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MSS025031 Current

Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to assess the environmental risks and impacts of specific activities and determine appropriate responses.
This unit applies to environmental technicians and similar roles who are required to work within the environmental management system to determine the impact of activities across the physical, biological and social aspects of the local environment (including positive and negative impacts), assess risks and liaise with others to recommend solutions. They work under the supervision of environmental managers, scientists, engineers and/or planners.
This unit applies in a range of sectors including but not limited to environmental monitoring and sampling; occupational hygiene monitoring; groundwater and clean water; water treatment, storm and wastewater management; solid and hazardous waste management; site remediation or rehabilitation; management of contaminated sites; geotechnical services and civil engineering; natural resource management; 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 Review the history of the project activity or process and scope of the required risk and impact assessment
  • 1.3 Access, read and interpret information about the site relevant to environmental issues and environmental management
  • 1.4 Write a detailed description of all phases of the project or process and the site or project environment
  • 1.5 Confirm project or process details, risk assessment procedure and risk assessment criteria with supervisor

2.

  • 2.1 Consult with organisational personnel to identify actual and potential environmental issues for the organisation
  • 2.3 Identify significant hazards and short- and long-term risks associated with the process or project activity
  • 2.4 Analyse each part of the process or project to determine positive and negative impacts on the physical, biological and social components of local environment and ecological linkages operating at the site

3.

  • 3.1 Use agreed assessment criteria to evaluate activities and negative impacts to determine significant risks and impacts
  • 3.2 Summarise significant environmental risks and impacts and the evidence used to justify the assessment

4.

  • 4.1 Read and interpret organisation environmental management documents to identify specified methods for controlling risks and minimising impacts at the site
  • 4.3 Identify amendments to project activities, alternative processes or improved environmental management actions to minimise risks and impacts
  • 4.4 Evaluate options to identify feasible and economically viable solutions, and document the case for adopting them

5.

  • 5.1 Report the assessment of environmental risks and impacts in the required format and expected time frame
  • 5.2 Brief supervisor and stakeholders about the environmental assessment process and outcomes

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:
• determine and evaluate risks and impacts associated with at least 2 discrete processes or areas of project activity
• identify and report the rationale for at least 4 environmental management activities related to the identified risks and/or impacts.

Knowledge Evidence

There must be evidence the candidate has knowledge of:
• environmental terms, concepts and principles relevant to project activities or processes
• sources of relevant information, including:
• environmental impact assessments
• environmental impact statements
• public environmental reports
• organisation environmental management plans and related documentation
• environmental assessment process required for new major projects or developments
• roles, functions and responsibilities of environmental officers, environmental scientists, engineers and planners, and regulators
• legislation, regulations, licences and permit requirements relevant to site and project or process
• workplace environmental management framework of policy, procedures and management plans for site
• typical kinds of impacts of project activities or processes on the physical and ecological environment, infrastructure, land use, social issues and community values
• workplace procedures for identifying and assessing and controlling hazards, risks and impacts associated with project activities or processes on site
• workplace project planning, management and reporting requirements
• hazards, health and safety requirements and workplace safe work procedures for work role.

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:
• environmental management plan and related documentation
• risk/impact assessment checklists or criteria
• modelling of industry operating conditions.
Assessors must satisfy the NVR/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.

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 interpret complex workplace documents and legislative, regulatory and licensing requirements\n• Writing skills to report on assessment process and outcomes\n• Oral communication skills to liaise with supervisor, specialists and stakeholders\n• Numeracy skills to interpret environmental data.\nOther foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit.'}

Prerequisite Units

Related Units

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