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
state/territory government legislation and regulations and local government by-laws, policies, and plans dealing with:
land use, acquisition, planning and protection
environmental protection
Australian and international standards, such as:
AS/NZS 4276 series Water microbiology
AS/NZS 3896:2008 Waters - Examination for legionellae spp. including Legionella pneumophila
Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council & Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand 2000, Australian guidelines for water quality monitoring and reporting, National Water Quality Management Strategy No. 7, ANZECC & ARMCANZ, Canberra
AS/NZS 2031:2001 Selection of containers and preservation of water samples for microbiological analysis
AS/NZS 3666 series Air-handling and water systems of buildings - microbial control
NOHSC:1003 Adopted national exposure standards for atmospheric contaminants in the occupational environment
American Public Health Association (APHA) Handbook - Water and wastewater analysis
data quality procedures
enterprise sampling and monitoring protocols
equipment manuals and warranties, supplier catalogue and handbooks
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
occupational health and safety (OHS) national standards and codes of practice
Environmental microbiological tests
Environmental microbiological tests may include:
identification of major groups of environmentally significant organisms, such as:
bacteria, Cyanobacteria, Corynebacteria, Legionella pneumophila, Lactobacillus, Rhizobia, hydrocarbon utilising bacteria, and sulfite reducing bacteria
Total Coliforms, Faecal Coliforms, Escherichia coli, Enterococci andFaecal Streptococci
Archaea
Aspergillus
micro-algae, blue-green algae
anaerobic protozoa
indicator microorganisms and their role in predicting likely infectious agents
enumeration of organisms, and use of counting chambers
use of selective and enriched media and their role in identification and enumeration of microorganisms, such as:
MacConkey’s agar (Coliforms)
BG11 (Cyanobacteria)
yeast mannitol agar (Rhizobium)
lactose broth
ammonium salts
nutrient agars
tryptic soy agar
biochemical tests, such as IMViC (indole, methyl red, Voges-Proskauer and citrate)
use of antibiotics, such as cycloheximide (detection of bacteria in presence of yeasts and mould)
micro-toxicity testing
microbial activity in soils
Equipment, materials and systems
Equipment, materials and systems may include:
protective and physical containment facilities and equipment for safe handling of microorganisms personal protective equipment, such as gloves, gowns, masks and safety glasses, and gloves for working with extremes of heat and cold
carbon dioxide cabinets and incubators
transfer equipment, such as inoculating loops, pipettes (quantitative and qualitative), flasks, tubes and spatulas
liquid nitrogen containers for cell storage
filtration membranes
microscopes with bright field and other relevant illumination systems and stereomicroscopes
counting chambers for micro-enumeration
colony counting devices
Bunsen burners and bench incinerators
incubators and water baths
anaerobic jars, fermentation chambers, continuous culture systems and other devices for controlling growth environments of microorganisms
laboratory information management systems (LIMS), databases, record and filing systems
stains, media, reagents and biological materials necessary for laboratory testing
laboratory glassware and measuring equipment
disinfecting and sterilising solutions and equipment, such as ultraviolet (UV) lamps
materials suitable for the safe containment, collection, processing and disposal of biological and non-biological wastes
autoclaves
Legislative compliance
Legislative compliance may involve:
comparison and interpretation of data in comparison with assessment criteria, limits and other regulatory requirements, such as:
exposure standards for atmospheric contaminants in the occupational environment
guidelines for drinking water
allowable pollution index for public recreation areas
discharge of sewage and allowable contamination levels
drawing conclusions about air quality, water quality, and the condition of ecosystems
Use of microorganisms in bioremediation, agriculture and industrial processes
Use of microorganisms in bioremediation, agriculture and industrial processes may include:
treatment of wastewater (especially in sewage)
sulphite reducing bacteria
remediation of oil spills using microorganisms, such as HCB, pseudomonas
production of eco-friendly fuels, such as ethanol
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:
safely performing tasks for the culture, isolation, identification, enumeration and use of microorganisms
not contaminating self, other people, the work area, equipment or the samples or materials under test, or media or reagents during manipulations involving transfer of cultures
identifying artefacts or image aberrations attributable to misalignment or obstruction of light paths or condensers used in bright field, dark ground, phase and fluorescent microscopy, or with other steps in microscopic examinations
identifying Gram reactions accurately
accurately describing bacterial colony forms on common media used in bacteriological investigations
comparing microbiological data with relevant assessment criteria and drawing logical conclusions
preparing data and documentation that is accurate, concise and in accordance with enterprise requirements
disinfecting any spillage and safely disposing of all contaminated materials
decontaminating the work area upon completion of work
working safely and reporting all incidents or accidents.
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:
MSS025001A Assist with assessing site environmental indicators
MSS025002A Assess the environmental risk or impact of a project activity or process.
The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.
Resources may include:
a standard microbiology laboratory with relevant equipment, samples and reagents
enterprise procedures, test methods and equipment manuals.
Under duty of care requirements, off-the-job training providers will only use samples and organisms of a risk category compatible with their laboratory as defined in AS/NZS 2243.3:2010 Safety in laboratories - Microbiological aspects and containment facilities.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of results/data/records generated by the candidate
feedback from peers and supervisors about the candidate’s ability to consistently apply enterprise procedures and work safely
oral and/or written questions associated with testing of environmentally significant microorganisms and record keeping
integrated assessment with a case study focus, such as the isolation and identification of bacterial species in a specimen containing two or more species, by relating sample, cultural, morphological and biochemical data, and such from other relevant tests and procedures.
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