Elements and Performance Criteria

The range of variables places the competency in context and allows for differences between enterprises and workplaces, including practices, knowledge and requirements. The range of variables also provides a focus for assessment and relates to the unit as a whole. The following variables may be present.

Regulations:
· AQIS Export Control (Fish) Orders for fresh and frozen cooked and uncooked crustaceans
· State and Territory food regulations
· enterprise Occupational Health and Safety standards
· enterprise food safety program
· enterprise quality assurance system
· enterprise procedures
· State and Territory environmental regulations.

Occupational Health and Safety standards may include:
· codes of practice, regulations and/or guidance notes which may apply in a jurisdiction
· enterprise-specific occupational and health and safety procedures, policies or standards.

Personal protective equipment (PPE):
· waterproof clothing
· work safety or waterproof footwear
· protective hand covering
· protective hair or beard cover.

Product:
· fresh
· frozen
· cooked
· uncooked (raw).

Equipment:
· thaw tank
· peelings baskets
· scales
· electric saw
· freezer trays
· ice slurries
· chilled sea water
· chemicals to control melanosis.

Specifications:
· gut (de-vein)
· gills (crabs)
· meat
· cutlet
· size grading
· melanosis
· temperature.

Productivity:
· heading and peeling rates
· peeled meat yields.

Species:
· lobsters
· bugs
· prawns
· crabs
· yabbies.

Each unit of competency has an evidence guide that relates directly to the performance criteria and the range of variables. Its purpose is to guide assessment of the unit in the workplace and/or training program. The following components provide information to assist this purpose.

Underpinning knowledge
The essential knowledge and understanding a person needs to perform work to the required standards include:
· hygienic handling and storage of crustaceans
· personal, workplace and product hygiene
· safe storage and handling of food-grade chemicals
· cross contamination of raw and cooked product.

Practical skills
The essential skills a person needs to perform work to the required standards include:
· cleaning and maintaining a clean workplace
· manual dexterity for quick head and shell removal
· communicating orally to give and receive information.

Literacy skills used for:
· reading and following enterprise procedures
· reading and applying outline of specifications
· reading basic order form.

Numeracy skills used for:
· counting number of pieces in carton and weight of cartons.

Critical aspects of competence
Assessment must confirm the ability to:
· recognise species and produce hygienically prepared headed and/or peeled crustacean flesh that meet customer's specifications and that are within workplace yield and productivity requirements and meet Occupational Health and Safety standards and food regulations.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:
· location of gills, guts, and internal skeleton in different crustacean species
· spoilage patterns of raw and cooked crustaceans
· crustacean defects, diseases and parasites.

Interdependent assessment of units
This unit may be assessed in conjunction with other units.

Context of assessment
Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment.

Method of assessment
The following assessment method is suggested:
· observation of practical demonstration, such as product, including raw and cooked prawns and some cooked crabs, peeled to demonstrate consistency and level of performance.

Resources required for assessment
Resources may include:
· thaw tank
· frozen crustaceans
· fresh crustaceans
· cooked crustaceans
· raw crustaceans
· weighing scales
· knives, clean prawn baskets, waste tubs and running potable water.