Elements and Performance Criteria

RANGE STATEMENT
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 italicized 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 AS61882, the latest version must be used.
Context
This unit of competency includes all relevant information and plant and equipment that might be required for the HAZOP study. This may include (select relevant items):
provisional layouts
material safety data sheets
process drawings (eg P&ID, PFD, cause and effect)
plant model
equipment arrangement drawings
provisional operating instructions/procedures
plant operating procedures
logic diagrams
equipment reference manuals
hazardous area layouts
start up and shut down emergency procedures
access to plant and equipment.
Typical HAZOP study for your plant may include:
purpose of new equipment/plant
how the design will cope with abnormal conditions
identification of potential hazards and operating issues.
Designated action
Designated action may include:
review of plant operating procedures
undertaking additional tasks from action list HAZOP report
attendance at HAZOP review meetings
recording results from additional tasks.
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.

EVIDENCE GUIDE
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
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. Assessors must be satisfied that the person can consistently perform the unit as a whole, as defined by the Elements, Performance Criteria and skills and knowledge.
Simulation may be required to allow for timely assessment of parts of this unit of competency (eg elements 1-2). Simulation should be based on an actual HAZOP study relevant to the plant and may include the use of case studies/scenarios and role plays.
This unit of competency requires an application of the knowledge contained in the use of the process control system and its integral equipment, to the level needed to maintain control and recognise and resolve problems. This can 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 responses. The emphasis should be on the ability to stay out of trouble rather than on recovery from a disaster.
Consistent performance should be demonstrated. In particular look to see that:
potential problems are recognised
the range of possible causes can be identified and analysed and the most likely cause determined
key words are utilised in the identification of potential hazards or operability issues
possible consequences are identified and explained
risks are assessed from identified potential hazards or operability issues
appropriate contribution is made to the identification of potential hazards and operability issues and risk assessment.
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 improbable situations, which may have been generated from the past incident history of the plant, incidents on similar plants around the world, hazard analysis activities and similar sources.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment will require access to HAZOP tools and relevant plant documentation 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, communication and leadership 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.