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:
Australia New Zealand Food Standards (ANZFS) Code
food safety plans and/or pharmaceutical safety requirements
HACCP plans/documents/procedures
principles of good laboratory practice (GLP)
Australian code of good manufacturing practice for medicinal products (GMP)
product safety plan
production/quality procedures/requirements
quality manuals
standard operating procedures (SOPs)
state/territory/national legislation
pharmaceutical standards codes
manufacturers/suppliers specifications
recording sheets
equipment instructions
relevant legislation
equipment operation manuals
standard operating procedures (SOPs)
work instructions
result forms
Software packages
Computer software packages used for the development and implementation of HACCP plans will vary between and within industry sectors
Control points
Control points may be:
critical
quality
regulatory
Products/materials handled by laboratory assistants
Products/materials handled by laboratory assistants may include:
raw materials
ingredients
adjuncts/process aids
consumables
finished product
chemicals
food additives
Members of a HACCP team
Members of a HACCP team may contribute a range of expertise and relevant technical support. They would normally share responsibilities for the development of a HACCP plan
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:
obtain necessary data and results
analyse data and identify corrective action
develop a corrective action plan
monitor and evaluate effectiveness of any changes suggested within the context of the ongoing development of HACCP plan
consult and communicate appropriately with associated personnel
recognise major and minor non-conformances
construct flow diagrams and hazard analysis tables
deliver training to workplace personnel to assist their understanding of their roles and responsibilities for the implementation of HACCP
document and present recommendations and changes.

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:
MSL933002A Contribute to the achievement of quality objectives
MSL933003A Apply critical control point requirements
TAADEL301C Provide training through instruction and demonstration of work skills.
Resources may include:
access to all appropriate documentation, such as HACCP plan and quality manuals.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of documentation completed by the candidate as part of the development of HACCP plans
review of data and reports obtained from HACCP records by the candidate
feedback obtained from managers on implementation and review of HACCP plans.
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.
Food processing
The milk room at a dairy processing plant was receiving continuing high microbiological counts that were approaching levels where they could affect the safety of the final product. The laboratory supervisor began to collect and analyse information obtained from data production records, laboratory results and corrective action reports. From the information obtained, the technician produced graphs to show the microbiological count over the past few weeks. From this information he/she concluded that the contamination was due to the ineffectiveness of a sanitiser. Recommendations were forwarded to the Quality Review Committee and included a review of the:
quality of the sanitising product and an investigation of alternatives
amount of sanitiser ordered to ensure that it was not being stored beyond its recommended use by date
reliability of the suppliers to provide quality products.
Following the Quality Review Committee's agreement, the laboratory technician updated the relevant documents and implemented the recommendations. This resulted in the microbiological counts declining to acceptable levels.