Course Title: Ensure a safe workplace for a work area
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term2 2025
Course Code: OHTH6002C
Course Title: Ensure a safe workplace for a work area
School: 525T Business & Enterprise
Campus: City Campus
Program: C5441 - Diploma of Logistics
Course Contact: Jeremy Glover
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 99251485
Course Contact Email: jeremy.glover@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Nominal Hours: 60
Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
None
Course Description
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to establish, maintain and evaluate an organisation’s work health and safety (WHS) policies, procedures and programs in a work area to ensure a safe workplace, according to WHS legislative requirements. It takes a systems approach and addresses compliance with relevant legislative requirements.
The unit applies to those working in a range of contexts who have, or are likely to have, responsibility for WHS as part of their broader management role. It is relevant for people with obligations under WHS laws, for example persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) or officers, as defined by WHS laws.
NOTES
1. The terms ‘occupational health and safety’ (OHS) and ‘work health and safety’ (WHS) are equivalent, and generally either can be used in the workplace. In jurisdictions where model WHS laws have not been implemented, registered training organisations (RTOs) are advised to contextualise this unit of competency by referring to existing WHS legislative requirements.
2. The model WHS laws include the model WHS Act, model WHS Regulations and model WHS Codes of Practice. See Safe Work Australia for further information.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
BSBWHS521 Ensure a safe workplace for a work area |
Element: |
1. Establish a WHS management system in a work area |
Performance Criteria: |
4.1 Develop and provide a WHS induction and training program for required personnel in a work area as part of organisation's training program 4.2 Use a system for WHS recordkeeping to allow identification of patterns of occupational injury and disease in the organisation, and to maintain a record of WHS decisions made, including reasons for decisions 4.3 Measure and evaluate the WHSMS according to organisation's quality systems framework 4.4 Develop and implement improvements to WHSMS to achieve organisational WHS objectives according to organisational procedures 4.5 Ensure compliance with WHS legislative framework to achieve, as a minimum, WHS legal requirements |
Element: |
2. Establish and maintain effective and compliant consultative arrangements for managing WHS in a work area |
Performance Criteria: |
2.1 Work with required personnel to set up and maintain consultative arrangements according to required WHS laws 2.2 Resolve issues raised through participation and consultation arrangements according to required WHS laws and organisational protocols 2.3 Provide information about consultation and participation outcomes to required personnel according to organisational policies and procedures |
Element: |
3. Establish and maintain procedures for effectively identifying hazards, and assessing and controlling risks in work area |
Performance Criteria: |
1.1 Locate, adapt, adopt and communicate WHS policies that define the organisation's commitment to complying with WHS laws 1.2 Identify duty holders and define WHS responsibilities for all workplace personnel in the work area according to WHS laws, policies, procedures and programs 1.3 Identify and approve financial and human resources required by the WHS management system (WHSMS) according to organisational procedures |
Element: |
4. Evaluate and maintain a work area WHS management system (WHSMS) |
Performance Criteria: |
3.1 Develop procedures for ongoing hazard identification, and assessment and control of associated risks 3.2 Include hazard identification at the planning, design and evaluation stages of any workplace change to ensure that new hazards are not created by proposed changes and existing hazards are controlled 3.3 Develop and maintain procedures for selecting and implementing risk controls according to the hierarchy of control measures and WHS legislative requirements 3.4 Identify inadequacies in existing risk controls according to the hierarchy of control measures and WHS legislative requirements, and promptly provide resources to enable implementation of new measures 3.5 Identify requirements for expert WHS advice, and request this advice as required, according to organisational procedures |
Learning Outcomes
Performance evidence
The candidate must demonstrate the ability to complete the tasks outlined in the elements, performance criteria and foundation skills of this unit, and to:
- establish, implement, maintain and evaluate one work health and safety management system (WHSMS) for a work area of an organisation that complies with WHS laws, and organisational policies and procedures.
During the above, the candidate must:
- establish, implement, maintain and evaluate effective and compliant consultative arrangements for managing WHS, including:
- identifying duty holders
- identifying and approving required resources
- developing and implementing a training program
- establish, implement, maintain and evaluate procedures for effectively identifying hazards, and assessing and controlling risks using the hierarchy of control measures.
Knowledge evidence
The candidate must demonstrate the knowledge to complete the tasks outlined in the elements, performance criteria and foundation skills of this unit. This includes knowledge of:
- details of relevant WHS laws relating to ensuring a safe workplace
- WHS organisational policies, procedures, programs and practices required for the performance evidence
- hazard identification and risk-management processes
- key principles, uses and components of the hierarchy of control measures and procedures for applying it in the workplace
- organisational and WHS legislative reporting requirements.
Details of Learning Activities
This unit will be co-delivered with TLIF0014 - Monitor the safety of transport activities (Chain of Responsibility) - as a cluster is entitled "Safety & Compliance".
The delivery of this cluster will be face to face on-campus.
The activities will include some elements of lecture style, some research-based and self directed learning. There will be a large part of the activities incorporating role play and scenario based problem solving exercises.
The emphasis will be mainly on interactive learning using online resources written explicitly for this course which is focused on both Transport Management Systems and the Procedures used in everyday operations.
Teaching Schedule
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
References
Other Resources
Overview of Assessment
Assessment conditions
Assessment must comply with WHS laws, legal responsibilities and duty of care required for this unit. It must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates consistent performance of typical activities undertaken by individuals carrying out WHS duties in the workplace, and must include access to:
- organisational WHS policies and procedures required to demonstrate the performance evidence
- WHS laws required to demonstrate the performance evidence
- case studies and, where possible, real situations
- opportunities for interaction with others.
Assessors of this unit must satisfy the assessor requirements in applicable vocational education and training legislation, frameworks and/or standards.
Feedback
Feedback will be provided throughout the semester in class and/or online discussions. You are encouraged to ask and answer questions during class time and online sessions so that you can obtain feedback on your understanding of the concepts and issues being discussed. Finally, you can email or arrange an appointment with your teacher to gain more feedback on your progress.
You should take note of all feedback received and use this information to improve your learning outcomes and final performance in the course.
Assessment Tasks
Assessment for this course is ongoing throughout the semester. Your knowledge and understanding of course content is assessed through participation in class exercises, oral/written presentations and through the application of learned skills and insights. Full assessment briefs will be provided and can be found on CANVAS.
Assessment TasksAssessment Task 1 - Recordkeeping, Analysis and Compliance
Purpose
This practical assessment task is the first of three assessment tasks you need to complete satisfactorily, in order to be deemed competent for this cluster.
This practical assessment will allow you to demonstrate your ability to determine and monitor chain of responsibility (CoR) features in the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL)
In addition, the broader Workplace Safety Reporting and Incident / Accident Reporting are incorporated. One of the datasets that is gathered will provide the basis for the Recordkeeping and statistical safety analysis undertaken.
Assessment Task 2 - Participate in a Focus Group: Prepare and Deliver Induction Training Presentation
Purpose
This practical assessment task is the third of three assessment tasks you need to complete satisfactorily, in order to be deemed competent for this cluster of two units.
Part 1 – Observed Role Play – Focus Group
In this assessment the student will be provided with two professional materials sources and will be asked to participate in a Focus Group with groups of 4 -5 fellow students. The students will be asked to discuss, then select the appropriate materials for the content of the 19 slide pack. In the role play each student should select their favourite slide and guide the discussion and be the ‘gatekeeper’ with regards to the final agreed content for that slide. Each member of the focus group will have been able to provide and share their insight with their fellow students. This will demonstrate their ability to interact with others, seek information from others and guide discussions and negotiate agreeable outcomes
Part 2 – Recorded Presentation – Individual
Students are required to compile a presentation comprised of 19 slides each on a prescribed topic. Once their slide pack has been selected and compiled they will record a narrated slide show as though they are delivering a Professional Training Session on Safety Management Systems and Chain of Responsibility using all 19 slides. In doing this assessment students will immerse themselves in the topics.
This will allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and awareness of the Chain of Responsibility and its practical application to your company SolveIT Logistics, its employees, contractors and suppliers.
Composing a content rich training presentation from a pool of validated materials will enable you to then deliver and record a narration demonstrating your clear understanding of the content of the slides and explain their importance to your audience.
Assessment Task 3 - Creation of a mobile Safety Management System for Remote Sites
Purpose
This practical assessment task is the second of three assessment tasks you need to complete satisfactorily, in order to be deemed competent for this cluster of two units.
This practical assessment will allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and awareness of all of the components that make up a Safety Management System. You will be playing the role of Logistics Coordinator within the Case Study company SolveIT Logistics. You are expected to re-create the SMS into a ‘Lite’ site and by doing so you will fulfil tasks that provide the opportunity for you to summarise and interpret all of SolveIT Logistics Policies and Procedures and associated documents. You will use the current SMS for reference and provide summary information for each section then build them into a dynamic and well-designed interface for use on a remote mine site with limited internet access. You will be provided with the tools and know how to use them to complete this task.
Assessment Matrix
The competency assessment map that maps all the assessment tasks are available on CANVAS
Other Information
This course is co-delivered and co-assessed with:
TLIF0014 -Monitor the safety of transport activities (Chain of Responsibility)
BSBWHS521 - Ensure a safe workplace for a work area
Course Overview: Access Course Overview