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MSS024026 Current

Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to apply environmental management procedures to minimise the environmental impact of work activities.
This unit applies to environmental assistants, environmental officers, environmental technicians, and similar roles who will identify environmental management requirements, issues and risks for a project or site; plan and implement their work activities to minimise risk; and apply procedures to respond to environmental issues and incidents.
This unit applies in a range of industry sectors including but not limited to environmental monitoring, sampling and field testing; geotechnical services; natural resource management; occupational hygiene monitoring; groundwater and clean water management; water treatment, storm and wastewater management; solid and hazardous waste management; site remediation; and resource efficiency.
No licensing or certification requirements exist at the time of publication. Relevant legislation, industry standards and codes of practice within Australia must be applied.

What You'll Learn

1.

  • 1.1 Read and interpret environmental legislative, regulatory and licensing requirements to identify relevance to work activities
  • 1.3 Confirm own scope of responsibility for achieving environmental outcomes for specific site or project with specified personnel
  • 1.4 Confirm regulatory and organisational reporting requirements relevant to work activities with specified personnel

2.

  • 2.1 Source and review site and/or project information to identify environmental management issues, objectives and procedures relevant to work activities
  • 2.3 Apply hazard identification and risk control measures relevant to identified risks
  • 2.4 Undertake work activities in accordance with work, health and safety (WHS) and environmental management requirements

3.

  • 3.1 Recognise environmental issues, risks, impacts and incidents that arise during work activities and assess according to procedures
  • 3.3 Apply established workplace procedures to deal with complaints, cultural heritage finds and other environmental incidents within scope of responsibility
  • 3.4 Record details of observations, assessments and any actions taken and notify personnel in accordance with workplace procedures
  • 3.5 Refer issues outside scope of responsibility to specified personnel in accordance with organisational procedures

4.

  • 4.1 Monitor the effectiveness of environmental controls relating to work activities
  • 4.3 Maintain environmental management documentation according to procedures
  • 4.4 Identify and report opportunities for improving environmental procedures
  • 4.5 Contribute to regular reviews of environmental management plans and procedures

Assessment Requirements

Performance Evidence

There must be evidence the candidate has completed the tasks outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit, and demonstrated the ability to:
• review specified information and procedures and apply to plan and implement own work activities on at least 2 occasions
• respond to at least 2 environmental issues, risks, impacts or incidents according to procedures.

Knowledge Evidence

There must be evidence the candidate has knowledge of:
• purpose of an environmental management plan and its role in environmental monitoring, hazard identification, risk assessment and risk management
• risk management terminology including hazard, risk, controls, impact, assessment and management
• accessing, interpreting and applying legislative, regulatory and licensing requirements to own work
• identifying site characteristics and environmental issues, risks and impacts
• environmental risks related to at least 6 of the following:
• emissions to air
• releases to, and of, water
• releases to land
• soil erosion, sedimentation and salinity
• contamination of land
• disturbance of flora and fauna and/or threats to sensitive species and destruction of habitat
• introduction of pests
• noise and vibration
• disturbance to heritage sites or items
• generation, reuse and disposal of waste
• use of energy sources
• handling, storage, spills, or exposure involving hazards, such as chemicals and radiation
• other environmental issues defined by the organisation or specified under a regulation, standard or code
• current and emerging approaches to eliminating and/or mitigating risk in 6 areas as listed above
• environmental management procedures and specified control measures relevant to work activities
• workplace procedures for:
• work health and safety (WHS) including using personal protective equipment (PPE), identifying and responding to safety hazards and assessing risks associated with work activities at sites
• responding to complaints, cultural heritage finds and other environmental incidents
• environmental reporting.

Assessment Conditions

Skills must have been demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment that reflects workplace conditions and contingencies. The following conditions must be met for this unit:
• use of suitable facilities, equipment and resources, including:
• maps and photos of site/s
• site reports, project history or similar information
• environmental management plan and related procedures
• survey, monitoring and sampling equipment relevant to environmental management plan
• risk assessment checklists
• modelling of industry operating conditions, including:
• access to site/s.

Foundation Skills

  • {'skill': 'Foundation Skills', 'description': 'This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance but not explicit in the performance criteria.\n• Reading skills to review and interpret complex workplace documents and legislative, regulatory and licensing requirements\n• Writing skills to complete environmental reporting requirements and report opportunities for improvements to procedures\n• Oral communication skills to seek advice and convey environmental information\n• Numeracy skills to interpret environmental management requirements and related thresholds, standards, measurements and safety data.\nOther foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit.'}

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Last updated from training.gov.au: 07 April 2026