Description

This unit covers the competency required to make decisions about people’s safety during a workplace emergency and to give instructions on the priority order for responding to the emergency incident area.

People who undertake this work may act as the primary liaison with emergency services after their arrival.

This unit:

• has been developed to cover the broad range of emergencies and workplaces as considered in Australian Standard 3745—2002
• is part of a suite of eleven workplace emergency response units of competency that has three streams
• is part of the workplace evacuation stream

Unit Sector

Workplace Evacuation

Pre-Requisites

• PUAWER005B Operate as part of an emergency control organisation

Performance Criteria

1. Prepare for workplace emergencies
1.1 Possible emergency situations in the workplace are identified
1.2 Information on possible development and characteristics of typical emergency situations is gathered, assessed, analysed and applied according to workplace emergency plan
1.3 Emergency actions for typical workplace emergency situations and emergency developments are identified
according to the workplace emergency plan

2. Apply command, control and coordinate aspects of workplace emergency procedures
1. Initial emergency response is initiated according to workplace emergency procedures
2. Initial emergency response is subsequently controlled and coordinated according to incident type and workplace emergency procedures
3. Suitable arrangements are made for the safety of people
4. Welfare of evacuated people is arranged according to workplace emergency procedures
5. Emergency response priority activities are completed before post initial response activities
6. Assets are secured where safe to do so
7. Post initial response activities are assessed and initiated in consultation with emergency services
8. Initial recovery activities are coordinated according to the workplace emergency management plan

3. Control the response to emergency reports, signals and warnings
3.1 Emergency reports, signals and warnings are correctly identified or initiated
3.2 Action is taken to ensure emergency stations are attended and operated according to workplace emergency procedures and relevant standards
3.3 Emergency situations are assessed and appropriate action is taken according to workplace emergency procedures
3.4 Emergency response actions are controlled according to workplace emergency procedures

4. Coordinate reports and results of initial emergency
4.1 Reports of areas affected by the incident are received or sought
4.2 Accounting for evacuated people is coordinated according to workplace emergency procedures response
4.3 Results and reports of the initial emergency response are analysed according to workplace emergency procedures

5. Conclude incident
5.1 Action is taken to ensure ‘all clear’ is advised to appropriate people
5.2 Required information for debriefing is provided in a timely manner
5.3 Critical incident stress management is organised as appropriate
5.4 Reporting is undertaken in accordance with workplace procedures

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

Development may include:

• Air contamination
• Danger of explosion
• Environmental impact
• Injury, loss of life or property
• Loss of communications
• Loss of containment
• Loss of emergency resources
• Reaction of people to the emergency
• Release of hazardous materials
• Risk of cross-infection or contamination
• Risk of increased threatening behaviour
• Spread of hazard/incident area
• Structural collapse
• Threat to adjoining/neighbouring areas
• Vapours, fumes, gases

Initial emergency response may include:

• To evacuate
• Not to evacuate
• To partially evacuate
• Advice or requests for emergency services
• Alternative evacuation
• Any guidance from emergency response team
• Designated assembly area
• Evacuation routes and destination
• Not to re-enter the evacuated area until directed by emergency personnel
• Protection in place/lockdown
• Relocating or providing welfare services for evacuated persons
• Restricting entry to danger areas
• Searching floors or areas
• Supplying emergency equipment
• Use of response equipment

Welfare may include:

• Arranging medical or first aid assistance where required
• Arranging transport
• Collecting personal or critical items when safe to do so
• Liaising with counselling services
• Relocating evacuated persons to other areas

Post initial response activities may include:

• Advice or requests for emergency services
• Assisting with recovery activities
• Assisting with authorised restoration of normal activity
• Participating in debriefing
• Providing advice
• Requests for emergency services or specialist response team
• Relocating or providing welfare services for evacuated persons
• Restricting entry to danger areas
• Searching floors or areas
• Security
• Supplying emergency equipment

Assets may include:

• Equipment
• Information
• Livestock
• Machinery
• Material
• Plant

Emergency reports, signals and warnings may include:

• Audible/visual alarms
• Audible or vibrating pagers
• Coded or uncoded public address announcements
• E-mail
• Screen alerts
• Stench alarms

Emergency stations may include:

• Assembly or marshalling points
• Designated telephone or intercom
• Designated muster points
• Emergency control point
• Master emergency control point
• Warden’s inter-communication point (WIP) phones

Relevant standards may include:

• Relevant Australian Standards such as Australian Standard 3745—2002

Accounting for evacuated people may be carried out by:

• Floor checks
• Head counts
• Provisions for people evacuated outside normal working hours or during other unusual workplace situations that can be reasonably anticipated
• Provisions related to visitors, contractors and other staff
• Roll calls or checklists
• Tagging systems
• Visitor registers
• Results and reports may be reported to
• Emergency teams or services
• Senior management

Evidence Guide

Critical aspects of evidence

• Assessment must confirm the ability to respond to emergency reports, signals and warnings properly; to give clear directionsunder emergency conditions; to make decisions appropriate to the situation; to keep others appropriately informed; to respond in accordance with the workplace emergency procedures; to
  take on a leadership role consistent with the emergency control organisation; and to operate in accordance with the command, control and coordinate framework of the emergency control organisation structures

Underpinning knowledge

•  Accounting for evacuated persons and analysis of reports from evacuation areas
• Actions to take in response to developing situations
• Command, control and coordinate framework
• Emergency plan and procedures
• Emergency response reports or signals
• Emergency response structure including external agencies and disaster plans
• Emergency risk assessment, response and coordination actions
• Hazard identification and precautions to be taken during emergencies and during an evacuation
• Liaison requirements of emergency services
• Own role in the emergency plan and role and authority of the emergency services
• People’s typical behaviour in an emergency
• Range of appropriate post initial response activities

Underpinning skills

• Ability to relate to a range of people from a range of cultural, linguistic, social and ethnic backgrounds, and a range of physical and intellectual abilities
• Communicate clearly by the means specified in the emergency plan
• Interpersonal communication

Resource implications

• Access to scenarios that reflect a range of emergency situations that may be expected in the workplace

Consistency in performance

• Competency should be demonstrated controlling an emergency response or a simulated emergency response
• Context of assessment Competency should be assessed in the workplace or in a simulated workplace