Unit of competency Outline
Date retreived
22/07/2026 7:33 PM AWST
22/07/2026 7:33 PM AWST
Whilst all efforts are made to provide accurate and timely information from the relevant source/documentation, please be aware that the information supplied may not be the most current version. The accuracy of the detail has not been confirmed by the Department and therefore should not be relied upon without first confirming the contents.
Operate wet milling equipment
Operate wet milling equipment
Unit of competency
National Code
PMAOPS217B
PMAOPS217B
State Code
W8852
W8852
TGA Status
Replaced
Replaced
DTWD Status
Replaced
Replaced
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
05/09/2013
Field of Education
030717 - Plant And Machine Operations
Original Release Date
05/09/2013
Nominal Hours
40
Description
This competency covers the operation of wet milling equipment as found in plants manufacturing paint and other materials. It includes starting up and monitoring the performance of the equipment under supervision, and shutting down the equipment in an emergency, if instructed to do so.The wet milling equipment may be vertical or horizontal mills, and may incorporate rolls, balls or beads as the milling medium.
Notes
Elements and Performance Criteria
1. Prepare for work.
- 1.1. Identify work requirements
- 1.2. Identify and control hazards
- 1.3. Coordinate with appropriate personnel
2. Start up mill.
- 2.1. Perform pre-start-up checks
- 2.2. Liaise with other team members and control room operator on the intended function
- 2.3. Confirm raw materials are available and correct
- 2.4. Prepare pre-mixer and introduce raw materials to pre-mixer (if required)
- 2.5. Start up the mill as needed
- 2.6. Build operating rate steadily, checking expected performance criteria at various stages
- 2.7. Bring to specified conditions within specified time.
3. Monitor milling operation.
- 3.1. Monitor and observe mill operating condition, pressures and temperatures
- 3.2. Recognise observations which differ from normal operating parameters and requirements
- 3.3. Take appropriate action to maintain correct operating parameters
- 3.4. Identify faults and initiate repair or report as required
- 3.5. Monitor life of beads (if applicable) and/or condition of rollers/balls (if applicable).
4. Shut down and start up milling equipment.
- 4.1. Determine type of shutdown required
- 4.2. Check for related work or other affected plant to allow for coordination of activities and give advance warning where possible
- 4.3. Check and satisfy all permit requirements before equipment is brought back on line
- 4.4. Monitor and report equipment performance to control operations
- 4.5. Complete logs recording the details of the work conducted to provide a historical record of the equipment operation.
5. Isolate and de-isolate plant.
- 5.1. Isolate plant
- 5.2. Make safe for required work
- 5.3. Check plant is ready to be returned to service
- 5.4. Prepare plant for return to service.
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. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs if the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.
Codes of practice/ standards
Where reference is made to industry codes of practice, and/or Australian/international standards, the latest version must be used.
Context
This unit of competency includes various types of wet milling equipment (select the types relevant to your plant):
vertical
horizontal
bead mills
roll/ball-type mills.
Ancillary equipment
This unit also covers ancillary equipment which form part of the wet milling system. For your plant this may include (select relevant items):
pre-mix vessels
coolers, cooling jackets and heat exchangers
pumps
vessels, tanks
piping systems
valves and flanges
sumps and drains.
Problems
Typical problems for your plant may include:
condition and life of beads (if applicable)
condition of rollers/balls (if applicable)
cooling system fouling
blocked filters or piping
high/low levels
loss of process cooling resulting in high process temperatures
equipment failure or shutdown resulting in loss of feed to process
excess/unexpected sand production
composition changes.
Start up shut down as required
Start up shut down as required includes:
start up and shut down to/from normal operating conditions
start up and shut down to/from isolated, cold, empty
all other conditions experienced on the plant.
ie from any condition to any condition experienced on the plant.
Appropriate action
Appropriate action includes:
determining problems needing action
determining possible fault causes
rectifying problem using appropriate solution within area of responsibility
following through items initiated until final resolution has occurred
reporting problems outside area of responsibility to designated person.
Procedures
Procedures may be written, verbal, computer-based or in some other form. They include:
all work instructions
standard operating procedures
formulas/recipes
batch sheets
temporary instructions
any similar instructions provided for the smooth running of the plant.
For the purposes of this Training Package, 'procedures' also includes good operating practice as may be defined by industry codes of practice (eg Responsible Care) and government regulations.
Health, safety and environment (HSE)
All operations to which this unit applies are subject to stringent health, safety and environment 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.
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. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs if the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.
Codes of practice/ standards
Where reference is made to industry codes of practice, and/or Australian/international standards, the latest version must be used.
Context
This unit of competency includes various types of wet milling equipment (select the types relevant to your plant):
vertical
horizontal
bead mills
roll/ball-type mills.
Ancillary equipment
This unit also covers ancillary equipment which form part of the wet milling system. For your plant this may include (select relevant items):
pre-mix vessels
coolers, cooling jackets and heat exchangers
pumps
vessels, tanks
piping systems
valves and flanges
sumps and drains.
Problems
Typical problems for your plant may include:
condition and life of beads (if applicable)
condition of rollers/balls (if applicable)
cooling system fouling
blocked filters or piping
high/low levels
loss of process cooling resulting in high process temperatures
equipment failure or shutdown resulting in loss of feed to process
excess/unexpected sand production
composition changes.
Start up shut down as required
Start up shut down as required includes:
start up and shut down to/from normal operating conditions
start up and shut down to/from isolated, cold, empty
all other conditions experienced on the plant.
ie from any condition to any condition experienced on the plant.
Appropriate action
Appropriate action includes:
determining problems needing action
determining possible fault causes
rectifying problem using appropriate solution within area of responsibility
following through items initiated until final resolution has occurred
reporting problems outside area of responsibility to designated person.
Procedures
Procedures may be written, verbal, computer-based or in some other form. They include:
all work instructions
standard operating procedures
formulas/recipes
batch sheets
temporary instructions
any similar instructions provided for the smooth running of the plant.
For the purposes of this Training Package, 'procedures' also includes good operating practice as may be defined by industry codes of practice (eg Responsible Care) and government regulations.
Health, safety and environment (HSE)
All operations to which this unit applies are subject to stringent health, safety and environment 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.
EVIDENCE GUIDE
The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment
Assessment of this unit should include demonstrated competence on actual plant and equipment in a work environment. The unit will be assessed in as holistic a manner as is practical and may be integrated with the assessment of other relevant units of competency. Assessment will occur over a range of situations that will include disruptions to normal, smooth operation.
Simulation may be required to allow for assessment of parts of this unit. Simulation should be based on the actual plant and will include walk-throughs of the relevant competency components. Simulations may also include the use of case studies/scenarios and role plays.
This unit of competency requires a significant body of knowledge which will be assessed through questioning and the use of what-if scenarios both on the plant (during demonstration of normal operations and walk-throughs of abnormal operations) and off the plant.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Competence must be demonstrated in the ability to recognise and analyse potential situations requiring action and then in implementing appropriate corrective action. The emphasis should be on the ability to stay out of trouble rather than on recovery from a disaster.
Consistent performance should be demonstrated. In particular look to see that:
early warning signs of equipment/processes needing attention or with potential problems are recognised
the range of possible causes can be identified and analysed and the most likely cause determined
appropriate action is taken to ensure a timely return to full performance
obvious problems in related plant areas are recognised and an appropriate contribution made to their solution
pre-start checks are made to ensure equipment is lined up to the plant in accordance with procedures and/or manufacturers specifications
These aspects may be best assessed using a range of scenarios/case studies/what-ifs as the stimulus with a walk through forming part of the response. These assessment activities should include a range of problems, including new, unusual and improbable situations that may have been generated from the past incident history of the plant, incidents on similar plants around the world, hazard analysis activities and similar sources.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment will require access to an operating plant over an extended period of time, or a suitable method of gathering evidence of operating ability over a range of situations. A bank of scenarios/case studies/what-ifs will be required as will a bank of questions that will be used to probe the reasoning behind the observable actions.
Method of assessment
In all plants it may be appropriate to assess this unit concurrently with relevant teamwork and communication units.
Guidance information for assessment
Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate and appropriate to the oracy, language and literacy capacity of the assessee and the work being performed.
The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment
Assessment of this unit should include demonstrated competence on actual plant and equipment in a work environment. The unit will be assessed in as holistic a manner as is practical and may be integrated with the assessment of other relevant units of competency. Assessment will occur over a range of situations that will include disruptions to normal, smooth operation.
Simulation may be required to allow for assessment of parts of this unit. Simulation should be based on the actual plant and will include walk-throughs of the relevant competency components. Simulations may also include the use of case studies/scenarios and role plays.
This unit of competency requires a significant body of knowledge which will be assessed through questioning and the use of what-if scenarios both on the plant (during demonstration of normal operations and walk-throughs of abnormal operations) and off the plant.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Competence must be demonstrated in the ability to recognise and analyse potential situations requiring action and then in implementing appropriate corrective action. The emphasis should be on the ability to stay out of trouble rather than on recovery from a disaster.
Consistent performance should be demonstrated. In particular look to see that:
early warning signs of equipment/processes needing attention or with potential problems are recognised
the range of possible causes can be identified and analysed and the most likely cause determined
appropriate action is taken to ensure a timely return to full performance
obvious problems in related plant areas are recognised and an appropriate contribution made to their solution
pre-start checks are made to ensure equipment is lined up to the plant in accordance with procedures and/or manufacturers specifications
These aspects may be best assessed using a range of scenarios/case studies/what-ifs as the stimulus with a walk through forming part of the response. These assessment activities should include a range of problems, including new, unusual and improbable situations that may have been generated from the past incident history of the plant, incidents on similar plants around the world, hazard analysis activities and similar sources.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment will require access to an operating plant over an extended period of time, or a suitable method of gathering evidence of operating ability over a range of situations. A bank of scenarios/case studies/what-ifs will be required as will a bank of questions that will be used to probe the reasoning behind the observable actions.
Method of assessment
In all plants it may be appropriate to assess this unit concurrently with relevant teamwork and communication units.
Guidance information for assessment
Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate and appropriate to the oracy, language and literacy capacity of the assessee and the work being performed.
Replaces
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| C5950 | PMAOPS217A | Operate wet milling equipment | Unit of competency |
Replaced By
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| AXN43 | PMAOPS217 | Operate wet milling equipment | Unit of competency |
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| J572 | PMA30113 | Certificate III in Process Plant Operations | Qualification |
| W516 | PMA30108 | Certificate III in Process Plant Operations | Qualification |
| J570 | PMA20113 | Certificate II in Process Plant Operations | Qualification |
| J571 | PMA40113 | Certificate IV in Process Plant Technology | Qualification |