Facilitate the application of principles of occupational health to control OHS risk

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BSBOHS507B	Facilitate the application of principles of occupational health to control OHS risk
Unit Descriptor	This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to facilitate the application of principles of occupational health and implement strategies to control occupational health and safety (OHS) risk. No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.

ELEMENT	PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
1 . Identify the potential for adverse effects on health from agents in the workplace	Access *external sources of information and data* to assist in identifying *agents* in the workplace with a potential to adversely affect health Review *workplace sources of information and data* to access information to assist in identifying agents in the workplace with a potential to adversely affect health Consider the role of individual difference in susceptibility to occupational disease or injury in identifying adverse effects on health Identify situations where *health professionals* may be required
2 . Identify the potential for adverse effects on health related to the interaction of the work environment, work systems and people	Apply knowledge of sources of occupational disease and injury to analyse *job characteristics, nature of work* and the *context of work* to help identify situations with potential for physical or psychological harm to employees Access workplace and *internal sources of information and data,* taking account of privacy requirements, to assist in identifying situations with a potential for physical or psychological harm to employees
3 . Facilitate the control of risks to health in the workplace	Apply the *hierarchy of control* to control risks to occupational health Examine workplace policies, procedures and schedules to minimise situations with a potential to cause physical or psychological harm to employees Examine *organisational communication processes* to maximise clarity of roles and employee involvement in these processes
4 . Participate in the development of strategies to communicate occupational health information and data	Research and identify *characteristics of target groups* Interpret and discuss health effects with *stakeholders* that may result from work and the working environment Implement communication strategies in accordance with *legal* and *ethical requirements* Evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of health communication processes
5 . Monitor and facilitate occupational health education and training	Identify the need for health information and data, and training in consultation with workplace stakeholders Identify personnel including health professionals and *resources* to deliver occupational health training Identify and allocate roles and responsibilities for the delivery of training Provide health information and data, and education to managers and workers in a manner that facilitates understanding and uptake Apply training, evaluation and monitoring processes
6 . Review and evaluate the occupational health program	Evaluate outcomes and document the overall impact of occupational health education programs through an *evaluation plan* Evaluate and document the overall impact of the occupational health program Make recommendations for future programs as a result of the evaluation

Key Competency	Examples of Application	Performance Level
How can information be collected, analysed and organised?
How are ideas and information communicated within this competency?
How are activities planned and organised?
How are problem solving skills applied?
How are mathematical ideas and techniques used?
How is use of technology applied?
How is team work used within this competency?

Range Statement

External sources of information and data may include:

Australian Safety and Compensation Council
databases with national and state injury data, such as National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS)
employer groups
industry bodies
journals and websites
legislation, codes of practice, associated standards and guidance material
manufacturers' manuals and specifications
OHS regulatory authorities
OHS specialists
unions

Agents may include:

biological
chemical
ergonomic
nuclear
physical
psychosocial
radiological

Workplace sources of information and data may include:

audits
employees
hazard, incident and investigation reports
material safety data sheets (MSDSs)
minutes of meetings
questionnaires
reports
written and verbal complaints

Health professionals may include:

general practitioners
health educators
occupational health nurses
occupational health physicians

Job characteristics and nature of work may include:

adequacy of equipment or faulty equipment
effectiveness of different control strategies
health effects of physical hazards in the workplace such as noise, vibration, thermal extremes
job demands such as high physical, mental or emotional demands; lack of variety; short work cycle; workload
participation in decision making and control of workload
relative costs of implementation of appropriate control strategies
toxicology of hazardous materials
workload and scheduling issues such as pace; shift work, inflexible work schedules; unpredictable, long or unsocial hours
workplace processes and the hazards they produce

Context of work may include:

career issues including promotion, job security and skills
interpersonal relationships at work, including with supervisors and peers
organisational factors such as communication; levels of support for problem solving and personal development; changing employment patterns; definition of organisational objectives
role ambiguity, role conflict, role responsibilities

Internal sources of information and data may include:

human resources, industrial relations, personnel management and staff
managers
occupational health and employee assistance staff
OHS and employee representatives
supervisors

Hierarchy of control may include:

eliminating hazards
and where this is not practicable, minimising risk by:
substitution
isolating the hazard from personnel
using engineering controls
using administrative controls (e.g. procedures, training)
using personal protective equipment (PPE)

Organisational communication processes may include:

formal and informal communication processes
position descriptions and performance appraisal processes
training

Characteristics of target groups may include:

characteristics influencing communication strategies, such as access to information and data and empowerment
characteristics such as, but not limited to:
- cultural background
- language and literacy
- location
- size of workforce, group, team etc
- variability of roles, responsibilities etc

Stakeholders may include:

employees
families of employees
health and safety, and other employee representatives
local community
managers
OHS committees

Legal requirements may include:

equity and workers with specific needs
privacy legislation
relevant OHS legislative requirements related to use of certain chemicals and processes in the workplace

Ethical requirements may include:

confidentiality
equity
privacy
workplace diversity

Resources may include:

financial
physical

Evaluation plan may include:

appropriate communication strategies for the workplace
identification of relevant target groups
impact on improvements to the workplace as a result of interventions
impact on workforce
training availability including delivery schedule
training content

Evidence Guide

Overview of assessment
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the following is essential:

facilitation of strategies to assist with controlling OHS risks associated with occupational health issues
knowledge of structure and forms of legislation including regulations, codes of practice, associated standards and guidance material.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

access to office equipment and resources
access to relevant legislation, standards and guidelines
access to workplace or simulated workplace.

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:

analysis of responses to case studies and scenarios
assessment of written reports on the effectiveness of OHS principles in the workplace
demonstration of techniques used to control OHS risk
direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third party reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate
observation of performance in role plays
observation of presentations
oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of ethics related to professional practice
evaluation of discussions with stakeholders about health effects that may result from work and the working environment
review of evaluation plan
assessment of identification of situations that require health professionals.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

other OHS units.