What is the Skill Set?
This Skill Set covers taking part in an energy audit for a work or process area where energy use is a likely sustainability issue. The units of competency in the Audit energy usage for a work area Skill Set are:
- MSS014002 Evaluate sustainability impact of a work or process area
- MSS014006 Contribute to sustainability related audits
Level and scope
The audit could be for all energy used or for a specific source of energy. The energy audit may be part or a general energy audit of an entire process or the whole organisation, or be for an individual work or process area.
Auditing energy usage for a work area includes:
- Auditing the energy efficiency of the work or process area, either assisting in a “gate to gate” site wide audit, or by undertaking an audit from “door to door” in a department or process area
- Identifying the range of sustainability issues and impacts and environmental sensitivities that apply to the work or process area
- Analysing the energy use and waste data including; ranking the waste in equipment and processes, comparing the waste to external targets and identifying the root cause of the waste
- Proposing a range of solutions and strategies to improve energy efficiency.
MSS014002A Evaluate sustainability impact of a work or process area is used to identify the sustainability issues for the steps within a selected process. The issues are prioritised based on their sustainability impacts and the context of the business, including its goals and any environmental sensitivities – such as community perceptions, past breaches or complaints, regional issues or climate considerations.
MSS014006A Contribute to sustainability related audits can then be used to audit the areas which have been identified as high priority. There is overlap between the units here because MSS014002A Evaluate sustainability impact of a work or process area has helped to define the scope of the audit, what to measure and how; and allows for technical guidance and assistance. The units are also complementary as MSS014006A Contribute to sustainability related audits requires a deeper analysis which will assist with the decision making process and recommendations.
‘Contribute’ to the audit places some boundaries around the complexity of the audit, keeping it focused on the work area or a part of an organisation.
Both units require the identification of options for making energy efficiency improvements.
Target group
The Skill Set is targeted at people such as operators, team leaders, OHS managers, sustainability officers, sustainability project assistants and technicians who are participating in an energy audit for a process, work area, or part of the value chain.
In order to be able to define the sustainability interactions that occur at each step of the work area process the learner will need to have detailed knowledge of the work or process area, the process and changes which occur and the key items of equipment and their purpose.
They will need to be able to interpret the operating procedures, schematics, drawings and other sources of technical information.
Relationship to the other Skill Sets
The Audit energy usage for a work area Skill Set can be used as preparation for the Improve energy usage for a work area Skill Set where the energy efficiency is evaluated and improved. In some situations it might be useful to deliver these two Skill Sets together, because they have the unit MSS014002A Evaluate sustainability impact of a work or process area in common.
The Audit energy usage for a work area Skill Set can feed into the Determine the energy usage Skill Set where the focus is on an entire process or organisation. In a larger organisation it may be possible to have a more senior person undertaking the Determine the energy usage Skill Set and several people undertaking the Audit energy usage for a work area Skill Set at the same time.
The Improve energy usage for a work area Skill Set can be used to implement the proposals to improve energy efficiency developed in the Audit energy usage for a work area Skill Set.
