Basic Competencies: Communication, Teamwork, Professionalism and OHS
Basic Competencies are the shared units of Hairdressing NC II: participate in workplace communication, work in a team environment, practice career professionalism, and practice occupational health and safety. Items are situational - they test how these units look at a working station, so identify the role in the stem and the document or person involved.
Communication that holds up
- Greet, listen, then repeat the client's request back before cutting or applying chemicals.
- Client record cards carry the history: service, formula, developer, processing time, patch-test date and result, and any reaction.
- Incident reports document cuts, burns, spills and suspected allergic reactions; inventory forms track products withdrawn from use.
- Keep client information confidential; never discuss one client's treatment in front of another.
Teamwork and professionalism
- Stay inside your competence: refer scalp conditions that look medical rather than treating them.
- Follow the chain of command and report problems before they reach a client.
- Professionalism shows in punctuality, complete uniform, tied-back hair, short clean nails, and honest cash and product handling.
OHS: hazard and risk
- A hazard is the source of harm - a frayed cord, a wet floor, ammonia vapour. Risk is the chance and severity of that harm.
- Control in order: eliminate, substitute, engineer (ventilation, RCD), administrative (signage, training, rotation), then PPE last.
- Chemicals: read the SDS, label every decanted bottle, ventilate, never reuse drink bottles.
- Electrical: inspect dryers and irons, keep water away from outlets, pull the plug not the cord.
Example: a blow dryer's cord is taped over a frayed section. The hazard is the exposed conductor; the risk is shock or fire, made worse by wet hands. Tape is administrative control at best and does not remove the source. The expected answer: stop use, tag it out, replace the dryer (elimination), add an RCD and a maintenance schedule, and never treat gloves as protection from a damaged appliance.
Traps: choosing PPE first; calling a hazard a risk; treating OHS as fire drills only; assuming a signed form transfers responsibility.