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.
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
Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements
Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements may include:
calibration and maintenance schedules
enterprise recording and reporting procedures
equipment manuals
equipment startup, operation and shutdown procedures
industry codes of practice
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
material, production and product specifications
National Environment Protection Measures
OHS national standards and codes of practice
production and laboratory schedules
quality manuals
standard operating procedures (SOPs)
Tools and equipment
Tools and equipment may include:
bench burner, hand torch, micro torch and ribbon burner, gas supplies and gas economiser
dydinium glasses and polariscope
glassworking lathe
annealing oven
measuring and recording equipment
hand tools, such as carbon paddles and mandrels, range of forceps, glass tubing gauges, angle setting jigs, calipers, glass support rollers, brass shapers, carbon rods, glass knife, stainless steel gauze, vernier calipers and other measuring tools, and strain viewer
mechanical glass cutters and saws
mechanical glass grinding equipment
communication equipment
Quality problems
Quality problems may include:
temperature and strain problems
devitrification
non-uniform thickness of seals or joints
equipment problems
quality problems, such as poor optics, distortion, excessive breakage, non-uniform break pattern, incorrect cross bend, excessive bow, scratches and poor glass shape
loss of utilities
Hazards
Hazards may include:
sharps and broken glassware
heat sources, such as burners and ovens
fluids under pressure (acetylene and oxygen)
glass dust
cuts associated with glass grinders and cutters
manual handling of heavy sample bags and containers
Safe work practices
Safe work practices may include:
use of personal protective equipment, such as heat resistant gloves, safety glasses, goggles, face guards, coveralls, respirators and safety boots
correct labelling of reagents and hazardous materials
handling, and storing hazardous materials and equipment in accordance with labels, MSDS, manufacturer's instructions, and enterprise procedures and regulations
regular cleaning and/or decontamination of equipment and work areas
Occupational health and safety (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

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 and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Assessors should ensure that candidates can:
use basic bench/hand glasswork techniques and equipment to fabricate general glass apparatus
start up, set up and shut down equipment in accordance with work instructions
report atypical results and problems to appropriate personnel.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or simulated workplace environment.
Resources may include:
access to a scientific glassblowing facility, appropriate equipment, materials and procedures
a bank of case studies is required where these form part of the assessment method.

Method of assessment
It is strongly recommended that assessment is conducted through observation over time.
The timeframe must allow for adequate assessment of operation under all normal and a range of abnormal conditions. Where this is not practical additional assessment techniques must be used.
The following assessment methods are suggested:
inspection of glasswork and workplace documentation completed by the candidate
analysis of work outputs over a period of time to ensure accurate and consistent work is obtained within required timelines
feedback from peers and supervisors
use of suitable simulation and/or a range of case studies/scenarios.
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.
Access must be provided to appropriate learning and/or assessment support when required.
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.

This competency in practice
Industry representatives have provided the case study below to illustrate the practical application of this unit of competency and show its relevance in a workplace setting.
Education
A trainee glassblower has been requested by her/his supervisor to make 100 Pasteur pipettes for a university chemistry practical class the next day. The trainee selects the appropriate glass and type and cuts 50 lengths of glass (two pipettes per length). She/he then proceeds to pull points at the designated markings in the centre of the glass tube using the bench burner. At the conclusion of this operation, the pipettes are cut to the relevant length and then flared at the other end using a specially profiled carbon hand tool. The pipettes are then annealed to eliminate stress caused by the manufacture process. After inspection through a polariscope, the pipettes are delivered to the laboratory for use.