Description

This unit covers the competency required to manage or to operate as part of the management of an emergency control organisation.

People who undertake this work would generally be members of an emergency planning committee.

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

Performance Criteria

1. Initiate a system of emergency response planning
1.1 A system of emergency alerting is planned, specified, implemented and maintained according to the workplace emergency plan, needs, resources and relevant legislation
1.2 A means of alerting people to the need for evacuation or other initial emergency response is provided in accordance with relevant legislation or appropriate standards
1.3 Emergency risk management process is developed and implemented according to legislative requirements and relevant standards
1.4 Emergency control organisation is established and trained to meet organisational needs and resources and the workplace emergency plan
1.5 Resources required to support the effective operation of the emergency control organisation are identified and allocated

2. Ensure emergency control organisation is in place
2.1 Possible emergencies are identified and defined and plans are developed to deal with them
2.2 Building plans are analysed for initial emergency response issues
2.3 Emergency response procedures are based on emergencies identified in the hazard analysis

3. Provide for initiation and control of initial emergency response
3.1 Procedures for initiating and controlling the initial emergency response are developed, implemented and communicated according to workplace emergency procedures
3.2 Suitable arrangements are established for the evacuation of people who need assistance
3.3 Plans provide for assets to be secured where safe to do so
3.4 Plans provide for restricted access to the evacuated area
3.5 Evacuation exercises are conducted to validate and amend the procedures as required
3.6 A system to account for all people during emergencies is developed and implemented

4. Provide for post initial response activities
1. Priorities for evacuation and post initial response activities are put in place
2. Need for post initial response activities is considered and discussed with emergency services
3. Possible post initial response activities and procedures are documented in workplace emergency procedures
4. Workplace emergency procedures provide for initial emergency response activities being completed before post initial response activities are undertaken
5. Workplace emergency procedures provide for recovery activities to be identified and developed, and their
implementation to be facilitated

5. Plan and implement emergency control organisation training
5.1 Training needs are identified and documented
5.2 Relevant training is developed, implemented and regularly reviewed according to workplace emergency plan, legislative requirements and relevant standards
5.3 Training covers topics identified in the needs analysis before a person is assigned emergency duties, when those duties are changed, or when a significant change occurs to the risk of emergencies at the workplace
5.4 Sufficient relevant refresher training, drills and exercises are conducted so that competencies needed by the workplace emergency initial response team are maintained
5.5 Resources required for training are identified and provided
5.6 Training provided reflects the needs of the workplace, the individuals and statutory requirements
5.7 Qualified and experienced people are used to provide training
5.8 Feedback on training is sought and used to improve future training

6. Provide advice and support for people in the post response and recovery phase
6.1 Provision is made for minimising adverse consequences to people involved, the environment and the organisation
6.2 A process is provided for debriefing to be undertaken according to workplace procedures
6.3 A process is provided for external support services to be accessed as necessary
6.4 Provision is made for liaison with the media to be undertaken according to organisation procedures
6.5 Provision is made for appropriate reports to be completed and processed according to organisation 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

Workplace includes:

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

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

Relevant standards may include:

• Relevant Australian Standards such as Australian Standard 3745—2002

People who need assistance may include:

• Babies and children
• People with a mobility, intellectual, visual, auditory or sensory impairment, either temporary or permanent, who require assistance during an emergency response
• People from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds
• People who are injured
• People who are not able to comprehend the instructions given
• Pregnant women

Assets may include:

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

Accounting for all people during emergencies may include:

• 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

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
• Training may include Briefings
• Coaching
• Drills or critiques
• Exercises
• Formal and informal training sessions
• Instructions
• Meetings
• Mentoring
• On-the-job and off-the-job training
• Regular testing

External support services may include:

• Community services
• Counselling services
• Unions

Evidence Guide

Critical aspects of evidence

• Assessment must confirm the ability to plan and prepare for the range of possible emergencies as identified by the hazard analysis

Underpinning knowledge

• Characteristics, limitations and use of emergency alerting systems and procedures
• Emergency alerting needs
• Hazard identification and the precautions to be observed during emergencies
• Legislative requirements
• Methods/priorities in managing media responses in emergency situations
• Organisation and its human resources
• People who may need assistance and the assistance they may require
• Pre-planning procedures to allow for the conduct of post initial response activities
• Roles and responsibilities under legislation of employers, managers, supervisors, employees and contractors
• Requirements under relevant standards and codes of practice
• Resources required to support an emergency controlorganisation
• Systems for controlling the entry of visitors, contractors and staff during an emergency
• Workplace emergency hazard analysis

Underpinning skills

• Analyse
• Chair meetings
• Manage projects
• Manage risk
• Plan

Resource implications

• Access is required to:
  • scenarios that reflect a range of emergency situations that may be expected in the workplace
  • hazard analyses
  • emergency planning committee

Consistency in performance

• Competency should be demonstrated over time with a range of emergencies that could be expected in the workplace

Context of assessment

• Competency should be assessed in the workplace or in a simulated workplace