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.
Legislative and industry requirements may include:
relevant commonwealth and state or territory building Acts, regulations and codes, such as Building Code of Australia (BCA)
relevant Australian standards, such as:
AS 1851 Maintenance of fire protection systems and equipment
note: Australian standards are frequently revised and users must always check for currency and amendments
relevant legislation relating to testing of fire protection equipment, including:
dangerous goods regulations
environmental regulations
international shipping codes
licensing arrangements
marine codes for different Australian states
occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation, regulations and codes
requirements of Australian petroleum industry.
Organisational requirements may be located in quality assurance and procedures manuals and may include:
client-specific contractual requirements
documentation and information systems and processes
legal and organisational policies and guidelines, including personnel practices and guidelines outlining work roles, responsibilities and delegations
legislation relevant to service operation
using electronic job scheduling and communication devices.
Checking for compliance may include:
undertaking commissioning tests detailed in relevant Australian standards and manufacturers' documentation to verify performance of an installed, repaired or altered piece of equipment or system
applying inspections, tests and survey requirements to equipment and systems, according to relevant Australian standards, to determine that they are:
capable of operating as intended when originally installed
still suitable for the fire hazard or risk being protected, as no change in occupancy or use of the area protected has occurred since the equipment or system was installed or last modified
providing the coverage and protection needed to meet original design and performance requirements
reviewing documentation to verify that installed systems comply with legislative and industry requirements, such as:
building's essential services or fire safety measures listing
environmental regulations
relevant commonwealth and state or territory building Acts, regulations and codes
relevant Australian standards listed on essential service listing.
Action may include:
advising client
documenting non-compliance
making equipment safe
reporting, as required.
Water-based fire-suppression systems are defined in AS 2118 Automatic fire sprinkler systems and AS 2419 Fire hydrant installations, and may include:
alternate wet and dry systems
combined sprinkler and hydrant systems
deluge systems
dry systems
hydrant systems
pre-action or recycle systems
residential and domestic systems
tail-end systems
alternate wet and general systems.
Test points are:
specific locations where test equipment can be attached to measure and record water flow and pressure to meet legislative and industry requirements.
Water flow test equipment may include:
differential pressure gauges
hand tachometers
manometers
orifice plates
Pitot tube water flow test instrument
ultrasonic flow measuring equipment
ultrasonic thickness gauges
Venturi devices.
System interfaces may include:
components such as flow, pressure, tamper and valve positioning switches that operate signals between the water-based fire-suppression system and other services, such as:
building heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) services
fire brigade monitoring providers
other life safety systems, such as:
warning systems
fire indicator panel.
Sustainability principles and concepts:
cover the social, economic and environmental use of resources to meet current and future needs
may include:
efficient use of material
efficient energy and water use
rain harvesting and disposal.
Frequency schedules include:
schedules conducted at regular frequencies, as defined in AS1851, and relating to weekly, monthly, and six-monthly inspection and testing activities.

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
This unit of competency could be assessed by observation of practical demonstration of basic functional water flow testing of a range of water-based fire-suppression systems.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to provide evidence of the required skills and knowledge specified in this unit.
In particular the person should demonstrate the ability to:
apply sustainability principles and concepts when conducting functional water flow testing
apply safety requirements throughout the work sequence, including electrical safety, personal protective clothing and equipment
conduct functional water-flow testing of the following water-based fire-suppression systems:
deluge systems
hydrant systems
pre-action or recycle systems
residential and domestic systems
wet and general systems with no pumpset system
wet and general systems with pumpset system and tank.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment of essential underpinning knowledge may be conducted in an off-site context. It is to comply with relevant regulatory or Australian standards' requirements.
Resource implications for assessment include:
adequate water supply and draining or recycling arrangements to operate the water-based fire-suppression system
calibrated water flow measuring and pressure gauge equipment
operational water-based fire-suppression systems.
Method of assessment
Assessment methods must:
satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the Property Services Training Package
include direct observation of tasks in real or simulated work conditions, with questioning to confirm the ability to consistently identify and correctly interpret the essential underpinning knowledge required for practical application
reinforce the integration of employability skills with workplace tasks and job roles
confirm that competency is verified and able to be transferred to other circumstances and environments.
Guidance information for assessment
Reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities must be made to assessment processes where required. This could include access to modified equipment and other physical resources, and the provision of appropriate assessment support.
Assessment processes and techniques should as far as is practical take into account the language, literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate in relation to the competency being assessed.
This unit could be assessed on its own or in combination with other units relevant to the job function, for example:
CPCPFS3021A Inspect and test fire pumpsets.