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 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 1012 Methods of testing concrete
AS 1141 Methods for sampling and testing aggregates
AS 1289 Methods of testing soils for engineering purposes
AS 2891 Methods of sampling and testing asphalt
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
AustRoads test methods
calibration and maintenance schedules
enterprise recording and reporting procedures
enterprise sampling procedures for specific samples, sites and clients
environmental legislation and regulations
equipment manuals and warranties, supplier catalogues and handbooks
equipment startup, operation and shutdown procedures
industry codes of practice
maps, site plans
MSDS
material, production and product specifications
National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) documents regarding construction materials testing(Field application document)
national measurement regulations and guidelines
occupational health and safety (OHS) national standards and codes of practice
quality manuals
sampling and test procedures, enterprise or standard operating procedures (SOPs)
site safety plans
Hazards may
Hazards may include:
electric shock
light, dust, noise and heat
biohazards, such as microbiological organisms and agents associated with soil
chemicals such as acids, alkalis and hydrocarbons
flammable liquids and gases
burns from hot bitumen, hot plates, hot moulds or ovens
inhalation or burns from sulphur during preparation of concrete samples
fluids under pressure
hand tools
occupational overuse syndrome, slips, trips and falls
manual/handling of heavy equipment or materials
crushing, entanglement and cuts associated with moving machinery
Enterprise safe work procedures
Enterprise safe work procedures may include:
use of MSDS
recognising and observing hazard warnings and safety signs/barriers
labelling of samples, reagents and hazardous materials
cleaning and decontaminating equipment and work areas regularly using recommended procedures
handling and storing hazardous material and equipment in accordance with labels, MSDS, manufacturer's instructions, and enterprise procedures and regulations
following established safe handling procedures for tasks involving manual handling
use of personal protective equipment, such as hard hats, hearing protection, gloves, safety glasses, coveralls, respirators and safety boots
Laboratory-based acceptance tests
Laboratory-based acceptance tests may include:
testing of concrete:
compressive and tensile tests
flexural tests
testing of soils:
laboratory density and moisture content
classification - consistency, particle distribution, dispersion and particle density
unconfined compressive strength
pH and conductivity
colour
testing of asphalt and bitumen seals:
density and compacted density
particle size distribution
stability/flow
stripping (core samples)
testing of aggregates:
particle size distribution and grading
particle shape
particle density, durability and absorption
contamination (silt and organics)
Samples and test pieces
Samples and test pieces may include:
samples of aggregates, soil, rock, concrete and road pavement
beams and cylinders for laboratory testing such as Brazil test
pats for Marshall stability/flow test
Test and sample preparation equipment/materials
Test and sample preparation equipment/materials may include:
crushers, mulchers, grinders, mills, riffles and sieves
moulds, bags and containers
ovens, microwaves and water baths
mass balances
microscopes
dimension apparatus (e.g. calipers and micrometers)
rammers, compression rigs and load cells
chemical reagents and volumetric glassware
temperature measuring devices such as thermometers and thermocouples
pH and conductivity meters
analogue and digital meters, charts/recorders, data loggers and computers
Appropriate corrective actions
Appropriate corrective actions may include:
accuracy check of data entry and transcription
logical check of equipment setup
check of calibration, zero error and drift for basic instruments
careful re-reading of procedures
repeat test measurements
seek advice
Technical/administrative records
Technical/administrative records may include:
test and calibration results
equipment use, maintenance and servicing history
faulty, unsafe or quarantined equipment
Minimising environmental impacts
Minimising environmental impacts may include:
collection of surplus or spent samples and test pieces for disposal
correct storage and handling of hazardous chemicals and samples
recycling of non-hazardous waste, such as chemicals, batteries, plastic, metals and glass
appropriate disposal of all waste
compliance with quarantine requirements to prevent transfer of pests (e.g. fire ants and seeds)
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:
plan efficient work sequences
prepare a range of laboratory samples and/or test pieces and conduct associated laboratory-based acceptance tests safely and accurately and within the required timeframe.

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 other relevant units of competency such as:
MSL922001A Record and present data
MSL943002A Participate in laboratory/field workplace safety
MSL953001A Receive and prepare samples for testing.
Resources may include:
data sets and records
test methods and description of test setup
computer and relevant software or laboratory information system
relevant enterprise procedures.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of test data, results and records generated by the candidate
feedback from supervisors and clients regarding the candidate's ability to conduct a range of laboratory-based acceptance tests reliably, safely and efficiently
questions to assess understanding of enterprise procedures and test methods relevant to their job role.
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 studies below to illustrate the practical application of this unit of competency and to show its relevance in a workplace setting.
Construction materials testing (1)
A technician working at a consulting laboratory receives a job sheet that requires a particle size distribution (PSD) test to be performed on a soil sample. The sample weighs 20kg and is contained in a large bucket. All the required documentation is present and complete. The technician locates the documented method for the PSD test (AS 1289.3.6.1) and assembles the necessary equipment. He/she uses a riffle box to obtain the recommended minimum size of sample and places it in a 50°C oven overnight. He/she performs the sieving process in three stages - coarse (26.5, 19 mm), intermediate (9.5, 4.74, 2.36 mm) and fine (1.18 mm, 600, 300, 150 and 75 micron). The technician uses a stiff brush to carefully clean all the 'fines' off the larger particles and sieves and remembers to continue washing the sample until the wash water is clear. He/she determines the moisture content and mass of the dry fractions according to the test method, taking particular care to check that the sum of the masses on each sieve and in the pan equals the original mass of the sample. The technician then reports the percentage of material retained on each sieve to the nearest 1%.
Construction materials testing (2)
A technician carefully reads through a job sheet for a compactive test on an asphalt core sample. The specified test method is Q306C and the maximum density has already been determined as 2.505. The technician prepares the necessary test equipment and materials and then inspects the core closely. He/she looks for cracks, pits and voids and evidence of over compaction in the form of crushed particles - as these features will affect the reliability of the test result. The technician records the core's general appearance and notes that it meets the test specifications. After checking the accompanying paperwork, he/she logs the job into the laboratory information management system. He/she trims the core sample to obtain a suitable test piece (50-60 mm) and performs the test. The technician makes sure that the test piece is fully encapsulated in wax before weighing the suspended test piece in water. He/she watches for bubbles and any increase in mass that would indicate a leak. After he/she is satisfied that the recorded masses are reliable, the technician calculates the core density as 2.405 indicating a compaction of 96%. After rechecking the data entries and calculations, the technician completes the test report.