Elements and Performance Criteria

audits
Australian Standards
employees and operators
employer groups, unions and industry bodies
hazard, incident and investigation reports
manufacturers' manuals and specifications
minutes of meetings
Australian Safety and Compensation Council
OHS professionals including those working in safety engineering, occupational hygiene, occupational health, injury management, toxicology, ergonomics and epidemiology
professional associations
questionnaires and surveys
relevant state/territory and commonwealth, OHS legislation, regulations, associated standards and codes of practice
reports
state and territory OHS regulatory bodies
workplace inspections

any machinery, equipment (including scaffolding), appliance, implement or tool and any other component, fitting or accessory
electrical installation and plant such as wiring, accessories, fittings, consuming devices, control and protective gear, converters and generators
fixed and or specified plant as related to state/territory and commonwealth OHS legislation
mobile plant and load shifting equipment
pressure equipment such as boilers, pressure vessels and pressure piping

source or a situation with a potential for harm in terms of:
human injury or ill health
damage to property
damage to the environment
a combination of the above

documents describing how tasks, projects, inspections, jobs and processes are to be undertaken
management systems, such as fleet management, procurement, design and quality assurance
manufacturers' operations manuals
organisation policies and procedures addressing areas, such as operations, maintenance, purchasing
standard operating procedures

designers
engineers (such as design, acoustic, safety, mechanical, maintenance)
ergonomists
injury management personnel
manufacturers
occupational hygienists
suppliers and distributors

employees
health and safety, and other employee representatives
managers
OHS committees
supervisors

maintenance and trades persons
managers
OHS representatives
supervisors
users/operators
workplace trainers and assessors

documents describing how tasks, projects, inspections, jobs and processes are to be undertaken
job and task statements
job safety analysis worksheets
maintenance and service logs, sheets, cards, diaries
plant and equipment registers
policies and procedures underpinning systems of management, particularly OHS
purchasing and contracting procedures
quality system documentation
risk assessments
standard operating procedures

any discrepancy between current controls and required standard and quality of control
current controls and their adequacy
identification and analysis of factors contributing to risk
prioritisation or ranking of risk where appropriate

list of hazards, their location and people exposed
possible control measures and proposed dates for implementation
range of possible scenarios or circumstances under which the hazards may cause injury or damage
results of risk assessments

eliminating hazards
and where this is not practicable, minimising risk by:
substitution
isolating the hazard from personnel
using engineering controls
using administrative controls (e.g. procedures, training)
using personal protective equipment (PPE)

accessing parts of plant which require cleaning and maintenance
access/egress to operator's workstation for normal and emergency conditions
systems to enable safe access and egress such as:
emergency lighting
safety doors
alarm systems

potential contact or entrapment points to which the operator may be exposed during:
adjustment
examination
lubrication
maintenance
operation

permanently fixed physical barriers where no access of any part of a person is required
interlocking physical barriers where access to dangerous areas is required during operation
physical barriers securely fixed by means of fasteners or devices
presence-sensing safeguarding systems

being capable of locking in 'off' position to enable disconnection of all motive power and forces
being guarded to prevent unintentional activation
being of 'fail safe' type
being readily and conveniently located
being suitability identified
having nature and function clearly indicated

being able to avoid electrical or electronic circuit malfunction
colouring push buttons, bars or handles red
prominent, clear and durable markings

relevant state and territory jurisdictional requirements

processes by which a certificate to use or operate industrial equipment is issued by a certifying authority

being authorised by a responsible or designated person directly in control of the work
certifications that appropriate precautions and controls are followed
checklists
conditions and actions such as frequency and duration of the work and atmospheric tests
documents containing approval to undertake work and activities including tests, measurements monitoring such as:
hot work permits for welding and cutting in hazardous environments
confined space entry

devices such as:
isolating switches
locks
safety bars
shields
full pressure blanks
spectacle blanks to lock controls - especially moving parts, equipment, systems or devices with stored energy - to an 'off' position while a worker is in a vulnerable position such as:
performing maintenance on rotating equipment, and electrical and hydraulic systems
locking switches with keys needed to open the lock
devices used in conjunction with a danger tag system that promotes greater safety consciousness among the workforce for all situations in which danger to persons could arise from:
operation of machinery, plant or equipment
flow of steam, electricity, gases or liquids
use of faulty or unsafe plant and equipment
devices characterised by multiple locking systems that involve written authorisation by a competent person

general community
other employees and contractors
public
visitors

changes in specification of raw material or plant operating materials, such as lubricants
changes to physical specification of plant, parts or associated tools
changes to work processes and systems
introduction of contractual arrangements
introduction of new and emerging technology

administrative process by which a certifying authority requires an organisation or industry to register plant, machinery and equipment

any form of regulation that restricts entry to an occupation or a profession to those who meet competency related requirements stipulated by a regulatory authority, including:
any physical or implied licence
registration
certification
approval
permit that is required by a person in order to gain employment/self employment

compliance, licensing and certification competencies for operators applicable to state/territory ad commonwealth legislation
documentation requirements relating to plant
emergency preparedness
incident investigation
OHS consultation and participation
OHS obligations and responsibilities to provide safe equipment
OHS policies and procedures
OHS training and information
purchasing/procurement policy and procedures
safe behaviour and defensive driving practices
safe work procedures
systematic hazard identification, risk analysis and evaluation, and risk control
task observation

supervised and/or accredited training towards assessment for a particular certificate
training for safe use of plant or equipment

requirements of:
relevant national and Australian Standards
state and territory OHS legislation and codes of practice
licensing and certification requirements applicable to state/territory and commonwealth legislation including OHS, dangerous goods, hazardous substances, mining and petrochemical

relevant state or territory transport regulations

a basic concept where risks are kept as low as is reasonably achievable

compliance with legislative requirements
maintenance and modification records
noise and vibration analysis
risk assessments

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

Evidence of the following is essential:

monitoring and facilitating effective identification and control of hazards associated with plant and equipment
knowledge of relevant OHS legislation (acts, regulations, codes of practice, associated standards and guidance material).

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

access to manufacturers' manuals including specifications and operational information and data
access to relevant legislation, standards and guidelines
access to resources outlining a range of hazards and work situations (e.g. video, interactive CD, internet and other computer--based resources)
access to workplace equipment and resources
access to workplace or simulated workplace.

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

analysis of responses to case studies and scenarios
assessment of written reports on the effectiveness of hazard identification, risk assessment, control and management actions taken
demonstration of techniques used to identify hazards; assess associated risks; control, monitor and evaluate risks
direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third party reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate
observation of performance in role plays
observation of presentations
oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of strategies for guarding moving parts in machinery, human factors related to machine guarding, safe design principles, features and limitations
review of recording and reporting on hazards associated with plant
updating of risk registers for items of plant and associated equipment
review of the system for managing OHS.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

BSBOHS504C Apply principles of OHS risk management
BSBOHS505B Manage hazards in the work environment
other OHS units.