Description

This unit covers the competency required to identify and prevent the development of workplace emergency situations, or to minimise their consequences, and to report if emergency protection systems, emergency control equipment and evacuation systems are compromised.

For this unit the term workplace is defined as the area encompassed by an individual’s responsibilities.

This unit:

• has been developed to cover the broad range of emergencies and workplaces as considered in Australian Standard 3745—2002
• covers the work required before the emergency services or specialist response team arrives
• does not cover the specific use of equipment to prevent workplace emergency situations
• is part of a suite of eleven workplace emergency response units of competency that has three streams
• is part of the prevention stream

Unit Sector

Prevention

Pre-Requisites

Nil

Performance Criteria

1. Identify, monitor and report situations that could lead to workplace emergencies
1.1 Situations that could lead to workplace emergencies are identified and reported according to workplace  procedures and accepted safe practices
1.2 Immediate work area is routinely checked for any situations that could lead to emergencies
1.3 Hazardous work is monitored to ensure precautions and workplace procedures are followed

2. Identify, report and correct situations that could prevent workplace emergencies from being safely handled
2.1 Principles of operation of relevant emergency protection systems are identified
2.2 Principles of operation of relevant emergency control equipment are identified
2.3 Evacuation systems are identified
2.4 Immediate work area is routinely checked according to workplace procedures and accepted safe practices for any situations that could lead to emergency protection systems, emergency control equipment and evacuation systems being made inoperable
2.5 Situations that could lead to emergency protection systems, emergency control equipment and evacuation systems being made inoperable are identified, corrected and/or reported according to workplace procedures and accepted safe practices
2.6 Workplace procedures and accepted safe practices are regularly monitored and followed to ensure operability of emergency protection systems, emergency control equipment and evacuation systems

Key Competencies

• Collect, Analyse & Organise Information
• Communicate Ideas & Information
• Plan & Organise Activities
• Work with Others & in Teams
• Use Mathematical
• Ideas & Techniques
• Solve Problems
• Use Technology

Range Statement

Emergencies must include those emergencies identified by the workplace hazard analysis, which may include:

• Animal or livestock emergencies
• Bomb threat
• Building invasion/armed invasion
• Chemical, biological and radiological
• Civil disorder
• Criminal acts
• Cyclones, including storm surge
• Deliberate self-harm
• Earthquake
• Failure of utilities
• Fire
• Flood
• Hazardous substances incidents
• Hostage situations
• Industrial accident
• Letter bomb
• Medical emergency
• Severe weather/storm damage
• Structural instability
• Terrorism
• Transport accident
• Toxic emission
• Veterinary emergencies
• Wildfire

Workplaces include:

• Workplaces, buildings and structures as outlined in Australian Standard 3745—2002

Situations that could lead to workplace emergencies may include:

• Deficient or ineffective security arrangements
• Failure to follow safe practices
• Fire/smoke hazards
• Poor maintenance
• Unreported faults
• Unsafe practices
• Unsafe storage and handling of dangerous goods and hazardous materials
• Unsafe use of electrical or mechanical equipment

Hazardous work includes the hazards identified in the hazard analysis and may include:

•  Handling dangerous goods and hazardous materials (including waste)
• Hot work
• Manufacturing
• Unsafe manual handling
• Using, mixing and/or moving chemicals
• Working at heights, in confined spaces, in poorly ventilated spaces or around noise
• Working around traffic
• Working with plant and machinery
• Working with unstable equipment or equipment that has deteriorated

Emergency protection systems may include:

• Automatic fire/leak/spill/movement detectors
• CCTV
• Communications systems
• Manual alarms
• Passive installations, fire/smoke doors, fire walls
• Security infrastructure
• Special hazard identification systems
• Spill/leak containment systems
• Sprinkler and deluge systems
• Warning systems

Emergency control equipment may include

• Communications equipment
• Escape equipment
• Fire/smoke detection, alarm, mitigation and suppression systems
• First-aid kits
• Forcible entry tools
• Initial response firefighting equipment
• Isolation barriers
• Personal protection kits
• Shower and eyewash
• Spill control kits/equipment

Evacuation systems include:

• Access, egress
• Exits
• Procedures

Situations that could lead to emergency protection systems, emergency control equipment and evacuation systems being made inoperable may include:

• Blocking egress
• Compromising security infrastructure or integrity
• Emergency lighting and/or exit lighting being damaged, missing or under service
• Locking or blocking exits
• Impairing exits and/or pathways to exits
• Interfering with alarm systems
• Not replacing or replenishing used emergency equipment
• Not reporting damage to emergency control equipment or facilities
• Propping open fire/smoke doors

Evidence Guide

Critical aspects of evidence

• Assessment must confirm the ability to identify emergency protection systems, emergency control equipment and evacuation systems; to identify and report situations that may lead to or contribute to workplace incidents and/or emergencies

Underpinning knowledge

• Basic types, principles of operation and limitations of emergency protection systems and emergency control equipment typically installed in the workplace
• Hazards in the workplace that reduce the effectiveness of emergency protection systems and emergency control equipment
• Procedures for identifying, minimising or preventing, correcting and reporting situations within the organisation that may lead to workplace emergencies
• Safe practices applicable to the workplace that help to prevent emergencies
• Situations in the workplace that may lead to emergencies
• Situations that may make emergency protection systems and emergency control equipment inoperable
• Underpinning skills Communicate effectively according to workplace procedures and accepted safe practices
• Identify hazards in the workplace that reduce the effectiveness of emergency protection systems, emergency control equipment and evacuation systems
• Monitor the work area to identify new and emerging risks on an on-going basis

Resource implications

• Access to:
  • scenarios that reflect a range of emergency situations that may be expected in the workplace
  • appropriate emergency protection systems and emergency control equipment
  • relevant standards and workplace procedures

Consistency in performance

•  Competency should be demonstrated in the workplace

Context of assessment

• Competency should be assessed in the workplace