Elements and Performance Criteria

Range description
Work is carried out according to company policies and procedures, regulatory and licensing requirements, legislative requirements, and industrial awards and agreements
Legislative requirements are typically reflected in procedures and specifications. Legislation relevant to this industry includes the Food Standards Code including labelling, weights and measures legislation; and legislation covering food safety, environmental management, occupational health and safety, anti-discrimination and equal opportunity
Workplace information may include Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), specifications, production schedules and instructions, manufacturers' advice, standard forms and reports
Retort/cooker equipment includes static and batch retorts and continuous retorts including hydrostatic cookers with or without over-pressure; coding and materials handling equipment
Equipment components typically include vents, bleeders, spreaders, and time and temperature measurement instrumentation
Process stages typically include cooking, cooling and post-cooling container handling
Operation of equipment and processes may require the use of process control panels and systems
Operators carry out changeovers within workplace arrangements and the relevant changeover procedures should be used to customise the details of this unit. Where more detailed changeovers are carried out, also refer to
Shutdown procedures may include cleaning. In some cases cleaning may be carried out by a dedicated cleaning crew
Services may need to be confirmed. These depend on the nature of the process. Typical examples include power, steam, water, vacuum, and compressed and instrumentation air

Ability to:
Access workplace information to identify processing requirements
Select, fit and use personal protective clothing and/or equipment
Confirm supply of necessary materials and services. This includes confirming container coding, and treating or confirming availability of treated cooling water
Conduct pre-start checks. This may involve inspecting equipment condition to identify any signs of wear; selecting appropriate settings and/or related parameters; cancelling isolation or lockouts as required; and confirming that equipment is clean and correctly configured for processing requirements; sensors and controls are correctly positioned; any scheduled maintenance has been carried out, and that all safety guards are in place and operational
Start, operate, monitor and adjust the cooking and cooling process equipment to achieve required outcomes. This may include monitoring control points and conducting inspections as required to confirm process remains within specification. This includes monitoring time, temperature and pressure at each stage
Cool, clean and handle post-treated containers to meet requirements
Monitor supply and flow of materials to and from the process
Take corrective action in response to out-of-specification results
Respond to and/or report equipment failure within level of responsibility
Demonstrate batch changeovers
Locate emergency stop functions on equipment
Follow isolation and lock out/tag out procedures as required to take process and related equipment off-line in preparation for cleaning and/or maintenance within level of responsibility
Complete workplace records as required
Maintain work area to meet housekeeping standards

May include ability to:

Use process control systems
Conduct routine maintenance
Collect samples and conduct tests
Clean and sanitize equipment

Knowledge of:
Purpose and basic principles of heat treatment and retort process. This includes an understanding of the relationship between time and temperature in the retort process, and the changes and requirements of each stage such as cooking, cooling and post-treatment container handling. It also includes an understanding of the purpose and requirements of container coding
Basic operating principles of equipment. This may include an operational understanding of main equipment components, including thermometers, chart recorder, temperature control system, clock and pressure gauges; status and purpose of guards; equipment operating capacities and applications; and the purpose and location of sensors and related feedback instrumentation
The flow of this process and the effect of product output on downstream processes
Quality characteristics required of the retorted product
Effect of raw material characteristics on process performance
Operating requirements and parameters and corrective action required where operation is outside specified operating parameters
Typical equipment faults and related causes. This includes recognition of signs and symptoms of faulty equipment and early warning signs of potential problems
Techniques used to monitor the retort process. This may include inspecting, measuring and testing as required by the process. It requires awareness of inspection or test points (control points) in the process and the related procedures and recording requirements
Contamination/food safety risks associated with the process and related control measures. This includes an understanding of both the risks of contamination related to processing and to post-processing handling of containers
Common causes of variation and corrective action required. This may include an understanding of the effects of variables such as container size, product particulates, pH, water activity, time/temperature and pressure on process outcomes
OHS hazards and controls
Requirements of different shutdowns as appropriate to the process and workplace production requirements. This includes emergency and routine shutdowns and procedures to follow in the event of a power outage
Isolation, lock out and tag out procedures and responsibilities
Product/process changeover procedures and responsibilities
Procedures and responsibility for reporting production and performance information
Environmental issues and controls relevant to the process. This includes waste collection and handling procedures related to the process

May include knowledge of:

Basic operating principles of process control where relevant. This includes the relationship between control panels and systems and the physical equipment
Sampling and testing associated with process monitoring and control
Routine maintenance procedures
Cleaning and sanitation procedures

Relationship with other standards
Pre-requisite units
There are no pre-requisite units for this competency standard.
Co-assessment of related units

This unit should be assessed together with core units and other units of competence relevant to the function or work role. In addition, the following optional or ancillary units may be relevant:

FDFZPRCI2A Operate a process control interface
FDFOPTISP2A Implement sampling procedures
PMLTEST300A Perform basic tests
FDFOPTCRM2A Conduct routine maintenance
FDFZCSCS2A Clean and sanitize equipment

Resources required for assessment

Assessment must occur in a real or simulated workplace where the assessee has access to:

Personal protective clothing and equipment
Work procedures including advice on safe work practices, food safety, quality and environmental requirements
Information on equipment capacity and operating parameters
Production schedule/batch instructions
Specifications, control points and processing parameters
Retort process and related equipment and services
Materials to be processed
Sampling schedules and test procedures and equipment as required
Documentation and recording requirements and procedures
Cleaning procedures, materials and equipment as required

Assessment requirements
For information on how to assess this competency standard and who can assess, refer to the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.