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
pollution and contaminated sites
Australian and international standards, such as:
AS ISO 14050:1999 Environmental management - Vocabulary
AS/NZS ISO 14000 Basic Set:2007 Environmental Management Basic Set
AS 4482.1:2005 Guide to the investigation and sampling of sites with potentially contaminated soil - non-volatile and semi-volatile compounds
AS 4482.2:1999 Guide to the investigation and sampling of sites with potentially contaminated soil - volatile substances
guidelines such as:
National Environment Protection Measure Assessment of Site Contamination - Schedule B (2) Guideline on data collection, sample design and reporting
enterprise sampling and monitoring protocols
equipment manuals and warranties, supplier catalogue and handbooks
government policy (e.g. environmental protection and impact assessment)
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
occupational health and safety (OHS) national standards and codes of practice
site-specific requirements
Site information and sources
Site information may include:
location of site, property details, and current and proposed use
site history details, such as:
site plans, zoning and adjacent land use
current and previous present owners, occupiers, users and contaminating uses/activities
current and previous buildings and structures
site industrial processes, raw materials, products, wastes/discharges and waste disposal locations
product spills/losses, incidents and accidents
sewer and other utilities/services, plans and previous power sources
chemical storage and transfer areas
earth moving activities
interviews, consultations and complaints
Sources of information may include:
government departments, such as:
environment, environmental protection, conservation, primary industry, water resources, lands and survey, and planning
agencies, such as:
Bureau of Meteorology
Geoscience Australia
libraries and environmental data sets
companies and employees, community representatives and historical societies
Visual inspection of the site
A visual inspection of the site may include:
current uses of site
disturbed, coloured or stained soil, and bare soil patches
disturbed or distressed vegetation
unusual odour
quality of surface water and surface water drainage
condition of buildings, floors and roads
presence of chemical containers and holding tanks
presence of fill, containment areas, sumps, drains, landfill, and obvious surface hazards, such as asbestos
underground structures that may be associated with sub-surface contamination
condition of materials storage/handling facilities, and solid/liquid waste disposal areas
evidence of off-site migration, on-site spillage of dangerous goods, and staining/sheens on surface water
Scope and purpose of sampling, field tests and/or monitoring
Scope and purpose of sampling, field tests and/or monitoring may include:
determining nature of contamination
determining concentration and distribution of contamination
identifying types and concentrations of contaminants for assessing potential exposure levels/risks
monitoring site conditions to check licence compliance or determine need for remedial action
rapid analysis of samples that may change between collection and analysis
rapid sample analysis during remediation activities
determining if clean-up has been achieved
screening of samples in the field
Samples
Samples may include:
air, soil gases and dust
soils
surface water and groundwater
radiation
replicates, field and trip (transport) blanks, rinsate blanks and background samples
Field tests and monitoring
Field tests and monitoring may include:
soil profile measurements and depth of fill
measurement of bores and water depth
screening of gas/vapours, soil and water samples using:
colour and texture
bioluminescence/toxicity test kits
colorimetric methods and dye shake tests
pH, electrical conductivity, redox potential, temperature, dissolved oxygen and ammonia concentration
photoionisation detectors (PID)
flame ionisation detectors (FID)
gas detectors
portable infrared analysers for methane and carbon monoxide (CO)
portable X-ray fluorescence spectrum analyses
field gas chromatography
measurement of radiation
Hazards/risks
Hazards/risks may include:
solar radiation, dust and noise
exposure to contaminants, such as chemicals, biohazards and radiation
working on uneven surfaces and in confined spaces
manual handling of heavy objects
crushing, entanglement and cuts associated with moving machinery and hand tools
heavy vehicle traffic on site
Safety procedures and equipment
Safety procedures may include:
preparation/approval of site health and safety plan for sampling/testing, and safe work permits/approvals
use of safe work method statements, site safety induction, risk cards, ‘step back’ and safety checks
use of (disposable) personal protective equipment
ensuring two persons are present
monitoring of atmosphere for hazardous gases
working upwind of known contaminants
prohibition of eating, drinking and smoking
decontamination facilities, procedures and materials for plant, equipment and personnel
safe collection and disposal of hazardous waste
careful handling of glass containers
separation of heavy equipment into smaller units/cases for transport
reporting procedures for safety problems
emergency procedures, access for emergency vehicles
regular medical checks
Safety equipment may include:
personal protective equipment, such as boots, helmets, gloves, eye and ear protection, overalls, face masks and filters, respirators, encapsulated suits, safety harness and safety torches
gas monitors, gas detectors, personal monitors, environmental monitors and radiation dosimeters
communication equipment (e.g. two-way radio and mobile phone)
materials safety data sheets (MSDS)
first aid equipment
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 consumables, 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:
demonstrating an understanding of the legislative, regulatory and planning requirements for contaminated sites
using accurate terminology to describe common contaminants and sampling/test/safety equipment
interpreting and applying site sampling/monitoring plans, sampling/test methods and standards, health and safety plans, and safe work method statements
observing site features accurately and recognising hazards
operating, maintaining and/or calibrating sampling and test equipment to obtain reliable samples and produce consistently valid and accurate results
interpreting gross features of data, identifying atypical results and making relevant conclusions
calculating results using appropriate units/precision
providing accurate, complete records of sampling and test observations, data and results
working safely for the protection of self and others
following relevant legislative/regulatory requirements for the disposal of waste and the preservation of the environment.
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:
MSS024006A Perform sampling and testing of water
MSS025006ACollect and evaluate groundwater data
MSS025007APerform sampling and testing of soils
MSS025009A Perform sampling and testing of air
PSPRAD707A Monitor radiation.
The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.
Resources may include:
vehicles
safety procedures, safe work methods, sampling and test methods, standards and equipment manuals
appropriate sampling containers sampling/test equipment, analysers, reagents and gases
specified safety equipment, decontamination equipment and reagents
digital camera
global positioning system (GPS), logbooks and data loggers, and computers.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
inspection of samples collected by the candidate
review of measurements, test results, calculations and observations produced by the candidate
review of sampling/test records and reports completed by the candidate
feedback from supervisor about the candidate’s ability to consistently apply enterprise procedures and work safely
oral and written questioning to check the candidate’s understanding of the principles of sampling/testing of contaminated sites, operation of sampling equipment, test instruments/analysers and processing of data
observation of the candidate performing a range of sampling and testing tasks.
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