Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to oversee the day-to-day air quality management activities for a site, project or an ongoing program. Personnel are required to interpret and implement an air quality management plan, organise specified management activities, verify the quality of monitoring data and investigate and rectify unexpected or unacceptable results, monitor compliance with relevant air quality objectives or standards and provide reports. They work under the supervision of an environmental scientist or engineer, site manager or workplace environmental manager.
This unit applies to environmental site coordinators, environmental managers and senior environmental officers working in a range of industry sectors, including environmental services involved with sampling and monitoring of ambient air, indoor air and workplace air parameters; environmental compliance, auditing and inspection. The term ‘manager’ is used to refer to management of a function, project and/or program and does not necessarily imply line management.
No licensing or certification requirements exist at the time of publication. Relevant legislation, industry standards and codes of practice within Australia must be applied.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance Criteria Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. | |
1. Confirm scope of air quality management activities | 1.1 | Read and interpret legislative, regulatory and licensing requirements and approvals that apply to site or project or program |
1.2 | Read current air quality management plan to identify objectives, known issues, specified management activities and required changes | |
1.3 | Read and review previous air quality records and reports | |
1.4 | Confirm that site set-up, sampling methods, instrumentation and workplace procedures are in accordance with standards and guidelines | |
1.5 | Clarify own scope of responsibility for achieving outcomes and the roles of key personnel | |
1.6 | Identify resources available to conduct air quality management activities | |
2. Plan air quality management activities | 2.1 | Develop a consolidated schedule to ensure all activities can be conducted efficiently with the available resources |
2.2 | Develop checklists and clear work instructions to enable personnel to perform assigned tasks efficiently and with minimal errors | |
2.3 | Check that personnel are competent to undertake their assigned tasks | |
2.4 | Check equipment is regularly calibrated and maintained and that adequate stocks of consumables are available | |
2.5 | Ensure air samples are handled in accordance with the sampling method and chain of custody requirements and dispatched promptly for analysis | |
2.6 | Arrange for source emission testing according to licence requirements | |
2.7 | Conduct, or arrange for, regular site inspections to monitor the effectiveness of air quality management actions | |
2.8 | Advise relevant personnel when specified air quality management actions are not being implemented effectively | |
2.9 | Conduct, or arrange for, additional monitoring and inspections after atypical events, legitimate complaints or government requests | |
3. Verify air quality data | 3.1 | Read and interpret job instructions, data and technical records in workplace information management system |
3.2 | Confirm that technical records provide sufficient information to ensure traceability and chain of custody for the monitoring activities | |
3.3 | Read and compare data with expected values and identify outliers | |
3.4 | Read and interpret data records to identify gaps and to check the integrity of data entry, transfers, alterations and calculations | |
3.5 | Notify manager when data is incomplete or contains significant errors and clarify what action to take | |
4. Check results are acceptable and within expectation | 4.1 | Compare results with expected values and standards and identify significant differences or trends |
4.2 | Check the reliability of results by examining data or results from other monitoring stations or repeat measurements or tests of duplicate samples | |
4.3 | Assess the significance of recorded atypical environmental or meteorological conditions | |
4.4 | Check calculations to ensure there are no errors | |
4.5 | Check that estimations of uncertainty are reasonable and consistent with the sampling method, standards and guidelines | |
4.6 | Report results that meet workplace data quality standards and are consistent with expectations | |
5. Investigate and rectify unexpected or unacceptable results | 5.1 | Read and interpret records of pre-use checks and calibration performance to ensure that the sampling equipment, reagents, standards or monitoring and test instruments used meet specifications and workplace requirements |
5.2 | Establish whether human, environmental or meteorological factors could have affected the reliability of results | |
5.3 | Check for obvious sources of interference that occurred during measurements or analysis of samples | |
5.4 | Retrieve stored samples and assess whether they are atypical or contaminated | |
5.5 | Arrange for control tests using the same or new samples to check unexpected results | |
5.6 | Report unexpected results that meet workplace data quality standards | |
5.7 | Identify root causes of unacceptable results and preventative or corrective actions | |
5.8 | Report investigation outcomes and recommendations for improvements in accordance with workplace procedures | |
5.9 | Seek manager’s advice when challenges are beyond own technical competence or when input from environmental specialists may be required | |
6. Keep management informed about air quality performance | 6.1 | Provide regular reports about air quality performance including instances of potential and actual non-conformance and incidents and the actions taken in each case |
6.2 | Report opportunities and recommendations for improvements in air quality monitoring or management in accordance with workplace procedures | |
7. Maintain air quality records | 7.1 | Write legible, accurate air quality records in accordance with workplace and legislative requirements |
7.2 | Store air quality records in accordance with workplace procedures | |
7.3 | Regularly read and review air quality records to identify significant trends and impacts | |
7.4 | Identify problems with the maintenance and security of air quality records and resolve them promptly | |
Foundation Skills
This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance.
Oral communication to liaise with other personnel.
Other foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Range Statement
Sectors
Competency Field
Environmental management