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/IEC 17025 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
AS 1289 Methods of testing soils for engineering
AS 1012 Methods of testing concrete
AS 2981 Methods of sampling and testing asphalt
DIN 19683 series - Soil testing in agricultural hydrology - Physical laboratory tests
ISO/IEC Guide 98-3:2008 Uncertainty of measurement - Part 3 Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement (GUM)
National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) supplementary requirements for the relevant field of testing
NATA technical notes and guides
MSDS
standard operating procedures (SOPs)
quality manuals, equipment and procedures manuals
equipment startup, operation and shutdown procedures
calibration and maintenance schedules
enterprise recording and reporting procedures
production and laboratory schedules
material, production and product specifications
Preparation of samples
Preparation of samples may include:
moisture conditioning and compaction of soil
trimming to required size and shape
orientation of test pieces
polishing
curing concrete test pieces
Test methods and procedures
Test methods and procedures may include:
consolidation of soil (e.g. one-dimensional and triaxial)
shear testing of soil and rock (e.g. total stress, effective stress, direct stress and triaxial stress)
permeability of soil, rock and concrete (e.g. falling head and constant head)
California Bearing Ratio (CBR) (4 point)
fatigue and creep of metals, polymers and concrete
wheel tracking in asphalt
stiffness and creep of asphalt
Hazards
Hazards may include:
microbiological organisms and agents associated with soil
chemicals, such as acids and solvents
sharps and hand tools
flammable liquids and gases
cryogenics, such as dry ice and liquid nitrogen
fluids under pressure such as steam and industrial gases and hydraulics
disturbance or interruption of services
crushing, entanglement and cuts associated with moving machinery or falling objects
Hazard control measures
Hazard control measures may include:
ensuring access to service shut-off points
recognising and observing hazard warnings and safety signs
labelling of samples, hazardous materials and equipment
machinery guards
handling and storage for hazardous materials and equipment in accordance with labelling, MSDS and manufacturer's instructions
identifying and reporting operating problems or equipment malfunctions
cleaning equipment and work areas regularly using enterprise procedures
using personal protective clothing and equipment, such as hard hats, hearing protection, gloves, safety glasses, coveralls and safety boots
following established manual handling procedures
reporting abnormal emissions, discharges and airborne contaminants such as noise, light, solids, liquids, water/waste water, gases, smoke, vapour, fumes, odour and particulates to appropriate personnel
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:
select test methods, operating parameters and test ranges to suit the material and its intended use
prepare and orient test pieces precisely
safely set up, start up and shut down equipment
maintain close attention to measurement procedures, accuracy and precision during lengthy complex tests
calculate/determine required engineering properties with appropriate accuracy, precision and units
recognise atypical data/results and trace artefacts and problems with procedures or equipment
record and report data/results in accordance with enterprise procedures
maintain security, integrity and traceability of all samples, test pieces and documentation.

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:
MSL925001A Analyse data and report results.
Resources may include:
engineering materials testing laboratory with appropriate test equipment, instruments and samples
SOPs and test methods.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of results obtained by the candidate over a period of time to ensure accurate and consistent results are obtained within required timelines
inspection of testing records and workplace documentation completed by the candidate
observation of candidate conducting a range of complex tests on engineering materials
feedback from clients, peers and supervisors
oral or written questioning.
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
A consulting company is investigating a possible dam site and needs to assess a particular soil in the foundation. They request a geotechnical testing authority to determine the permeability of the soil. A senior technician checks the client request and inspects the soil sample, noting that it is plastic, clay and fissured. He/she checks the dam design parameters and notes that the overburden pressure will be 500 kPa.
The senior technician uses a triaxial permeability test using a constant head configuration. He/she trims a cylindrical test piece, determines the sample's bulk density and uses the trimmings to determine its moisture content. The test piece is mounted in a triaxial test cell and the equipment carefully de-aired. All pressure gauges, regulators and transducers are checked and the equipment is leak tested. A confining stress is applied and after allowing the sample to come to equilibrium, it is back saturated. The cell pressure is increased to 500 kPa and as the sample consolidates, the technician monitors the sample volume change and pore water pressure. A differential pressure is applied in stages and the water flow through the sample is optimised. After reaching a steady state the flow rate is monitored to determine the sample permeability.
After taking sufficient readings to ensure a valid measurement, the senior technician prepares plots of permeability and time and reports the steady state values. After completing the test, he/she shuts down the equipment in the recommended sequence, cleans and restores all items. He/she then removes the test piece and determines the after-test moisture content.