This unit would typically apply to an urban field based Safety Officer who is responsible for providing advice to the Incident Controller including the amendment of any direction, action or condition when a person's life and/or safety is at immediate risk at an urban incident.
The authorisation and authorities of this role is subject to organisational policies and procedures.
Providing a safe working environment is the shared responsibility of each member of the Incident Management Team (IMT) and all personnel at the incident, within the area of their responsibility. People working at an incident have responsibility for their own safety as well as the safety of the people with whom they work.
Not applicable.
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Contribute to the safety of all personnel involved in an incident | 1.1 Initial briefing and regular updates are obtained from Incident Controller or relevant person 1.2 Requirements for the safety of crew are identified 1.3 Assessment of information relating to safety is reported to Incident Controller 1.4 Safety priorities are identified and confirmed with Incident Controller throughout an incident 1.5 Safety of operational and other associated personnel is monitored and reviewed throughout an incident 1.6 Mitigation strategies for risks that may not have been controlled elsewhere in the planning process are identified and developed 1.7 Adequacy of procedures is assessed and issues identified are reported to relevant personnel |
2. Assess risks at incident | 2.1 Initial and ongoing risk assessments of hazards are undertaken and precautions to be observed are proposed 2.2 Electrical and other utilities are assessed to ensure they are rendered safe or hazards identified are mitigated 2.3 Building risks are assessed to ensure they are identified, communicated to relevant personnel and mitigated where possible 2.4 Environmental risks are identified and mitigated, where possible |
3. Provide advice to relevant personnel on mitigating safety risks | 3.1 Relevant personnel are immediately informed of any action or condition that has the potential to place any person's life or safety at risk 3.2 Mitigation actions are recommended as appropriate, where operational actions or conditions have the potential to place any person's life or safety at risk 3.3 Work is undertaken with relevant personnel to ensure safety issues are considered and addressed 3.4 Incident Controller is alerted to unsafe work practices and alternative strategies/mitigations are suggested 3.5 Advice is provided and the outcomes of that advice are documented |
4. Monitor the application of resources identified in the Incident Action Plan | 4.1 Resources required to safely control an incident are identified in the Incident Action Plan (IAP) and inappropriate or inadequate availability of these resources is determined and conveyed to Incident Controller and other relevant personnel 4.2 Resources required to provide for reasonable contingencies are identified in the IAP and inappropriate or inadequate availability of these resources is determined and conveyed to Incident Controller and other relevant personnel |
5. Monitor personnel at an incident | 5.1 Any freelance operations not part of the coordinated response are identified and reported to relevant personnel 5.2 Adequacy of supervision of personnel is assessed and issues identified are reported to Incident Controller and other relevant personnel 5.3 Wearing of appropriate personal protective equipment by all personnel is observed and issues identified are reported to relevant personnel 5.4 Adherence to safe work procedures when using personal protective equipment is observed and issues identified are reported to relevant personnel 5.5 Presence and movement of external agencies or technical experts/advisors at the incident are observed and issues identified are reported to relevant personnel |
6. Monitor operations at an incident | 6.1 Adequacy of briefings is assessed and issues identified are reported to relevant personnel 6.2 Adherence to decontamination procedures is observed and issues identified are reported to relevant personnel 6.3 Lighting during night operations is assessed and recommendations are provided to improve site or personnel visibility if required 6.4 Correct siting of appliances is assessed and recommendations are made where necessary 6.5 Use of equipment at an incident is observed and issues identified are reported to relevant personnel 6.6 Provision of escape routes and refuges is assessed and issues identified are reported to relevant personnel |
7. Monitor operational safety at an incident | 7.1 Any action that has imminent risk of injury or harm is ceased, suspended or modified 7.2 Intervention is immediately reported to the appropriate officer within the chain of command 7.3 Application of the agency's safe working systems and practices is assessed and issues identified are reported to relevant personnel 7.4 Operational/safety information flow between the IMT and personnel on the ground is assessed and issues identified are reported to relevant personnel 7.5 Fatigue status of all personnel at an incident is observed and actions are recommended to mitigate fatigue related safety issues |
8. Complete documentation | 8.1 Log of all activities is maintained 8.2 Assessment of future risks likely to emerge is undertaken and actions are proposed to prevent and/or mitigate these risks 8.3 Suggestions for safety messages to be included in the IAP are made 8.4 Investigation of any accident, near miss, significant injuries and/or fatalities is overseen and documented and handed over to the relevant person or appropriate authority 8.5 Advice on the need for additional support is documented and given to relevant personnel 8.6 Reports are prepared and given to relevant personnel |
This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit. |
Required Skills |
assess situations effectively follow zero harm or safe person principles implement risk management based decisions with regards to incident safety observance of active and developing situations manage and communicate information promote a safety culture within the agency work within the chain of command |
Required Knowledge |
agency jurisdiction agency specific standards, occupational health and safety (OH&S) policies, safe work practices, procedures and guidelines chain of command hazard identification that could be encountered at an incident incident management reporting structure operational procedures, practices and implementation organisational policies and procedures (such as relevant legislation; operational, corporate and strategic plans; operational performance standards; operational policies and procedures; organisational personnel and occupational health and safety practices and guidelines; organisational quality standards; organisation's approach to environmental management and sustainability) relevant legislation |
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package. | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Assessment must confirm the ability to: work as part of a team provide safety advice at urban incidents that occur during the day and urban incidents that occur at night negotiate mitigation strategies with the Incident Controller provide an assessment report Consistency in performance Competency should be demonstrated over time in a range of actual or simulated workplace environments. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Context of assessment Competency should be assessed over time in a range of actual or simulated workplace environments. Specific resources for assessment Access is required to: actual or simulated workplace environments relevant agency-specific policies, procedures, standards, practices and guidelines. |
Method of assessment | In a public safety environment assessment is usually conducted via direct observation in a training environment or in the workplace via subject matter supervision and/or mentoring, which is typically recorded in a competency workbook. Assessment is completed using appropriately qualified assessors who select the most appropriate method of assessment. Assessment may occur in an operational environment or in an industry-approved simulated work environment. Forms of assessment that are typically used include: direct observation interviewing the candidate journals and workplace documentation third party reports from supervisors written or oral questions |
The Range Statement relates to the Unit of Competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the Performance Criteria is detailed below. | |
Initial briefing may include: | Current situation Objectives and strategies Potential OH&S issues Potential public health and environmental risks Risk management decisions |
Adequacy of procedures may include: | Communication and warning systems Risk management procedures Skills and training of personnel prior to deployment Appropriate supervision of all personnel working in and around an incident Incident and safety information provided to incident personnel IAP development process Reporting of accidents and near-misses Suitability of protective clothing and equipment prior to deployment |
Building risks may include: | Asbestos Collapse zones Tilt slab construction |
Environmental risks may include: | Atmospheric air risks Water run-off risks |
Relevant personnel may include: | Incident Controller IMT Line supervisor Officers representing other agencies and support organisations Operational personnel Personnel involved in, or affected by a health, safety or welfare incident Section managers Unit managers/leaders |
Safe work procedures when using personal protective equipment may include: | BA entry points/procedures BA staging (shelter, fluid replacement, cleaning/hygiene) Rapid entry teams (firefighter down) |
Presence and movement of external agencies or technical experts/advisors includes: | Dress requirements Escort requirements Incident and site induction Recording presence and movement |
Adequacy of briefings may include: | Briefing all personnel Briefing all personnel about safety issues Making all personnel aware of all known hazards and keeping them informed of developments |
Decontamination procedures may include: | BA monitoring Emergency decontamination plan Medication/health monitoring |
Correct siting of appliances may include: | Equipment access Overhead electrical hazards Staging Traffic/end off positioning Up hill, up wind |
Use of equipment may include: | Appropriate to the activity being undertaken Appropriate to the user's qualifications and/or accreditations and experience |
Operational/safety information may include: | Provision of maps Provision of warnings |
Additional support may include: | Chaplaincy services Critical incident support services Ongoing Time critical Time limited |
Reports may include: | Demobilisation report Reports prepared at the end of a shift |
Not applicable.
This unit contains employability skills.
Not applicable.