MSL944002
Maintain laboratory or field workplace safety


Application

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge to monitor and maintain work health and safety (WHS) within a work area where the person has supervisory responsibility for others.

This unit applies to laboratory technicians, senior technicians and laboratory managers in all industry sectors.

No licensing or certification requirements exist at the time of publication. However, regulations and/or external accreditation requirements for laboratory operations exist, so local requirements should be checked. Relevant legislation, industry standards and codes of practice within Australia must also be applied.


Elements and Performance Criteria

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1

Perform all work safely

1.1

Use established work practices and personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure personal safety and that of other laboratory personnel

1.2

Clean, care for and store equipment, materials and reagents as required

1.3

Minimise the generation of wastes and environmental impacts

1.4

Ensure safe disposal of laboratory/hazardous wastes

2

Ensure others in the work group are able to implement safe work practices

2.1

Ensure hazard controls and PPE appropriate to the work requirements are available and functional

2.2

Provide and communicate current information about WHS policies, procedures and programs to others

2.3

Ensure hazards and control measures relating to work responsibilities are known by those in the work area

2.4

Provide support to those in the work area to implement procedures to support safety

2.5

Identify and address training needs within level of responsibility

3

Monitor observance of safe work practices in the work area

3.1

Ensure workplace procedures are clearly defined, documented and followed

3.2

Identify any deviation from identified procedures and report and address within level of responsibility

3.3

Ensure personal behaviour is consistent with workplace policies and procedures

3.4

Encourage and follow up others to identify and report hazards in the work area

3.5

Monitor conditions and follow up to ensure housekeeping standards in the work area are maintained

4

Participate in risk management processes

4.1

Report and address any identified hazards and inadequacies in existing risk controls within level of responsibility and according to workplace procedures

4.2

Participate in risk assessments to identify and analyse risks

4.3

Support the implementation of procedures to control risk (based on the hierarchy of control)

4.4

Ensure records of incidents in the work area and other required documentation are accurately completed and maintained according to workplace procedures and legislative requirements

5

Support the implementation of participative arrangements

5.1

Inform and consult work group on WHS issues relevant to the work role

5.2

Promptly report outcomes of consultation on WHS issues back to the work group

5.3

Resolve, or promptly refer to appropriate personnel, matters raised relating to WHS

6

Support the implementation of emergency procedures within the work group

6.1

Ensure that workplace procedures for dealing with incidents and emergencies are available and known by work group

6.2

Implement processes to ensure that others in the work area are able to respond appropriately to incidents and emergencies

6.3

Participate, as required, in investigations of hazardous incidents to identify their cause

Foundation Skills

This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance.

Writing skills to prepare brief WHS reports for committees, managers and/or supervisors.

Other foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit.


Competency Field

Work health and safety