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 1678 Emergency procedure guide - Transport
AS 1940-2004 Storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids
AS 2252 Biological safety cabinets
AS 3780-2008 The storage and handling of corrosive substances
AS ISO 17025-2005 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
AS/NZS 1269 Set:2005 Occupational noise management set
AS/NZS 1337 Eye protection
AS/NZS 2161 Set:2008 Occupational protective gloves set
AS/NZS 2210:1994 Occupational protective footwear
AS/NZS 2243 Set:2006 Safety in laboratories set
AS/NZS 2982.1:1997 Laboratory design and construction - General requirements
AS/NZS 4452:1997 The storage and handling of toxic substances
AS/NZS 4501 Set:2008 Occupational clothing set
AS/NZS ISO 14000 Set:2005 Environmental management standards set
HB 9-1994 Occupational personal protection
Australian Dangerous Goods Code
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) Import Guidelines
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) Codes of Practice
gene technology regulations
Guide to physical containment levels and facility types
National Code of Practice for the labelling of workplace substances [NOHSC:2012 (1994)]
OHS national standards and codes of practice
Routine checks
Routine checks may include:
general housekeeping checks, such as obstructions which may cause trip hazards
checking of safety equipment, such as eye wash stations
checking reagents and equipment are safe to use
checking availability of emergency equipment
checking functionality of personal protective equipment
Hazards
Hazards may include:
electric shock
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, such as acids, heavy metals, pesticides and hydrocarbons
aerosols from broken centrifuge tubes and pipetting
radiation, such as alpha, beta, gamma, X-ray and neutron
sharps, broken glassware and hand tools
flammable liquids
cryogenics, such as dry ice and liquid nitrogen
fluids under pressure, such as steam, hydrogen in gas liquid chromatography and acetylene in atomic absorption spectrometry
sources of ignition
high temperature ashing processes
disturbance or interruption of services
occupational overuse syndrome, slips, trips and falls
manual handling, working at heights and working in confined spaces
crushing, entanglement and cuts associated with moving machinery or falling objects
pedestrian and vehicular traffic
vehicle and boat handling
Addressing hazards
Addressing hazards may include:
hazard and incident reporting and investigation procedures
elimination
substitution, such as review of nature of substances or processes used
isolation:
use of appropriate equipment, such as biohazard containers, laminar flow cabinets, Class I, II and III biohazard cabinets
Class PCII, PCIII, and PCIV physical containment laboratories
engineering
administrative procedures, such as:
ensuring access to service shut-off points
recognising and observing hazard warnings and safety signs
labelling of samples, reagents, aliquoted samples and hazardous materials
handling and storage of all hazardous materials and equipment in accordance with labelling, MSDS and manufacturer's instructions
identifying and reporting operating problems or equipment malfunctions
cleaning and decontaminating equipment and work areas regularly using recommended procedures
applying containment procedures
following established manual handling procedures for tasks involving manual handling
use of appropriate equipment and procedures to avoid personal contamination and contamination of others
following risk control measures to minimise environmental hazards
use of practices which minimise waste
reporting to appropriate personnel of abnormal emissions, discharges and airborne contaminants, such as noise, light, solids, liquids, water/waste water, gases, smoke, vapour, fumes, odour and particulates
minimising exposure to radiation, such as lasers, electromagnetic and ultraviolet
use MSDS
use of signage, barriers and service isolation tags
use of personal protective equipment, such as hard hats, hearing protection, sunscreen lotion, gloves, safety glasses, goggles, face guards, coveralls, gown, body suits, respirators and safety boots
Designated personnel
Designated personnel may include:
laboratory manager
supervisor
OHS coordinator
OHS representative
Enterprise policies and procedures
Enterprise policies and procedures may refer to:
OHS specific procedures, such as hazard and incident reporting, communication, consultation and issue resolution and risk management
controlling known hazards
minimising environmental threats
minimising and disposing of waste
responding to safety, emergency, fire and incidents
selecting/using personal protective clothing and equipment
Incidents
Incidents may include:
workplace injury and accidents
cutting, stabbing, puncturing, crushing, immersion in water, suffocation, hypothermia, burns, heat stress, animal bites, allergic reactions and assaults
biological, chemical or radioactive spills, fire, bomb threat, security threat and explosion
Emergency equipment
Emergency equipment may include:
first aid equipment
eye wash kit or shower
fire extinguisher
Participating in OHS activities
Participating in OHS activities may include:
seeking assistance to clarify obligations and procedures
clarifying work instructions that impact on safety and legal liability
OHS and environmental issues which may need to be raised by employees with designated personnel
OHS and environmental issues which may need to be raised by employees with designated personnel may include:
identification of hazards not otherwise addressed
assessment of risk and decisions on measures to control risk
risk reduction measures
problems with implementation of controls
problems with recycling, by-product collection and waste disposal
investigation of injury and incidents
clarification of understanding of OHS policies and procedures
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:
work safely
recognise potential incidents and hazards and take appropriate corrective action
follow workplace incident, first aid and emergency response procedures
promptly communicate OHS and environmental issues to designated personnel.

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:
other relevant technical units of competency.
Resources may include:
laboratory/field work environment, equipment and materials
personal protective equipment
enterprise procedures.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
observation of the candidate preparing for and undertaking a range of work tasks
written and/or oral questioning to assess underpinning knowledge and likely reactions in hazardous/emergency situations
feedback from peers and supervisors
review of candidate's responses to case studies, scenarios and/or 'what ifs'.
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.
Manufacturing
A laboratory assistant working in a laboratory was asked to produce a particular solvent-borne paint. Because of the hazardous nature of the task, the assistant referred to the MSDS which specified that a particular respirator and gloves be used. The assistant followed the requirements and safely prepared the batch of paint.
Food processing
One task of a laboratory assistant in a food processing company is the determination of total nitrogen in food samples by the Kjeldahl method. The assay involves digestion of the food with an aliquot of 30% hydrogen peroxide and several other reagents at more than 400°C. The assistant is familiar with the MSDS for hydrogen peroxide and uses this chemical with appropriate caution and personal protective equipment. Small spills of hydrogen peroxide sometimes occur. The assistant knows to clean these up immediately by liberally diluting the spill with water, mopping it up with a cloth and washing the hydrogen peroxide from the cloth into a sink with copious amounts of water. This attention to cleanliness is essential to minimise the risk of injury because 30% hydrogen peroxide has the appearance of water. Unlike water, it is corrosive to skin and presents a serious fire or explosion hazard if it should come into contact with many of the chemicals used in the laboratory.
Biomedical
After performing and verifying cell counts of plated samples, a technical assistant proceeded to dispose of the waste. The wastes were placed in a biohazard bag. The bag was sealed with a sterilisation indicator sticker that was clearly visible, and placed in the autoclave. The assistant checked the colour of the indicator sticker to ensure that the waste was correctly processed before disposing of the bag in accordance with SOPs.