Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to contribute to managing work-related psychological health and safety. It requires the ability to identify psychosocial hazards, assess their risk, and implement control methods for psychosocial hazards that apply in the workplace.
The unit applies to those with work health and safety (WHS) supervisory responsibilities who work in a range of WHS roles across all industries, and apply a substantial knowledge base and well-developed skills in a wide variety of WHS contexts.
NOTES
1. The terms ‘occupational health and safety’ (OHS) and ‘work health and safety’ (WHS) are equivalent, and generally either can be used in the workplace. In jurisdictions where model WHS laws have not been implemented, registered training organisations (RTOs) are advised to contextualise this unit of competency by referring to existing WHS legislative requirements.
2. The model WHS laws include the model WHS Act, model WHS Regulations and model WHS Codes of Practice. See Safe Work Australia (SWA) for further information.
3. Safe Work Australia national guidance material refers to ‘psychosocial hazards or factors’ as ‘anything in the design or management of work that increases the risk of work-related stress’ and states that ‘work-related stress if prolonged and/or severe can cause both psychological and physical injury’. (SWA, Work-related psychological health and safety: A systematic approach to meeting your duties)
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENTS | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Establish requirements for managing work-related psychological health and safety | 1.1 Review and analyse legislative requirements applicable to psychological health and safety 1.2 Determine workplace responsibilities relating to psychological health and safety 1.3 Determine roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in relation to managing psychological health and safety |
2. Record work-related psychosocial hazards in the workplace | 2.1 Identify work-related psychosocial hazards in own workplace, and factors contributing to them 2.2 Access and store information, data and advice to assist with identifying work-related psychosocial hazards according to legislative requirements 2.3 Consult with workers and other required stakeholders to confirm identified work-related psychosocial hazards 2.4 Develop and maintain a register of identified work-related psychosocial hazards according to legislative requirements |
3. Assess risk of identified work-related psychosocial hazards | 3.1 Identify and consult with individuals and/or parties who should participate in risk assessment of identified work-related psychosocial hazards 3.2 Assess frequency and duration of exposure to identified work-related psychosocial hazards, and determine severity of risk 3.3 Record psychosocial risk assessment according to organisational policies and procedures |
4. Contribute to implementing risk controls for risks associated with identified work-related psychosocial hazards | 4.1 Contribute to determining required risk controls for identified work-related psychosocial hazards according to the hierarchy of control measures 4.2 Contribute to selecting risk controls that address identified work-related psychosocial hazards and control risks 4.3 Communicate selected risk controls to required stakeholders according to organisational policies and procedures |
5. Review effectiveness of risk controls for managing work-related psychological health and safety | 5.1 Establish strategy and timeframe for reviewing risk controls for identified work-related psychosocial hazards 5.2 Consult with individuals and/or parties to review risk controls 5.3 Evaluate effectiveness of risk controls and document areas for improvement |
Foundation Skills
This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance but not explicit in the performance criteria.
Skill | Description |
Reading | Interprets and critically analyses texts when contributing to work-related psychological health and safety Constructs meaning from texts to assist in promoting work-related psychological health and safety |
Writing | Develops risk registers, reports and associated documentation according to organisational requirements Uses vocabulary, grammatical structure and conventions appropriate to text when developing risk registers, reports and other documentation |
Oral communication | Asks questions and actively listens to gather information about potential risk situations Provides information during or after work-related psychological health and safety response situations using structure and language appropriate to the audience |
Navigate the world of work | Contributes to broader goals in work-related psychological health and safety contexts Identifies own legal rights and responsibilities, and general legal principles in relation to work-related psychological health and safety contexts Keeps up to date on changes to WHS laws relevant to own role and responsibilities, and considers their implications in work-related psychological health and safety contexts |
Interact with others | Collaborates with others to achieve joint outcomes, playing an active role in facilitating effective group interaction Supports, consults and liaises with others in work-related psychological health and safety situations |
Get the work done | Formulates plans and monitors actions against stated goals, adjusting plans and resources to cope with contingencies Uses decision-making processes: sets and clarifies goals, gathers information, and identifies and evaluates several choices to determine appropriate actions and responses Applies problem-solving processes when identifying actions required for work-related psychological health and safety Documents outcomes and feedback from others in order to identify general principles and concepts that may be applicable in new situations Identifies the potential of new approaches to enhance work practices and outcomes |
Sectors
Regulation, Licensing and Risk – Work Health and Safety