Home / Resources / Units of Competency / Manufacturing and Engineering / MEM13003
← Back to units in MEM
MEM13003 Current

Application

This unit of competency defines the skills and knowledge required to work safely with industrial chemicals and materials subject to codes and regulations that are stored and used in a workplace, for example, chemicals, solvents, dangerous materials, acids and noxious waste products in a manufacturing and/or engineering environment.

This unit describes the competencies which are beyond those safety requirements normally applied in the workplace as described in unit MEM13015 Work safely and effectively in manufacturing and engineering, or specifically described in individual units, such as welding.

Where the selection and use of engineering measurement is required unit MEM12023 Perform engineering measurements should also be selected.

Evidence of competency is to encompass the satisfactory application of current state/territory work health and safety (WHS) legislation, standards and codes of practice, and the hierarchy of hazard control measures.

What You'll Learn

1. Determine job requirements

  • 1.1 Follow standard operating procedures (SOPs)
  • 1.2 Comply with work health and safety (WHS) requirements at all times
  • 1.3 Identify job requirements from specifications, job sheets or work instructions

2. Use personal protective equipment

  • 2.1 Select correct and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and use correctly based on information in relevant safety data sheet (SDS)

3. Adhere to emergency procedures

  • 3.1 Locate emergency equipment and use in accordance with workplace policies and SOPs
  • 3.2 Demonstrate responses to emergency procedures as detailed in approved safety procedures and instructions

4. Observe safe working practices

  • 4.1 Identify hazardous areas and materials and understand and identify special handling procedures and obtain permits to work, if necessary
  • 4.2 Use all equipment and hazardous materials in accordance with relevant WHS legislation, manufacturers’ instructions and SOPs
  • 4.3 Identify and understand all site-specific safety policies, safety signs, symbols and labels
  • 4.4 Interpret and apply SDS
  • 4.5 Use safe manual handling procedures, including equipment
  • 4.6 Ensure decanted chemicals and storage is to state/territory dangerous goods, WHS legislation and requirements
  • 4.7 Update chemical manifest following SOPs
  • 4.8 Perform housekeeping duties to maintain a safe working environment according to SOPs

Assessment Requirements

Performance Evidence

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy the requirements of the elements and performance criteria on at least two (2) occasions and include:

following work instructions, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and safe work practices

selecting appropriate PPE based on data obtained in relevant safety data sheets (DS)

observing safe working practices including undertaking a risk assessment

following approved safety procedures and instructions in demonstrating responses to real or simulated emergencies

performing proper manual handling techniques when shifting and moving industrial chemicals and materials

ensuring all decanted chemicals are stored in storage containers that are suitable for chemical exposure and are properly labelled and/or placarded

updating chemical manifests following SOPs

complying with appropriate state or territory legislative requirements at all times.

Knowledge Evidence

Evidence required to demonstrate the required knowledge for this unit must be relevant to and satisfy the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and include knowledge of:

safe work practices and procedures and use of personal protective equipment (PPE)

dangerous goods classification and labelling/placarding

testing and maintenance of PPE

inherent hazardous properties of the chemicals to be used

interpretation of the relevant safety data sheets (SDS)

basic fire-fighting procedures

site-specific emergency plan procedures

chemical spill confinement procedures

dangerous occurrence (near miss) reporting procedures

hierarchy of controls.

Assessment Conditions

Assessors must:

have vocational competency in working safely with industrial chemicals and materials at least to the level being assessed with relevant industry knowledge and experience

satisfy the assessor requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015 or its replacement and comply with the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011, its replacement or equivalent legislation covering VET regulation in a non-referring state/territory as the case requires

Where possible assessment must occur in operational workplace situations. Where this is not possible or where personal safety or environmental damage are limiting factors, assessment must occur in a sufficiently rigorous simulated environment that reflects realistic operational workplace conditions. This must cover all aspects of workplace performance, including environment, task skills, task management skills, contingency management skills and job role environment skills

Conditions for assessment must include access to all tools, equipment, materials and documentation required, including relevant workplace procedures, product and manufacturing specifications

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.

Foundation Skills

  • text: This section describes those required skills (reading, writing, oral communication and numeracy) that are essential to workplace performance in this unit of competency. Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Prerequisite Units

Parent Qualifications

Related Units

Generate Compliant Training Materials for MEM13003

RTOFlow automatically creates learner guides, assessment workbooks, marking guides, and trainer resources aligned to this unit of competency — saving you weeks of manual work.

Request Early Access

Last updated from training.gov.au: 22 February 2026