Elements and Performance Criteria

The range of variables relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that will affect performance.
Where reference is made to industry Codes of Practice, and/or Australian/international standards, it is expected the latest version will be used.
All operations must comply with relevant standards, appropriate procedures and/or enterprise requirements.

These procedures include or may have been prepared from
Australian and international standards, such as -
AS ISO/IEC 17025 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
ISO 5725-1, 6 Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results
ISO 9000-1 Quality management and quality assurance standards Part 1 Guidelines for selection and use
ISO 9004-1 Quality management and quality system elements - Part 1 Guidelines
ISO 9004-4 Quality management and quality system elements - Part 4 Guidelines for quality improvement
ISO 10012 Quality assurance requirements for measurement equipment
Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement, issued by BIPM, IEC, IFCC, ISO, IUPAC, IUPAP, OIML
industry/sector specific guides, such as the Eurachem/CITAC Guide on 'Quantifying Uncertainty in Analytical Measurement'
material safety data sheets (MSDSs)
enterprise recording and reporting procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs)
quality manuals, equipment and operating/technical manuals
test methods and calibration procedures (validated and authorised)
test methods and calibration procedures published by international, national or regional standards, reputable technical organisations, scientific texts or journals, equipment manufacturers
incident and accident/injury reports
schematics, work flows, laboratory layouts, production and laboratory schedules.

Standard calibrations may involve testing and/or calibrating the following equipment and reference materials using standard methods and procedures
common types of test equipment, such as anemometers, balances, barometers, calipers, environmental chambers, hygrometers, manometers, masses, micrometers, pressure equipment, spectrophotometers, tape measures, rules, temperature (digital) indicating systems, thermometers, thermocouples, timing devices, vibration analysis equipment, weighing instruments
electrical reference standards, such as air-lines, analogue meters, attenuators, bridges-manual balance, capacitors, DC voltage references, digital instruments (calibrators, DMMs, electronic transfer standards), inductors, instrument and ratio transformers, instrument transformer test sets, potentiometers, resistors, RF power meters, RF thermistor mounts and thermal converters, shunts, time interval and frequency standards, transfer standards AC-DC, voltage dividers, volt ratio boxes, watthour references
working standards, instruments and testing equipment, such as EMC test equipment, field strength meters, flammability test equipment, gauges/test fingers/test pins, hipot testers, impact hammers, impulse testers, instrument calibrators, network analysers, signal generators, spectrum and harmonic analysers.

Hazards may include
electric shock
disturbance or interruption of services
manual handling of heavy equipment boxes
sources of electromagnetic radiation (lasers, RF generators/transmitters)
fluids under pressure
heat sources, such as ovens.

Safety procedures may include
use of personal protective equipment, such as hearing protection, gloves, safety glasses, coveralls
ensuring access to service shut-off points
handling and storing hazardous materials and equipment in accordance with labels, MSDS, manufacturer's instructions, enterprise procedures and regulations
regular cleaning of equipment and work areas.

Reference material may include, for example
colour standards
graded granular materials
hardness blocks

This unit of competency may involve communication with
supervisors and managers (laboratory, quality and customer service)
peers and other laboratory or relevant technical personnel
clients and end users of equipment
external auditors, or accreditation agency (for examples, NATA)
manufacturers of equipment and suppliers of spare parts and materials.

The working environment will have a controlled environment but could be a
purpose-built designed facility
mobile facility in the field.

Health, safety and environment
All operations to which this unit applies are subject to stringent health, safety and environmental (HSE) requirements, which may be imposed through State or Federal legislation, and these must not be compromised at any time. Where there is an apparent conflict between performance criteria and HSE requirements, the HSE requirements take precedence.
All operations assume the potential hazardous nature of samples and require standard precautions to be applied. Users should access and apply current industry understanding of infection control issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council and State and Territory Departments of Health. All operations are performed in accordance with standard operating procedures.

The Evidence Guide describes the underpinning knowledge and skills that must be demonstrated to prove competence.
Critical aspects of competency

Competency must be demonstrated in the ability to perform consistently at the required standard. In particular, assessors should look to see that the candidate:

maintains very close attention to procedures, accuracy and precision of measurement to ensure integrity of test/calibration results (especially during lengthy tests)
critically examines each calibration step to ensure repeatability and validity of data
applies all relevant procedures and regulatory requirements to ensure the quality and integrity of the services or data he/she provides
prepares test/calibration documentation that is accurate and complies with requirements
operates equipment correctly and safely
recognises problems or departures in systems and documentation and initiates actions to prevent or minimise them
recognises and reports opportunities for improvements to procedures.

Underpinning knowledge

Competency includes the ability to apply and explain:

purpose of metrology and calibration, including common terminology, concepts, principles, procedures, and applications
NATA's and NMI's role in the measurement and testing system in Australia
traceability, including legal requirements for traceability
requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories (for example, AS ISO/IEC 17025) as they affect job role and responsibilities
selection and application of appropriate test methods and calibration procedures
hierarchy and appropriate selection of reference materials and instruments
non-conformance/non-compliance procedures and protocols associated with equipment, reference material and calibration procedures
use of calibration and correction charts
calculation procedures to give results in appropriate accuracy, precision and units
troubleshooting procedures for equipment and test methods
methods for statistical analysis (means, ranges, standard deviations) and estimation of uncertainty of measurement (may include the use of software)
reporting procedures and legislative requirements
handling, transport, storage and operation of reference and working standards
laboratory environmental control requirements
enterprise and/or legal traceability requirements
relevant health, safety and environmental requirements.

Knowledge is also required of the:

layout of the enterprise, divisions and laboratory
organisational structure of the enterprise
lines of communication
role of laboratory services for the enterprise and customers.

Specific industry

Additional knowledge requirements may apply for different industry sectors. For example, testing and calibrations conducted in the following fields:

acoustic and vibration measurement
chemical testing
construction materials testing
electrical testing
heat and temperature measurement
mechanical testing
metrology
non-destructive testing
optics and radiometry
pressure measurements.

Assessment context and methods
This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or simulated workplace environment.

The following assessment methods are suggested:

review of calibration results, uncertainty calculations and documentation completed by the candidate
feedback from supervisors and/or customers regarding quality of calibration services provided by the candidate
observation of the candidate performing standard calibrations
oral or written questioning to check underpinning knowledge of standard calibration procedures.
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. Questioning techniques should suit the language and literacy levels of the candidate.

Interdependent assessment of unit

This unit of competency may be assessed with:

PMLDATA400A Process and interpret data
any relevant PMLTEST400 series or PMLTEST500 series unit of competency.

Resource implications

Resources may include:

specialised calibration/test equipment, reference standards, laboratory facilities
access to a library of calibration methods, procedures, equipment specifications
enterprise quality manual and procedures.

This competency in practice
Calibration work may be simple or highly complex depending upon the type of equipment being calibrated and the accuracy or uncertainties required. Manual calibrations may involve interconnecting equipment and setting the stimulus devices to the settings listed in the procedure. At each setting, the technician must verify that the response or output of the unit under test (UUT) is within the tolerances specified in the procedure. In addition, many procedures require that 'as-found' (before adjustment) and 'as-left' (after adjustment) results are recorded for maintaining the UUT documentation history.
Often calibration technicians must assess and document the total uncertainties for a given measurement by analysing equipment specifications and methodology during calibration. They have to interpret specifications and technical information and demonstrate initiative when adjusting and repairing instruments.
The calibration technician's workload can be routine and repetitive. A perpetual backlog of work and the constant need to reduce turn-around-time to meet client demands, coupled with enterprise productivity goals, can induce stress and mental fatigue if not carefully managed. However, it is essential that all personnel are able to perform tests and associated work tasks without undue pressure that might influence technical judgement if 'integrity of measurement' is to be retained. Errors arising from items incorrectly calibrated will, at best, have to be recalled which wastes time, resources and destabilises enterprise credibility. At worst, if undetected, they may have severe safety implications to personnel or equipment, depending on the nature of the item.
A customer delivers a test pressure gauge and requires certification that the gauge conforms to manufacturer's specifications. Personnel in the item reception area log the job and the laboratory supervisor assigns it to a calibration technician. He/she reads the work order and retrieves the approved calibration procedure. The procedure requires the customer's gauge to be tested to 1000 kPa using a hydraulic test station. The technician assembles the required apparatus and personal protective equipment. The gauge is visually inspected for defects and contamination. The temperature of the environment is checked and the hydraulic test station confirmed as fully operational. The required pressures are applied to the gauge and the indicated readings are transcribed onto the test report. The technician notes that some readings are outside the allowable tolerance and adjustments will have to be made. He/she takes another set of readings after making the necessary adjustments and records them on the report. The technician applies the required labels to the gauge, updates the database, produces a test report and places the item on the QA bench for inspection by the supervisor. The supervisor visually inspects the item and checks the readings on the report. The job has taken two hours to complete.
A client has asked the laboratory to calibrate a spectrum analyser to manufacturer's specification. The supervisor assigns the job to a calibration technician who reads the job sheet and locates the appropriate calibration procedure. Although this spectrum analyser will be calibrated partly with the aid of automated technology, the technician estimates that the calibration will still take about nine hours to complete. The technician reads the procedure and assembles the equipment and allows for the required warm-up time for instrument stabilisation. Possible sources of error are minimised by cleaning connectors and tensioning them with the torque spanner. The technician performs the manual phase of the test and manually records 12 pages of results. The equipment is reconnected for the automated part of the procedure the test recommenced. The technician produces a further six pages of results. These are assessed for errors and non-conformances and all calculations are carefully checked. A final report is produced which accompanies the spectrum analyser to the QA bench for checking by the supervisor. All cables and equipment used for the calibration are returned to the store.

The seven key competencies represent generic skills considered for effective work participation. The bracketed numbering against each of the key competencies indicates the performance level required in this unit. These are stand-alone levels and do not correspond to levels in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).
Level (1) represents the competence to undertake tasks effectively
Level (2) represents the competence to manage tasks
Level (3) represents the competence to use concepts for evaluating and reshaping tasks.
Communicating ideas and information
(2)

Collecting analysing and organising information
(2)

Planning and organising activities
(2)

Working with others and in teams
(1)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
(2)

Solving problems
(2)

Using technology
(2)