This unit of competency involves the skills and knowledge required to make decisions about the safety of occupants during a facility emergency and to give instructions on the priority order for responding to an emergency incident.

It includes leading the preparation of facility emergency response procedures; commanding, controlling and coordinating facility emergency response procedures and responses and concluding the facility emergency incident. Individuals who undertake this work may also act as the primary liaison with emergency services after their arrival.

The unit has been developed to cover the facilities as specified in Australian Standard (AS) 3745 and AS4083. For this unit, as covered by AS3745 and AS4083, occupants are people attending a facility on a permanent or temporary basis such as an employee, contractor, student or resident, but not a visitor or patient and a facility is a building, structure or workplace that is, or may be, occupied by people (occupants).

All aspects of the unit must be undertaken in line with legislative requirements, organisational policies and procedures and approved safe practices. It applies to members of an Emergency Control Organisation (ECO) who are chief wardens, deputy chief wardens and communications officers.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

ELEMENTS

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

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

1

Prepare for an emergency in a facility

1.1

Possible emergency situations in a facility are identified

1.2

Information on developments and characteristics of possible facility emergency situations is gathered, assessed, analysed and applied, in accordance with the facility emergency plan

1.3

Emergency actions for facility emergency is identified, in accordance with the facility emergency plan

2

Undertake pre-emergency planning

2.1

Emergency planning committee meetings, training and exercises are attended

2.2

Regular exercises are conducted

2.3

Facility emergency response procedures are maintained and updated

2.4

Emergency control organisational membership information is maintained and updated

3

Take appropriate actions in an emergency

3.1

Emergency signals and warnings are identified or initiated

3.2

Action is taken to ensure emergency stations are attended and operated, in accordance with facility emergency response procedures

3.3

Emergency is assessed and the action plan is initiated, in accordance with facility emergency response procedures

3.4

Entry to affected areas is controlled, in accordance with facility emergency response procedures

3.5

Directions are given, decisions are made appropriate to the situation and others are kept informed

3.6

Evacuation progress is monitored and action taken is recorded

3.7

Reports of areas affected by the emergency are received or requested

3.8

Attending emergency services are briefed on their arrival and senior emergency services officer instructions are followed

4

Conclude emergency

4.1

When emergency is safe and/or attending emergency services return control to building owner and/or manager ECO members are notified about when occupants can return to the facility

4.2

Process for occupants to return to the facility is implemented, in accordance with facility emergency response procedures

4.3

Reinstatement of emergency systems is reported to building owner and/or manager

4.4

Information for debriefing is provided and it is organised in a timely manner

4.5

Report is compiled for emergency planning committee and management, in accordance with facility emergency response procedures

4.6

Documentation is filed, in accordance with facility emergency response procedures

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Range is restricted to essential operating conditions and any other variables essential to the work environment.

Non-essential conditions may be found in the Companion Volume Implementation Guide.

Public Safety

Facility Emergency Response