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
Scientific images
Scientific images may include the following types of imaging techniques:
photographic
digital
X-ray
video
prints
transparencies
direct transformation from images to data, such as reading of DNA sequencing gels
auto-radiations
micrographs
other non-visible light sources, such as ultraviolet (UV) light, fluorescence and phosphorescence
electron micrographs
Scientific subjects
Scientific subjects may include:
building sites, environmental survey and monitoring sites
accident or incident sites, and injuries
forensic evidence
biological specimens
histological sections
live animals
chromatography gels
Job requirements and brief
Job requirements and brief may include:
description and specification of work, including constraints and due date
purpose of the image
specifications, such as size, purpose, audience, medium and style
interviewing and collecting information from the client
keeping records, request forms and notes
Purposes of the image
Purposes of the image may include:
publication as a thesis, presentation or on the web
temporal serial recording of changes over time
display as a poster, diorama, print or projection
preview, snapshot or proof of an image for production at a later stage
records of data for inclusion in databases
use in forensic investigation or court proceedings
Planning of the job
Planning of the job may include:
choice of type of image, media, site and conditions
preparation of the subject, such as make-up, choice of whole or part, staining, dissection, mounting, animal handling, setting up a light path for a microscope and appropriate magnification
technical requirements, such as resolution, film type, tripods, shutter speed, lens type and colour differential
back-up method and equipment for image capture
specification of final product, size, delivery, number and cost
position of subject
Equipment
Equipment may include:
lighting
backdrops
camera systems and accessories
Hazards
Hazards may include:
microbiological organisms and agents associated with soil, air, water, blood and blood products, and human or animal tissue and fluids
solar radiation, dust and noise
chemicals and radioisotopes
X-rays and other sources of electromagnetic radiation (laser and UV)
manual handling of heavy objects
slips, trips and falls, falling objects and moving machinery (e.g. on building sites)
pedestrian and vehicular traffic
Safety procedures
Safety procedures may include:
recognising and observing hazard warnings and safety signs
use of personal protective equipment, such as hard hats, hearing protection, gloves, safety glasses, goggles, face guards, coveralls, gowns, body suits, respirators and safety boots
following required containment procedures through the use of appropriate equipment, such as biohazard containers, laminar flow cabinets, Class I, II and III biohazard cabinets and Class PCII, PCIII, and PCIV physical containment facilities
use of material safety data sheets (MSDS)
handling and storage of all hazardous materials and equipment in accordance with labelling, MSDS and manufacturer's instructions
following established manual handling procedures
Ethical and legal work practices
Ethical and legal work practices may include consideration of:
industry codes of practice, contracts, permits, intellectual property, crediting, plagiarism and copyright
moral rights, model release, etiquette, decorum and sensitivity towards the subject, use of a chaperone and confidentiality
Production of images
Production of images may include:
sending images for processing
processing the images
use of commercial software
Storage of records
Storage of records may include:
the brief, technical specifications and images
file management (back-ups, data retrieval and storage)
paper-based, electronic or digital
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:
create and interpret a brief
apply an imaging technique that best meets the specifications and purpose of the job, consistent with enterprise procedures
provide a back-up system of image capture when shooting images
produce consistent high quality, cost effective outcomes for clients
keep accurate records that allow future replication of images
work safely and in an ethical manner consistent with legislation, regulations and codes of practice.

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:
MSL975015A Prepare animal and plant material for display.
Resources may include:
appropriate facilities, equipment and materials for image capture
enterprise procedures, equipment manuals, industry catalogues and journals.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of portfolio of work completed by the candidate
feedback from clients and supervisor
oral or written questions to assess underpinning knowledge
case studies to assess the candidate's approach to different subjects and use of a variety of imaging techniques.
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 to show its relevance in a workplace setting.
Biomedical, biotechnology, environmental
It's Friday afternoon and a technical officer in a university biology faculty is asked, at short notice, to assist a postgraduate student to obtain images to support a presentation of her work at an international conference. She's flying out of the country to the conference on Sunday. The officer discusses the requirements with the student and determines that the images are needed for a poster presentation to show the differences between sizes of fungal spores. It is agreed that colour prints of four different sized spores are to be produced using a camera coupled to a stereomicroscope. Given the time constraints, a decision is made to use a digital image that can be reproduced on-site. The images are produced on Friday evening and the student produces her poster on Saturday. The details of the subject, conditions and the images themselves are carefully stored for later use in the student's thesis.