Elements and Performance Criteria

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
Legislation, standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements
Legislation, standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements may include:
federal legislation, such as:
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Australian Heritage Council Act 2003
Native Title Act 1993
state/territory government legislation and regulations and local government by-laws, policies, and plans dealing with:
land use, acquisition, planning and protection
environmental protection
cultural/heritage protection
vegetation management
nature conservation and wildlife/plant protection
water and water management
soil conservation
pollution and contaminated sites
fisheries, forestry and mining operations
Australian and international standards, such as:
AS/NZS ISO 14000 Set:2005 Environmental management standards set
AS 1289 series Methods of testing soils for engineering purposes - Sampling and preparation of soils
enterprise or regulator procedures for sampling and in-field testing
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
safe work procedures
Hazards
Hazards may include:
sunlight, dust, noise and heat
extreme weather conditions (e.g. fire, flood and storms)
manual/handling of heavy equipment or materials
crushing, entanglement and cuts associated with moving machinery
vehicular traffic on roads and sites
injuries caused by falling objects and working conditions, such as uneven surfaces, heights, slopes, wet surfaces, trenches and confined spaces
biohazards (e.g. microbiological organisms in soils)
chemical hazards/contaminants in soils
Equipment and materials
Equipment and materials may include:
survey equipment, compass, global positioning system (GPS), maps and aerial photos
tape measure, clinometers and theodolite
hammers, picks, shovel, scoops, buckets, bags, sieves and sample containers
coring/excavation equipment (e.g. auger)
hand lens and microscope
pH meter and conductivity meter
chemical field test kits
worksheets, sampling/test methods
portable computers and PDAs
Common landforms
Common landforms may include:
mounds, hills, ridges, cliffs, valleys, rivers, peninsulas and numerous other structural and size-scaled (i.e. ponds vs. lakes, hills vs. mountains) elements, including various kinds of inland and oceanic water bodies and sub-surface features
geological features characterised by physical attributes, such as elevation, slope, orientation, stratification, rock exposure and soil type
Geological processes
Geological processes that are responsible for most landforms may include:
plate tectonics
glaciation
vulcanism
action of wind and water
weathering
mass wasting or erosion
action of groundwater and surface water
Physical properties of common rocks and minerals
Physical properties of common rocks and minerals may include:
composition, texture and structure
colour, streak, crystal form, habit, cleavage, fracture and hardness
Common soil properties
Common soil properties may include:
colour
structure (size and shape of aggregate particles)
texture (varying percentages of sand, silt or clay, and organic matter)
water retention and water repellence
depth to bedrock
pH
chemical properties (e.g. nitrates, sulphates, phosphates and carbonates)
electrical resistivity and conductivity
Soil degradation
Soil degradation may include:
forms of erosion, such as gully, sheet, landslide, tunnel and stream bank
erosion agents, such as wind, water, heating and cooling of rocks, freezing of water in cracks, plant roots, upheaval of trees and chemicals
weathering
decomposition of organic material
salinity
acidification
structural degradation
soil pollution (e.g. hydrocarbons and heavy metals)
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

Overview of assessment
Competency must be demonstrated in the ability to perform consistently at the required standard.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Assessors must be satisfied that the candidate can competently and consistently apply the skills covered in this unit of competency in new and different situations and contexts. Critical aspects of assessment and evidence include:
planning and preparing for field work
following relevant procedures and methods for conducting field surveys
recognising common geological landforms and explaining their formation
identifying handheld specimens of common rocks and minerals
obtaining and classifying samples of common soils
relating local geology to other ecosystem components
accurately recording field data
working safely.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or a simulated workplace environment.
Assessment should emphasise a workplace context and procedures found in the candidate’s workplace.
This unit of competency may be assessed with:
MSL952001A Collect routine site samples
MSS024003A Apply an understanding of environmental principles to a site
MSS024005A Collect spatial and discrete environmental data.
The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.
Resources may include:
access to suitable sites and vehicle
enterprise procedures governing geological sampling and in-field testing
maps and aerial photos
suitable survey, sampling and testing equipment.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of field data, results and records prepared by the candidate
feedback from peers and supervisors that the candidate consistently follows enterprise procedures and works safely
oral/written questioning associated with basic sampling and in-field testing of common rocks, mineral and soils and their identification, and ‘reading the landscape’
observation of the candidate undertaking basic geological field work.
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.
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.
Guidance information for assessment