Elements and Performance Criteria

RANGE STATEMENT
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Codes of practice
Where reference is made to industry codes of practice, and/or Australian/international standards, it is expected the latest version will be used
Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements
Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements may include:
Australian and international standards, such as:
AS ISO 1000-1998 The international system of units (SI) and its application
AS ISO 17025-2005 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
AS/NZS ISO 14000 Set:2005 Environmental management standards set
AS/NZS ISO 9000 Set:2008 Quality management systems set
calibration and maintenance schedules
enterprise recording and reporting procedures
environmental legislation and regulations
equipment manuals
equipment startup, operation and shutdown procedures
industry codes of practice
material, production and product specifications
National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) documents regarding construction materials testing
occupational health and safety (OHS) national standards and codes of practice
production and laboratory schedules
quality manuals
standard operating procedures (SOPs)
Tools and equipment
Tools and equipment used may include:
hand and power augers
hand tools, including shovels, scoops, spanners, wrenches and tape measures
consumables, including sample bags, labels and thin-walled sampling tubes
documentation, including maps, plans and worksheets
field test equipment, including pocket penetrometer, dynamic cone penetrometers and sand penetrometer
laboratory equipment, including balances, ovens, liquid limit apparatus, linear shrinkage troughs, vernier calipers, core swell testing cell, and psychrometer
camera and global positioning system (GPS) receiver
safety clothing and equipment, including helmet, boots, earmuffs and glasses
Typical problems
Typical problems may include:
delays in obtaining test results
damage to services
displaced, missing and inaccurate survey markers
misidentification of samples and sampling locations
equipment breakdown and breakage
environmental problems and issues, including site access, inclement weather, traffic, wildlife, vegetation, construction activities and contamination of stormwater
Occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental management requirements
OHS and environmental management requirements:
all operations must comply with enterprise OHS and environmental management requirements, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation - these requirements must not be compromised at any time
all operations assume the potentially hazardous nature of samples and require standard precautions to be applied
where relevant, users should access and apply current industry understanding of infection control issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and State and Territory Departments of Health

EVIDENCE GUIDE
The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Assessors should ensure that candidates can:
conduct site and laboratory operations, and analyse test results and observationsto assign a site classification
read and interpret maps, drawings, specifications and codes of practice
conduct subsurface explorations and log strata
conduct insitu testing for site classification purposes
conduct disturbed and undisturbed sampling
record project details in writing, by sketching and photography
conduct laboratory testing for site classification purposes
observe, interpret and report atypical situations
communicate problems to appropriate personnel
report results to clients using enterprise procedures.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or simulated workplace environment.
This unit of competency may be assessed with:
MSL915001A Provide information to customers
MSL916003A Supervise laboratory operations in work/functional area.
Resources may include:
access to building sites, site tools, equipment and materials
standard construction materials testing laboratory, samples, equipment, materials, test methods and enterprise procedures
access to more than one workplace or simulated learning environment if the primary workplace or learning environment is unable to provide a suitable range of equipment.

Method of assessment
It is strongly recommended that assessment is conducted through observation over time. The timeframe must allow for adequate assessment of operation under all normal and a range of abnormal conditions. Where this is not practical, additional assessment techniques must be used.
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of site classifications and other enterprise documentation prepared by the candidate
analysis of work completed over a period of time to ensure accurate and consistent work is obtained within required timelines
feedback from peers and supervisors
use of suitable simulation and/or a range of case studies/scenarios.
In all cases, practical assessment should be supported by questions to assess underpinning knowledge and those aspects of competency which are difficult to assess directly.
Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.
Access must be provided to appropriate learning and/or assessment support when required.
The language, literacy and numeracy demands of assessment should not be greater than those required to undertake the unit of competency in a work like environment.

This competency in practice
Industry representatives have provided the case study below to illustrate the practical application of this unit of competency and to show its relevance in a workplace setting.
Construction materials testing
A geotechnical consultancy company has been contracted to perform a site investigation for the purpose of determining the classification of a building site. The client is a structural engineer who will use the information to design a block of townhouses for the site. The company manager assigns a senior technician to the project along with an experienced tester to perform the site work. A second tester will perform the laboratory testing. The senior technician is a signatory for all tests for which the organisation is NATA accredited. They obtain a map of the area and establish that there is no local information available on conditions in the immediate vicinity. There are no buried services to be damaged during the investigation. They brief the field tester on the project, specifying the number and suggested locations of boreholes as well as the sampling and testing requirements. The field tester performs the site investigation by drilling power auger holes, logging and sampling the strata and performing dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP) tests. They push tubes to obtain undisturbed samples of material that they classify as high plasticity clay. They note the presence of uncontrolled fill in one corner of the site, and take several photographs with a digital camera.
When the site investigation is completed, the senior technician inspects the field logs, notes and photographs and then specifies an appropriate testing program, including shrink-swell tests on the high plasticity clay. Using the shrink-swell test result, they calculate the characteristic surface movement and after reviewing all the data assign a P classification in accordance with AS2870: Residential slabs and footings - Construction. They then prepare a report to the client, including a description of the site, the extent and nature of the investigation, test results and bore logs and the site classification. Finally, all documentation relating to the project is filed and stored as a complete record in accordance with NATA, quality assurance and liability requirements. After review by the company manager, the results of the investigation are communicated to the client.