Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to develop, implement and evaluate strategies that support work-related psychological health and safety and the control of work-related psychosocial hazards.
The unit applies to those who are in a position to apply the principles of work-related psychological health and safety risk management to develop appropriate strategies in their organisation. These people 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
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Develop strategies that support work-related psychological health and safety | 1.1 Access and assess information and data relevant to creating and sustaining a psychologically healthy and safe workplace 1.2 Review organisation’s work-related psychosocial hazard register, associated risk assessments and identified risk controls 1.3 Review complaints and incidents relating to work-related psychological health and safety, and associated psychosocial hazards 1.4 Collaborate with others to develop strategies that maintain work-related psychological health and safety 1.5 Document strategies according to organisational policies and procedures |
2. Implement developed strategies that support work-related psychological health and safety | 2.1 Consult with required personnel to confirm their roles and responsibilities in relation to work-related psychological health and safety strategies 2.2 Communicate work-related psychological health and safety strategies to required personnel 2.3 Identify, disseminate and promote current information and data relating to implemented strategies 2.4 Identify situations where specialist support is required and access support as needed 2.5 Identify and address training needs for relevant stakeholders in identifying and managing risks to work-related psychological health and safety |
3. Evaluate implemented strategies that support work-related psychological health and safety | 3.1 Establish processes and procedures for evaluating effectiveness of implemented work-related psychological health and safety strategies 3.2 Seek feedback on implemented strategies from internal and, as required, external stakeholders 3.3 Apply established evaluation processes and procedures 3.4 Adjust strategy components in response to evaluation outcomes and feedback received 3.5 Document and communicate evaluation outcomes to required personnel according to organisational policies and procedures 3.6 Document required enhancements to work-related psychological health and safety strategies arising from evaluation activities |
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 | Identifies, interprets and analyses internal and external organisational texts relevant to work-related psychological health and safety requirements |
Writing | Communicates information about work-related psychological health and safety strategies, matching style of writing to purpose and audience Drafts and develops required documents using appropriate vocabulary, grammatical structure and required conventions |
Oral communication | Presents information and ideas using vocabulary appropriate to audience and context Uses questioning and active listening to facilitate discussion, seek clarification, confirm understanding and seek feedback Communicates effectively, taking into consideration confidentiality and privacy of individuals |
Numeracy | Extracts and evaluates information and data from work-related psychological health and safety documents Uses oral and written mathematical language and graphical representation to communicate |
Navigate the world of work | Identifies own and others’ legal rights and responsibilities relating to work-related psychological health and safety |
Interact with others | Collaborates with others to achieve joint outcomes, playing an active role in facilitating effective group interaction and influencing direction |
Get the work done | Uses logical planning processes and understanding of context to plan work-related health and safety strategies Sequences and schedules strategies, monitors their implementation and manages relevant communication Uses systematic and analytical processes in complex, non-routine situations: sets goals, gathers relevant information, and identifies and evaluates options against agreed criteria Identifies and anticipates problems and promotes appropriate resources and information, as required |
Sectors
Regulation, Licensing and Risk – Work Health and Safety