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
AS/NZS 2243 Set:2006 Safety in laboratories set
principles of good laboratory practice (GLP)
Australian code of good manufacturing practice for medicinal products (GMP)
safety manuals
quality manuals and equipment and procedure manuals
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
enterprise recording and reporting procedures
production and laboratory schedules
material, production and product specifications
standard operating procedures (SOPs) describing personal protective equipment requirements, indications for use of biohazard and laminar flow cabinets, containment and cleanup of spillages and disposal of wastes
instructions to comply with legislation, standards, guidelines and codes
stock records and inventory
waste minimisation and disposal protocols
Equipment, reagents, specimens and systems
Equipment, reagents, specimens and systems may include:
tissue processors
microtomes and microtome knives (non-disposable or disposable)
embedding centres
flotation baths and drying ovens
microtome knife sharpeners
reagents, such as formaldehyde, ethanol, xylene, paraffin and stains
reference material for automated and manual quality control and quality assurance systems
fresh and fixed specimens
computer information systems, databases, record and filing systems, including specimen accessioning
Histological procedures
Histological procedures may include:
cutting paraffin sections of organs, such as kidney, liver, small intestine, stomach and tongue
cutting paraffin sections of dicotyledon and monocotyledon stems
staining tissue sections with Haematoxylin and Eosin (human and animal tissue) and Safranine and Fast Green (plant tissue)
Pre-use checks
Pre-use checks may include:
safety/serviceability
cleanliness
routine maintenance
Hazards
Hazards may include:
micro-organisms and agents associated with soil, air, water, blood and blood products, and human or animal tissue and fluids
chemicals and stains
aerosols
sharps and broken glassware
Safety protocols/practices
Safety protocols/practices may include:
use of MSDS
use of personal protective equipment, such as gloves, safety glasses, goggles, faceguards, coveralls and gowns
use of biohazard containers and laminar flow cabinets
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:
process, embed and cut tissue safely to enterprise procedures
stain sections according to enterprise procedures
manage tasks and organise work to ensure the timely completion of tasks
use specimens, reagents and materials economically and dispose of wastes safely
maintain equipment, recording and reporting malfunctions appropriately
minimise cross-contamination between specimens
maintain traceability through all steps from receiving a specimen through to completion of a procedure
work safely.

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:
MSL973007A Perform microscopic examination.
Resources may include:
standard laboratory equipped with appropriate equipment and materials, such as microtomes, stains, animal and plant tissues
processing system for paraffin blocks
associated OHS equipment, such as extractor systems
enterprise procedures and standard methods.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
observation of the candidate performing tissue processing, embedding, cutting, pickup and mounting
inspection of sections and slides prepared by the candidate
review of quality control records for sections and slides prepared by the candidate
feedback from supervisors and peers on adherence to enterprise/technical procedures
questioning to assess underpinning knowledge.
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 show its relevance in a workplace setting.
Biomedical
A laboratory assistant is asked to prepare a series of 5 (m or less, sections of rats' livers as part of a team's work to investigate a new treatment for Hepatitis C. She/he retrieves the liver samples from the cut-up bench for processing. The assistant checks that the processor is warmed up and that all the reagents are topped up. She/he chooses a program to suit the 1cm square liver samples and loads the cassettes into the processor. As processing continues, the assistant regularly checks that the system is working correctly. The next day, the assistant embeds the tissue into paraffin wax and cuts sections from each block using a rotary microtome. She/he checks that each section is smooth, flat and free of artefacts, taking care to ensure that there is no contamination between specimens and that traceability of all specimens and documentation is maintained. The assistant stains the tissue with a routine Haematoxylin and Eosin stain and passes the tray of prepared slides to the researcher for further analysis.
Education
A laboratory assistant in a high school was asked to prepare sections of plant tissue using a hand microtome in preparation for a practical class where the students will stain and examine the slides in order to consolidate their knowledge about plant tissue structure and function. He/she was also asked by the supervising teacher to prepare a brief written outline for the students of the procedures used to prepare the plant tissue sections and to demonstrate the procedures to the student group under the control of the teacher. The laboratory assistant emphasised the importance of setup, pre-use checks of the equipment and appropriate disposal of the sections at the end of the practical class.