Units of Competency
This module consists of two (2) units of competency:
- HLTWHS002 Follow safe work practices for client care
- HLTINF006 Apply basic principles and practices of infection prevention and control
These two units combined will assist you in developing a high-level skill set to not only follow safe work practices for yourself and colleagues but, of course, also for your clients. The work environments within this industry have many risks and hazards; up to 58% of all manual handling injuries recorded are from those in this industry. Therefore, it is key for you to learn to understand and identify these, address them and work in an alternate, safer way. Ensuring you understand how to do various tasks within this industry is essential to ensuring you look after yourself physically and always maintain your client’s comfort and security.
The WHS component of this unit will cover many elements within the workplace, and the infection prevention and control components will assist you in learning how to maintain an infection-free, clean environment whilst minimising risks to yourself, your colleagues and your clients.
You will learn how to do tasks and procedures safely but also understand the State and Territory related Regulations and the Legislative requirements that you are obliged to work within during your employment. In this module, we look at the legislative framework for health and safety, covering the skills and knowledge required for a health care worker to participate in safe work practices to ensure their own health and safety and that of others in work environments that involve caring directly for clients. The learning will cover all workers who require knowledge of workplace health and safety (WHS) to carry out their own work in both centre-based and home-based service provision.
The learning content in this module will explain how to follow safe work practices for direct client care. You will learn how to follow safe work practices for manual handling and infection control. You will learn about the roles of the state and territory regulatory authorities, other legislative requirements, and how to meet legal and ethical obligations. This module will also explore how you can work as a health care worker within a team and reflect on your own safe work practices in the workplace.
The Infection prevention and control component of this module will, provide you with the skills and knowledge required to apply basic infection prevention and control principles in work settings including implementing standard and transmission-based precautions and responding to risks.
Once identified, your training and knowledge learned will make it easy for you to follow organisational procedures to manage risks associated with any hazards, be able to exercise judgement in a variety of situations based on an understanding of organisational policies and procedures and legislation, a sound knowledge of theoretical matters and the possession of skills to undertake day to day procedures in caring for the aged and vulnerable.
The key outcomes you will achieve upon completion of this module include:
- Operating within the roles and the scope of responsibilities of a healthcare worker to meet the legal and ethical obligations.
- Follow safe work practices for direct client care, including manual handling and infection control practices.
- Contributing to work effectively as part of a team context using effective communication
- Contributing to workplace safe work practices and identifying areas of improvement in own work practices.
- implement precautions for infection prevention and control according to national standards and guidelines
- respond to instances of exposure to infection risk
To achieve competency for the two units within this module, you must complete all theory assessments at the end of this module (short answer questions, case studies, project and role-play) as well as the structured workplace learning and assessment (including Portfolio, logbook and any other work-related documentation located in Module 6).
