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.
Stock handling activities may include:
anaesthesia
cleaning and washing
counting
moving, transporting and transferring
quality control, grading and sorting
sampling for health assessment of stock
seeding of half pearls in molluscs
stocking culture or holding structures
weighing and measuring.
Cultured or held stock may include:
adults, broodstock (ready to breed), seedstock or stockers, eggs and sperm, fertilised eggs, larvae, post-larvae, seed, spat, hatchlings, yearlings, juveniles, fry, fingerlings, yearlings, smolt, sporophytes, seedlings and tissue cultures
finfish, crustaceans, molluscs, aquatic reptiles, amphibians, polychaete and oligochaete worms, plankton, micro-algae, seaweed, aquatic plants, live rock, sponges and other aquatic invertebrates
for human consumption (seafood), stockers for other farms, stockers for conservation or recreational fishing, display or companion animals (ornamentals), and other products, including pearls, skins, shells, eggs, chemicals and pigments
wild caught, hatchery or nursery reared.
Seeding may include:
gluing or attachment of half pearls on the inside of the shell (mabe)
pearl oysters, freshwater mussels, abalone and conch.
Note: Does not include insertion of a nucleus into the gonadal or somatic tissue of the shellfish for round pearl production.
Relevant government regulations, licensing and other compliance requirements may include:
biodiversity and genetically modified organisms
biosecurity, translocation and quarantine
business or workplace operations, policies and practices
correct marketing names and labelling
environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control
food safety/Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), hygiene and temperature control along chain of custody, and Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) Export Control (Fish) orders
health and welfare of aquatic animals
maritime operations, safety at sea and pollution control
OHS hazard identification, risk assessment and control.
OHS guidelines may include:
appropriate workplace provision of first aid kits and fire extinguishers
codes of practice, regulations and/or guidance notes which may apply in a jurisdiction or industry sector
enterprise-specific OHS procedures, policies or standards
hazard and risk assessment of workplace, maintenance activities and control measures
induction or training of staff, contractors and visitors in relevant OHS procedures and/or requirements to allow them to carry out their duties in a safe manner
OHS training register
safe lifting, carrying and handling techniques, including manual handling, and the handling and storage of hazardous substances
safe systems and procedures for outdoor work, including protection from solar radiation, fall protection, confined space entry and the protection of people in the workplace
systems and procedures for the safe maintenance of property, machinery and equipment, including hydraulics and exposed moving parts
the appropriate use, maintenance and storage of PPE.
Food safety and hygiene regulations and procedures may include:
Australian Shellfish Sanitation program
equipment design, use, cleaning and maintenance
exporting requirements, including AQIS Export Control (Fish) orders
HACCP, food safety program, and other risk minimisation and quality assurance systems
location, construction and servicing of seafood premises
people, product and place hygiene and sanitation requirements
Primary Products Standard and the Australian Seafood Standard (voluntary)
product labelling, tracing and recall
receipt, storage and transportation of food, including seafood and aquatic products
requirements set out in Australian and New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) Food Standards Code and state and territory food regulations
temperature and contamination control along chain of custody.
ESD principles may include:
applying animal welfare ethics and procedures
control of effluents, chemical residues, contaminants, wastes and pollution
improving energy efficiency
increasing use of renewable, recyclable and recoverable resources
minimising noise, dust, light or odour emissions
preventing live cultured or held organisms from escaping into environment
reducing emissions of greenhouse gases
reducing energy use
reducing use of non-renewable resources
undertaking environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control.
PPE may include:
gloves, mitts or gauntlets and protective hand and arm covering
buoyancy vest or personal floatation device (PFD)
hard hat or protective head covering
hearing protection (e.g. ear plugs and ear muffs)
non-slip and waterproof boots (gumboots) or other safety footwear
personal locator beacon or Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)
protective outdoor clothing for tropical conditions
safety harness
sun protection (e.g. sun hat, sunscreen and sunglasses)
uniforms, overalls or protective clothing (e.g. mesh and waterproof aprons)
waterproof clothing (e.g. wet weather gear and waders).
Labour requirements may include:
plant, equipment, vehicle or vessel operators
skilled handling workers and unskilled labourers
specialised equipment operators
transport operators.
Resource requirements may include:
handling equipment
holding and transport equipment
vessels, vehicles, trucks, trailers, cranes and load-shifting equipment.

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 evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit
Assessment must confirm the ability to:
coordinate a range of stock handling activities, such as handling, cleaning, sampling, moving, grading and stocking culture structures, seeding of half pearls, and supervising employees performing these activities.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:
advanced stock behaviour and biological requirements
safety considerations and hazards associated with stock handling equipment options and limitations.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment. It should cover the supervision range of handling activities routinely carried out on aquaculture farms in the region.

Resources may include:
culture structure and stock
enterprise data sheets or record books
equipment required for the handling activities being assessed
handling schedule
staff to coordinate.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
demonstration
practical exercises
project work
role play
written or oral short-answer testing.
Guidance information for assessment
This unit may be assessed holistically with other units within a qualification.