assessment of situational and environmental hazards
building mapping and note taking
collecting relevant information about structural damage, physical characteristics, casualties, victims, hazards
dynamic risk assessment and implementation of appropriate control measures
establishing communication with local emergency management authority
implementing phases of a collapse rescue plan
isolating and eliminating utilities such as broken gas pipes, damaged electrical wiring, leaking water
relating knowledge of building and structure classifications to the incident scene
securing and preserving the scene
structural assessment and triage
surveying the incident scene
verifying validity of information
Managing the scene to control access may include:
determining cold, warm and hot zone
restricting access by non-task force personnel
sectorising site of structural collapse and defining boundaries
tag in and tag out procedures
Blitz may include:
commitment of task force resources to ensure incident scene is surveyed as effectively as possible to identify hazards and determine priorities in accordance with the rescue scene reconnaissance
Base of operations may include:
base of operations management
communications
equipment maintenance and repair area
food and water
medical care
potential locations
safety and security considerations
sanitation and hygiene
search canine area
shelter for personnel and equipment
waste collection area
Communication may include:
information technology
internet access
marking systems
radio communications (VHF/UHF)
satellite/mobile phone
whistle/horn warning signals
Appropriate marking systems include:
cylume sticks
geographic area structure identification (sectorisation)
INSARAG Guidelines and methodology
location identification within single structures
marking materials
map symbols
marking tape
personnel role identification
signage
structure assessment marking
team function identification
victim extrication marking
victim location marking
Allocated rescue, logistics and communications tasks may include:
communications tasks:
operate communications in support of the task force
maintain functionality of task force communications equipment
logistic tasks:
maintain task force cache
service repairs and maintenance
operate logistically in support of the task force, transport, maintaining base operations
rescue tasks:
displacement of structural components to perform a rescue
rescuing entrapped persons from heights/depths/voids
rescuing lightly trapped casualties using equipment appropriate for task
undertaking technical search operations
Search techniques and equipment to locate trapped casualties may include:
primary surface search and rescue:
audible
line and hail search
physical void search
visual
canine search team
technical search equipment:
acoustic/seismic location detectors
search cameras
thermal imaging camera
Voids and spaces may be:
in basements
in rooms that have not completely collapsed but where the entrance is blocked
in vehicles
lift shafts
sheltered parts of a building that may have avoided damage
under stairs
under a collapsed floor
Primary survey:
is a methodical process used to quickly identify immediate life threatening injuries and conditions that require intervention
should be completed promptly upon initial patient contact if no immediate life threatening injuries and conditions requiring intervention are found during the survey
should be completed as soon as possible if it is interrupted
should only be interrupted when:
life threatening condition is identified and immediate life saving interventions are initiated
scene conditions require that the patient be moved immediately due to danger to first emergency care responders or the patient
Stabilisation techniques may include:
controlling entry and entry permits if appropriate
debris tunnelling
removing debris
safe havens
use of shoring and props
Techniques appropriate to the nature of the entrapment must include:
HAZMAT detection and isolation
individually or as part of a team demonstrate s breaking and breaching:
concrete coring
penetrating below to a void space
penetrating laterally through a load bearing wall to a void space
penetrating overhead to a void space
dirty and clean breaches
cutting:
concrete
reinforcing bar
structural steel
timber
non-structural components and contents
equipment (shackles, slings, etc.) and expertise to support lifting the loads utilising local heavy equipment (e.g. cranes)
lifting and moving concrete slab
lifting equipment to move loads
individually or as part of a team demonstrate shoring - stabilising and supporting structural components with the use of:
cribbing and wedges
T shore, sloped floor shore, laced post shore, vertical/dead shore; raker/multiple raker shore
split sole shore
window/door shores
horizontal shores
constructing and utilising a vertical raising and lowering system
Treating located casualties may include:
assisting medical personnel with patient triage if required
first aid
packaging and removal of casualties for handover to local authority
primary/secondary survey
respiratory protection, if required
Range of environments may include:
act of terrorism such as bombing
aircraft crash
any other structural collapse incident
enclosed and partially enclosed spaces
hazardous, unpredictable, subject to time pressure, chaotic and exposure of responders to risk by day or night
natural disaster such as flooding, cyclone, tsunami, earthquake, bushfire, landslide
operations in confined spaces and voids
urban debris (such as a rubble pile, concrete walls, floors, columns and beams; structural steel, reinforcing bars and timber)
Hazards may include:
Adverse weather conditions
dangerous goods and hazardous substances
below debris hazards, including:
flooding
oxygen deficient atmosphere
toxic environment
flammable environment
different levels of elevation
biological hazards, including:
body fluids
decomposing bodies
untreated sewage
irrespirable atmospheres
overhead hazards, including:
falling debris
loose or unstable sections of structure
power lines
structural instability due to:
events of nature such as earthquake, flood, landslide, wind
explosions
fire
inadequate construction
surface hazards, including:
climate
different types of surfaces
sharp and jagged objects
water pooling
dust and wind
noise and vibration
utilities
Recognised techniques and equipment for removing casualties may include:
creation of exit route for technicians and packaged casualty
mechanical advantage hauling/lowering systems
stretcher packaging as appropriate:
rescue/spine board
stretchers appropriate for packaging in a range of situations
team stretcher handling
Recovering, cleaning and servicing equipment may include:
checking inventories
cleaning or disposing of contaminated clothing and equipment
conducting a general clean up of the rescue work areas
inspecting equipment for damage and serviceability
reviewing the possibility of donating equipment
safety and security issues
Debriefings may include
assessing equipment function and suitability
identifying opportunities for improvement
identifying and reinforcing areas of positive work practices and systems
identifying welfare needs, and sourcing and implementing solutions
reviewing tactics and techniques and identifying deficiencies and solutions
Documentation may include:
AIRS/coroner report
communication logs
equipment running and repair logs
incident reports
injury register
memorandums of understanding
near miss forms
notes or sketches and other relevant information required for potential coronal or other legal proceedings
operational debrief
site sectorisation plan
Exposure records may include:
reporting form that documents any exposure that may result in a short- or long-term associated injury such as:
dangerous goods and hazardous substances, such as dust, vapours, fumes, radiation and chemical substances
heavy repetitive work over long periods of time
lifting heavy loads
noise
psycho-social hazards (e.g. critical incident stress)

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
Assessment must confirm the ability to:
work autonomously and as part of a team
maintain situational awareness and be alert to environmental and situational hazards including using acquired knowledge of collapse patterns in structures, be able to assess and evaluate potential risks and hazards and put in place strategies prior to them becoming a threat to the team working in the area
safely use tunnelling techniques
safely use shoring and cribbing techniques, and construct and safely assemble the required range of shoring and cribbing sets needed to allow teams to safely move in and around a collapsed or partially collapsed structure/zone
safely use breaching, coring, cutting equipment
extricate casualty minimising further injury to self or others
apply safe work practices in a range of environments
mobilise and participate in establishing a remote base of operations
prioritise, package and handle patients in surface and confined space environments
Consistency in performance
Competency should be demonstrated over time in a range of actual and/or simulated workplace environments.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Context of assessment
Competency should be assessed in an industry-approved simulated and/or workplace environment where:
rescue techniques are applied throughout a 48 hour (minimum) continuous exercise to incorporate a minimum of three shift changes
designated roles as an active team member are performed within a task force structure and given scenarios
mobilisation and remote living procedures of a USAR task force are rehearsed.
Specific resources for assessment
Access is required to:
USAR incident or simulation of a USAR incident in a multi-agency response environment
equipment, personnel, facilities etc. appropriate to a USAR incident
Method of assessment
In a public safety environment assessment is usually conducted via direct observation in a training environment or in the workplace via subject matter supervision and/or mentoring, which is typically recorded in a competency workbook.
Assessment is completed using appropriately qualified assessors who select the most appropriate method of assessment.
Assessment may occur in an operational environment or in an industry-approved simulated work environment. Forms of assessment that are typically used include:
direct observation
interviewing the candidate
journals and workplace documentation
third party reports from supervisors
written or oral questions