What Does This Unit Mean?
This unit is about recognising how workplace activities can affect the environment and taking appropriate action to minimise environmental harm.
The unit requires learners to identify environmental hazards associated with their work activities, understand environmental responsibilities and follow workplace procedures for controlling environmental risks.
In simple terms, this unit is asking:
“Can you identify environmental risks within your work activities and take appropriate action to prevent or minimise environmental harm?”
What Competence Does This Unit Require?
You are expected to demonstrate that you can:
- Identify environmental risks associated with your work activities.
- Understand workplace environmental responsibilities.
- Follow environmentally responsible working practices.
- Recognise materials, substances and equipment that may harm the environment.
- Report environmental concerns and non-compliance issues.
- Follow legal and workplace environmental requirements.
- Apply suitable environmental controls.
- Handle and dispose of environmentally harmful materials correctly.
- Promote good environmental practices within your area of responsibility.
The focus is not on managing the organisation's environmental management system.
The focus is on demonstrating that you can identify environmental risks within your work activities and take appropriate action to minimise environmental harm.
Evidence Requirements: Unit 01
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How do you identify the people responsible for environmental matters within your workplace?
Maps to AC 1.1
Evidence Examples:
- An organisational chart, environmental procedure, job description, induction record or workplace responsibility matrix identifying the people to whom environmental matters are reported.
- Evidence showing that you understand the reporting arrangements.
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How do you keep up to date with environmentally responsible working practices?
Maps to AC 1.2
Evidence Examples:
- Environmental training records, toolbox talks, briefings, induction records, environmental procedures or environmental communications relevant to your workplace.
- Evidence confirming that you have received or reviewed current information on environmentally friendly working practices.
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How do you identify work activities in your role that could harm the environment?
Maps to AC 1.3
Evidence Examples:
- An environmental risk assessment, workplace inspection, environmental inspection or workplace observation identifying current working practices in your job role that could cause harm to the environment.
- Evidence showing the environmental risks associated with your work activities.
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How do you identify materials, products or equipment that could harm the environment?
Maps to AC 1.4
Evidence Examples:
- Safety Data Sheets (SDS), COSHH assessments, environmental risk assessments, equipment registers or workplace procedures identifying materials, products or equipment in your job role that could cause harm to the environment.
- Evidence showing how these environmental risks are controlled.
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How do you report differences between legal or workplace requirements and actual practice when using environmentally hazardous materials and products?
Maps to AC 1.5
Evidence Examples:
- An environmental incident report, inspection report, audit finding, non-conformance report or email identifying a difference between legal regulations or workplace instructions and the actual use of materials and products hazardous to the environment.
- Evidence showing that the issue was reported to the appropriate person.
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How do you find out the environmental legal requirements and workplace instructions that apply to your role?
Maps to AC 2.1
Evidence Examples:
- Environmental procedures, training records, toolbox talks, legal updates, guidance documents or research notes showing the relevant legal requirements and workplace environmental instructions for your job role.
- Evidence showing that these requirements were applied during your work activities.
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How do you control environmental hazards within your level of responsibility?
Maps to AC 2.2(a)
Evidence Examples:
- An environmental risk assessment, safe system of work, inspection record or workplace procedure showing environmental controls relevant to your activities and within the scope of your job responsibilities.
- Evidence showing that the controls were implemented and followed.
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How do you report environmental risks that you cannot deal with yourself?
Maps to AC 2.2(b)
Evidence Examples:
- An environmental incident report, hazard report, email, meeting record or escalation record showing that an environmental risk beyond your capability was promptly reported.
- Evidence showing that the issue was referred to the appropriate responsible person.
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How do you suggest improvements to reduce environmental risks?
Maps to AC 2.2(c)
Evidence Examples:
- An improvement suggestion, email, meeting minutes, environmental inspection report or action plan containing suggestions for limiting risks to the environment.
- Evidence showing that the suggestion was passed on to the responsible person.
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How do you handle and dispose of environmentally harmful materials correctly?
Maps to AC 2.3
Evidence Examples:
- Waste transfer records, disposal records, COSHH assessments, environmental procedures, training records or inspection records showing the correct instructions applied for handling materials and products harmful to the environment.
- Evidence showing that workplace instructions were followed for their proper disposal, such as segregation records, licensed carrier documentation or disposal certificates.
Some of your evidence against one Assessment Criterion may also be used to meet the requirements in other assessment criteria (Where applicable).
Important Note for Learners
The competence requirements outlined above describe the practical workplace activities, systems, processes and records that may be used to demonstrate competence against this unit.
As this is a competency-based qualification, learners are expected to demonstrate that they can apply their health and safety knowledge and skills within their own workplace or working environment.
In addition to the competence-based assessment criteria, this unit also contains a number of knowledge-based assessment criteria. These are typically assessed through:
- Written responses
- Professional discussions with the assessor
- Assessor questioning
In most cases, the knowledge-based assessment criteria relate directly to the same workplace activities, systems and processes described above. Learners will therefore often find that the workplace evidence gathered to demonstrate competence also helps them prepare for and satisfy the knowledge assessment requirements.