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:
Australian and international standards, such as:
AS ISO 17025-2005 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
AS/NZS ISO 9000 Set:2008 Quality management systems set
Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) Code and User Guides
Australia New Zealand Food Standards (ANZFS) Code
Australian code of good manufacturing practice for medicinal products (GMP)
calibration and maintenance schedules
enterprise recording and reporting procedures
equipment startup, operation and shutdown procedures
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
material, production and product specifications
principles of good laboratory practice (GLP)
production and laboratory schedules
quality, equipment and procedures manuals
standard operating procedures (SOPs)
Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1009
Product properties, process stages and unit operations involved in the trial
Product properties, process stages and unit operations involved in the trial may include:
classification of samples (screening and sieving)
milling
mixing
separation (distillation, sieves, filtration, solvent extraction and chromatography)
drying
concentrating
diluting
depositing (injecting, forming and extrusion)
retorting
cooling, freezing, refrigeration and heat transfer
closure (vacuum sealing)
weighing and packaging
materials handling and transport
warehousing
Trial specifications
Trial specifications may include:
product specifications
recipe/formulations
processing parameters
trial size, production target and timeline
trial schedule and resources required
required product samples and tests
analysis of relevant OHS, food safety and environmental hazards and controls
storage requirements
Hazards
Hazards may include:
electric shock
microbiological organisms and agents associated with soil, air and water
solar radiation, dust and noise
chemicals, such as acids, heavy metals, pesticides and hydrocarbons
aerosols from broken centrifuge tubes and pipetting
radiation, such as gamma and X-ray
sharps, broken glassware and hand tools
flammable liquids and gases
cryogenics, such as dry ice and liquid nitrogen
fluids under pressure, such as steam and industrial gases
sources of ignition
disturbance or interruption of services
manual handling, working at heights and working in confined spaces
crushing, entanglement and cuts associated with moving machinery or falling objects
pedestrian and vehicular traffic
Safety procedures and hazard control measures
Safety procedures and hazard control measures may include:
ensuring access to service shut-off points
recognising and observing hazard warnings and safety signs
labelling of samples, reagents, aliquoted samples and hazardous materials
handling and storage of hazardous materials and equipment in accordance with labelling, MSDS and manufacturer's instructions
identifying and reporting operating problems or equipment malfunctions
cleaning and decontaminating equipment and work areas regularly using enterprise procedures
using personal protective clothing and equipment, such as hard hats, hearing protection, gloves, safety glasses, coveralls, gowns, body suits, respirators and safety boots
machinery guards
signage, barriers, flashing lights and traffic control
reporting abnormal emissions, discharges and airborne contaminants, such as noise, light, solids, liquids, water/waste water, gases, smoke, vapour, fumes, odour and particulates to appropriate personnel
Resources
Resources may include:
operators and personnel from affected work areas and functions
production, testing and sampling equipment
enterprise procedures and standard methods for sampling and testing
raw materials/ingredients, packaging components and consumables
trial documentation, such as technical specifications, plant or production line layout, MSDS, trial request and result forms
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:
analyse trial objectives and specifications to accurately determine resource requirements
liaise with relevant personnel to ensure trials are organised and conducted efficiently
follow all safety requirements on the production floor
work within production constraints, priorities and pressures
communicate effectively with personnel
collect accurate trial data and samples in the time available
recognise, interpret and report problems, atypical situations or unacceptable products
recommend product modifications and improvements within scope of responsibility
report trial outcomes in accordance with enterprise procedures.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or simulated workplace environment.
This unit of competency may be assessed with:
MSL924001A Process and interpret data
relevant MSL974000 series units of competency
relevant MSL975000 series units of competency.
Resources may include:
access to operating plant or pilot plant for duration of trials
trials, sampling and testing enterprise procedures for:
sampling containers and sampling equipment
test equipment, laboratory instruments and reagents.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of trial documentation completed by candidate to ensure quality and timeliness
feedback from personnel involved in trials, supervisors
observation of candidate participating in production trials
oral or written questioning to check underpinning knowledge of trial procedures, sampling and test methods, common causes and remedies for product/processing problems.
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 studies below to illustrate the practical application of this unit of competency and to show its relevance in a workplace setting.
Manufacturing
A new manufacturing plant has been constructed to produce titanium dioxide (TiO2) for use in food and paint manufacture. An experienced laboratory technician is involved in the plant's commissioning process which has been designed by plant engineers. The commissioning involves trial operation of each section of the plant to achieve intermediate products, such as titanium tetra-chloride (TiCl4) of acceptable quality for use in subsequent stages. The technician provides input to the trials by collecting and testing samples, analysing the results and providing regular reports to the engineers. The importance of the technician's work cannot be overestimated. They have to work under tight time deadlines, quality requirements and the overall pressure of commissioning the plant on time and within budget.
Food processing
The laboratory is notified of an upcoming trial for sour cream using a new starter culture. A technician is assigned to perform the laboratory assessment of the trial. The technician discusses with the production supervisor about when the cream will be cultured. It is agreed that the technician will monitor the fermentation, collect samples, and coordinate testing of the final product. The technician obtains protective footwear and hearing protection to wear while in the production area. On the day of the trial the technician calibrates the process pH meter and monitors the pH of the vat as fermentation progresses. Once the desired pH is reached, the technician advises the production team to commence packing of the product. After collecting samples of the final product from the start, middle and end of packing, the technician records the sample details and distributes the sample for both internal and external laboratory testing. Final product results are collated by the technician, who reports any out of specification results to the quality and production departments.