Application

This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to identify hazards and operability problems and then analyse them by hazard analysis techniques to assess risk.
This unit of competency is a specialist unit requiring technical knowledge and is suitable for plant technicians and people in similar roles.
A team with a broad knowledge of the system and its operation will carry out the analysis. It is expected that the risk assessment processes are already defined for the enterprise and that the risk acceptance criteria have already been established. The team will be steered by engineering experts or risk assessment specialists in the industry.
This unit of competency applies to workers who take an active role in a hazard and operability study (HAZOP) or similar methodology. They are not expected to lead the HAZOP. This unit is not restricted to HAZOPs and may be applied to other methodologies requiring similar competency. The risk assessment should be consistent with AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009 Risk management – Principles and guidelines.
Team members will contribute their understanding of the process and particularly the operational aspects, and then carry out whatever tasks are assigned to them by the analysis team.
The aim of this unit of competency is to apply a methodical examination of the system and its elements to identify hazards and the states or conditions where there may be loss of control of the hazard and the resultant consequences.
The technique can be applied at any stage of a project/process life cycle.
Although hazard identification should be the main focus, operability problems should be identified to the extent that they have the potential to lead to a breakdown in hazard controls resulting in a health, safety or environmental (HSE) violation or have a negative impact on profitability.
This unit of competency applies to an individual working as part of a team or group.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

What You'll Learn

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 and must include the ability to:
• apply a systematic risk assessment methodology
• identify and interpret information from a range of internal and external sources
• interpret hazard and probability data to determine risk profiles
• communicate with a range of stakeholders to:
• identify risks and causes
• identify consequences and assess impact of risks
• plan and implement changes to procedures
• plan and implement control measures
• apply operational knowledge to non-routine problems
• monitor and evaluate outcomes of control measures and procedures and make improvements as appropriate
• document findings and complete reports.

Knowledge Evidence

Evidence must be provided that demonstrates knowledge of:
• day-to-day operations of the facility, including:
• machinery, equipment, operations, products and materials
• process parameters (primary key words) and guide words (secondary key words)
• workplace systems and the importance of critical procedures
• hazard identification and control measures
• how hazard controls may break down
• quantitative risk assessment, such as hazard analysis (HAZAN)
• risks and how they may be reduced
• key features of a systematic risk assessment methodology, including:
• what makes it auditable, repeatable, verifiable and usable by other staff
• how it can be used for modelling and evaluation of a wide range of failure modes
• available data and how it can give valid results
• its rational technical basis
• analysis systems appropriate to the system operating in the given domain and appropriate for the particular life cycle phase at which it is to be applied.

Assessment Conditions

• The unit should be assessed holistically and the judgement of competence based on a holistic assessment of the evidence.
• The collection of performance evidence is best done from a report and/or folio of evidence drawn from:
• a single project which provides sufficient evidence of having been a member of a HAZOP (or similar) team and meeting the requirements of all the elements and performance criteria
• multiple smaller projects which together provide sufficient evidence of the requirements of all the elements and performance criteria.
• A third-party report, or similar, may be needed to testify to the work done by the individual, particularly when the project has been done as part of a project team.
• Assessment should 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 reflecting 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.
• Knowledge evidence may be collected concurrently with performance evidence (provided a record is kept) or through an independent process, such as workbooks, written assessments or interviews (provided a record is kept).
• 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.
• Conditions for assessment must include access to all tools, equipment, materials and documentation required, including relevant workplace procedures, product and manufacturing specifications associated with this unit.
• The regulatory framework will be reflected in workplace policies and procedures and is not required to be independently assessed.
• Foundation skills are integral to competent performance of the unit and should not be assessed separately.
• As a minimum, assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015 assessor requirements.

Foundation Skills

• {'skill': 'Foundation Skills', 'description': 'This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance.\nFoundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.'}

Parent Qualifications

• PMB50121 — Diploma of Polymer Technology
  PMB

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