SITXWHS401 - Implement and monitor work health and safety practices

SITXWHS401
Implement and monitor work health and safety practices

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to implement those predetermined work health and safety practices designed, at management level, to ensure a safe workplace. It requires the ability to monitor safe work practices, coordinate consultative arrangements, risk assessments, work health and safety training and the maintenance of records.

Application

This unit applies to all tourism, travel, hospitality and event sectors and to any small, medium or large organisation.

It applies to those people who operate independently or with limited guidance from others. This includes supervisors and departmental managers.

Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Elements and Performance Criteria

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.	Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.
1. Provide information on health, safety and security.	1.1 Explain relevant work health and safety information to personnel. 1.2 Make all current work health and safety information readily accessible to staff.
2. Monitor safe work practices.	2.1 Monitor adherence to organisational work health and safety procedures. 2.2 Monitor ongoing compliance with safe work practices. 2.3 Take prompt action to address non-compliance with procedures and safe work practice. 2.4 Monitor the day-to-day effectiveness of work health and safety practices in maintaining the health, safety and security of personnel.
3. Coordinate consultative arrangements for the management of health, safety and security issues.	3.1 Coordinate the operation of all consultative processes. 3.2 Provide the opportunity for staff members to contribute their views on current and future work health and safety management practices. 3.3 Resolve or refer issues raised through work health and safety consultation to the appropriate person. 3.4 Provide timely staff and own feedback on work health and safety management practices to the designated person.
4. Implement and monitor procedures for identifying hazards, assessing and controlling risks.	4.1 Coordinate scheduled hazard identification activities ensuring hazards are identified at times designated by legislation. 4.2 Identify any hazards on an ongoing basis through own day-to-day workplace operations. 4.3 React to reports of hazards by other workers, coordinate and participate in risk assessments. 4.4 Implement any risk control methods or refer to appropriate person if control is outside scope of responsibility. 4.5 Monitor the effectiveness of control measures, promptly identify any inadequacies and resolve or report them to the appropriate person.
5. Implement and monitor health, safety and security training.	5.1 Identify work health and safety training needs based on regular staff monitoring. 5.2 Make arrangements for fulfilling training needs. 5.3 Monitor effectiveness of training and make required adjustments.
6. Maintain work health and safety records and reports.	6.1 Complete work health and safety records and reports accurately and legibly and store according to organisation and legal requirements. 6.2 Use data and reports to provide reliable and timely input to the management of workplace health, safety and security. 6.3 Minimise use of printed materials and maximise electronic transmission and filing of all documents to reduce waste.

Required Skills

Required skills

communication skills to:

explain issues of work health and safety responsibility to personnel

discipline non-compliant personnel

conduct sometimes complex work health and safety consultation activities

explain all work health and safety procedures and information on safe work practices

critical thinking skills to:

allow for a rational and logical evaluation of the effectiveness of work health and safety management practices

incorporate the views of other people consulted in the workplace

literacy skills to:

read and interpret unfamiliar and complex materials describing regulatory requirements for work health and safety management and organisational policies and procedures

write high level reports about the effectiveness of work health and safety management practices, including recommendations for change and complete accurate records for regulatory compliance

planning and organising skills to coordinate consultative arrangements, work health and safety training and regular hazard identification and risk assessment activities

problem-solving skills to analyse work health and safety system deficiencies and recommend change

teamwork skills to monitor staff members’ daily compliance with work health and safety management practices and counsel on non-compliance.

Required knowledge

the primary components of relevant state or territory OHS or WHS legislation. This would include:

actions that must be taken for legal compliance

employer responsibilities to provide a safe workplace

requirement to consult and acceptable consultation mechanisms

requirements for the use of work health and safety representatives and committees, and their roles and responsibilities

requirements for hazard identification, risk assessment, risk control and acceptable mechanisms

requirements for record keeping and acceptable record keeping mechanisms

requirement to provide information and training

employee responsibilities to ensure safety of self, other workers and other people in the workplace

employee responsibility to participate in work health and safety practices

ramifications of failure to observe OHS or WHS legislation and organisational policies and procedures

for the specific organisation:

the full content of work health and safety policies, procedures, consultation, hazard identification, risk assessment and reporting documents

methods used for work health and safety consultation, hazard identification and risk assessment

options for the provision of training.

Evidence Required

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit	Evidence of the ability to: implement and monitor predetermined work health and safety work practices, coordinate consultative arrangements, risk assessments, work health and safety training and the maintenance of records monitor the effectiveness of the work health and safety system over a period of time integrate knowledge of management practices that must be implemented for compliance with state or territory OHS or WHS legislation integrate knowledge of policies and procedures when monitoring work health and safety practices.
Context of and specific resources for assessment	Assessment must ensure use of: a real or simulated tourism, hospitality or event industry business operation for which work health and safety management practices are implemented and monitored computers, software programs, printers and communication technology used to administer the implementation and monitoring of a work health and safety system the relevant state or territory OHS or WHS legislation current plain English regulatory documents distributed by the local work health and safety government regulator codes of practice and standards issued by government regulators or industry groups work health and safety information and business management manuals issued by industry associations or commercial publishers current commercial work health and safety policies and procedures an operational team for which the individual coordinates work health and safety management practices.
Method of assessment	A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: direct observation, using role plays, of the individual providing work health and safety information and conducting work health and safety consultation sessions evaluation of documents prepared by the individual: action plans to coordinate consultative processes, hazard identification and risk assessment activities a range of work health and safety records and reports reports detailing the effectiveness of work health and safety management practices and recommendations for change use of case studies and problem-solving exercises so the individual can suggest methods for controlling staff non-compliance with procedures and safe work practices written or oral questioning to assess knowledge of: legislative requirements contents of policies and procedures methods used for WHS consultation, hazard identification and risk assessment review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the individual.
Guidance information for assessment	The assessor should design integrated assessment activities to holistically assess this unit with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role, for example: BSBADM502B Manage meetings BSBMGT515A Manage operational plan BSBPMG501A Manage projects SITTPPD404 Develop in-house recreational activities SITXMGT401 Monitor work operations SITXWHS601 Establish and maintain a Work Health and Safety system.

Range Statement

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, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Work health and safety informationmay include:	consultative arrangements for work health and safety employee roles and responsibilities in work health and safety management practices legal obligations and ramifications of failure to comply location of first aid kit and emergency evacuation plan work health and safety training information and updates policies: overall approach of organisation to work health and safety participation of personnel in work health and safety management practices responsibilities of employees to ensure safety procedures specific risk control measures relevant to the workplace specific regulations and codes of practice use of: hazard identification reporting documents risk assessment template documents.
Work health and safety procedures may cover:	consultation emergencies evacuation of staff and customers handling chemicals and hazardous substances hazard identification and reporting incident and accident reporting risk assessments and reporting safe work practices security management of: cash documents equipment keys people.
Safe work practice may include:	clearing hazards from immediate work area following the direction of: safety signage supervisors managers handling chemicals, poisons and dangerous materials safely operating beverage dispensing systems, taking account of the dangers associated with inert gases taking short breaks away from stressful situations involving difficult colleagues and customers taking designated breaks and rotating tasks using: equipment designed to assist with or replace manual handling ergonomically sound furniture and workstations personal protective equipment and clothing safe manual handling techniques for shifting heavy items safe posture and movements, including sitting, standing and bending working with knives and hot equipment to avoid injury.
Consultative processesmay involve:	a diary, whiteboard or suggestion box used by staff to report issues of concern fact sheets to fully inform personnel about work health and safety rights and responsibilities formal work health and safety representatives and committees formal meetings with agendas, minutes and action plans informal meetings with notes work health and safety discussions with employees during the course of each business day recording issues in a management diary regular staff meetings that involve work health and safety discussions seeking staff suggestions for content of work health and safety policies and procedures special staff meetings or workshops to specifically address work health and safety issues staff handbook which includes work health and safety information surveys or questionnaires that invite staff feedback on work health and safety issues.
Times designated by legislationmay include:	when changes to the workplace are implemented, including: before the premises are used for the first time before and during the installation or alteration of any plant before changes to work practices are introduced when any new information relating to health and safety risk becomes available.
Hazardsmay be associated with:	physical environment, for example: crowds customer ability to fully engage in all activities, e.g. health issues electrical items exposure to weather and natural disasters flooring hot and cold work environments lighting noise levels pests touring activities to be undertaken wild animals and local wildlife working space of workers plant, for example: appliances beverage dispensing systems using inert gases equipment machinery tools working practices, for example: length of time spent at certain task and allocation of breaks rostering and shift allocation opening and closing procedures standard operating procedures for workrelated tasks security issues, for example: customer behaviour storage of cash, documents and keys theft and robbery.
Work health and safety training needs may include:	coaching or mentoring in safe work practices formal training programs in safe work practices hazard identification, risk assessment and control work health and safety policy and procedure induction work health and safety representative or committee provision of information, fact sheets and signage to ensure safe work practices.
Work health and safety records and reportsmay include documentation of:	consultation hazard identification incident and accident notifications to work health and safety regulatory authorities incident or accident, near miss reports and related statistics monitoring reports and recommendations for change, including effectiveness of: agendas for and minutes of meetings committee members consultation decisions and follow-up actions consultation processes diaries of meetings work health and safety information provided to personnel risk controls safe work practices risk assessments risk control actions training action plans training undertaken.

Sectors

Cross-Sector

Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.

Licensing Information

This unit incorporates the requirement, under state and territory OHS or WHS legislation, for businesses to take a systematic approach for managing the safety of their workers and anyone else in the workplace.

No occupational licensing or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.