Elements and Performance Criteria

The range of variables places the competency in context and allows for differences between enterprises and workplaces, including practices, knowledge and requirements. The range of variables also provides a focus for assessment and relates to the unit as a whole. The following variables may be present.

Suitable:
· undercover
· outdoors
· vessel
· size and configuration
· attachment points
· flooring
· accessibility.

Efficiency:
· posture of workers
· safety of working area
· proximity to resources
· worker comfort
· speed of work.

Enterprise requirements may include:
· Occupational Health and Safety policies, procedures and programs
· use of electronic communication equipment
· access and equity policy, principles and practice
· client service standards
· communication channels and reporting procedures
· company issued identification eg card, badge or pass
· company policy and procedures including personnel practices and guidelines
· defined resource parameters
· dress and presentation requirements
· duty of care, code of conduct, code of ethics
· emergency response and evacuation procedures
· notification of authorities
· employer and employee rights and responsibilities
· policies and procedures relating to own role, responsibility and delegation
· quality and continuous improvement processes and standards
· records and information systems and processes
· induction and refresher training materials
· pre and post operational checks of equipment.

Occupational health and safety requirements may include:
· acts, regulations, codes of practice, industry standards and guides, regulation and/or guidance notes which may apply in a jurisdiction
· enterprise specific occupational health and safety procedures, policies and standards
· specific task related procedures may include:
· identifying hazards, assessing and controlling risks
· emergency response
· housekeeping including floors clean, dry and uncluttered
· working in a crowded work area
· wearing non-skid protective footwear
· avoidance of boots that trap waste, liquid etc inside
· wearing of protective mitts when handling knives and cutting equipment etc
· manual handling techniques
· minimise repetitive, forceful, constrained or awkward postures
· storage, use and handling of chemicals and hazardous substances
· material safety data sheets (MSDS)
· investigate and action on all accidents and near misses and dangerous occurrences
· knowledge of basic first aid procedures including:
· supply and use of cool, but not cold water for minor burn treatment
· provision of OHS information
· OHS consultation and participation
· OHS issue resolution.

Material:
· netting:
· monofilament
· multi-monofilament
· knotted and knotless netting
· braided twine
· twisted twine
· polyethylene (PE)
· polyamide (nylon) (PA)
· strengthening ropes
· attachment twine.

Measurement:
· twine:
· ply
· diameter
· tex, Rtex
· material type:
· PE
· PA
· monofilament
· braided
twisted
· mesh size for construction purposes
· mesh size for fisheries regulation purposes.

Tools:
· netting needles:
· bone
· flat
· knives
· scissors
· measuring devices:
· marked rod
· mesh gauge
· ruler
· stands
· tensioning devices
· transporting aids.

Shaped:
· all meshes
· all points
· all bars
· combinations of above to form tapers.

Strengthened:
· selvedge
· bordered with stronger netting
· double twine
· gathering meshes
· strengthening ropes.

Joined:
· mesh to mesh
· point to point
· taper to taper
· gathering meshes together
· incorporating strengthening ropes.

Components:
· netting attachment
· rope
· wire rope
· chain
· thimbles
· shackles
· joiners
· floats
· weights
· bridles
· lifting points
· rings
· cod end drawstrings
· damage protection devices
· strengthening ropes
· by-catch reduction devices.

Attached:
· knots, bends, hitches
· spliced
· bound
· sewn
· shackled.

Appropriate:
· synthetic rope
· natural fibre rope
· combination rope
· wire rope
· chain.

Alterations:
· completed net size
· completed net configuration
· netting mesh size
· netting material
· attachment hanging ratios
· attachment components.

Each unit of competency has an evidence guide that relates directly to the performance criteria and the range of variables. Its purpose is to guide assessment of the unit in the workplace and/or training program. The following components provide information to assist this purpose.

Underpinning knowledge
The essential knowledge and understanding a person needs to perform work to the required standard include:
· factors which contribute to an efficient, fast and safe net construction job
· naming, identifying and understanding different netting and net component terms
· recognising polyethylene and polyamide netting
· taper tables to construct netting panels of a required depth, width or taper
· netting panel joining and component attachment methods
· measuring of different types of netting and net attachment hanging ratios calculation methods
· operating principles of a net and understanding a net design plan
· principles of net design customisation so as to maintain net symmetry and function
· the provision of occupational health and safety acts, regulations and codes of practice relevant to the workplace, including legal responsibilities of employers, employees and other parties with legal responsibilities
· hazards which exists in the workplace including:
· the range of control measures available for these hazards
· considerations for choosing between different control measures, such as possible inadequacies of particular control measures.

Practical skills
The essential skills a person needs to perform work to the required standards include:
· using the net construction tools listed above
· preparing net construction jobs by establishing quantity of netting required
· counting correct number of meshes and direction of meshes for each panel
· cutting tapers into netting material
· strengthening netting material
· joining panels so as to maintain net symmetry
· joining panels of netting of different sized meshes
· attaching netting to attachment component in line with required attachment ratios
· attaching associated net components securely
· customising a net design to maintain net symmetry and function
· safe manual handling techniques including minimising the risk of repetitive, forceful, constrained or awkward postures.

Literacy skills used for:
· reading tables describing the effect of tapers on panel shape
· interpreting a gear plan.

Numeracy skills used for:
· counting the ply of twine
· measuring the diameter of twine
· counting meshes
· calculating joining and attachment ratios
· calculating customisation ratios.

Critical aspects of competence
Assessment must confirm the ability to:
· construct various types of damage that occurs to the netting material used for fish or prawn trawls, purse seines, beach seines, gill nets and the net component of holding cages and customise a net design to suit enterprise specifications
· measure, cut out and join panels of netting using a net design
· use correct methods to strengthen a net
· attach netting using the net design ratio to the appropriate attachment component
· attach associated components to the net
· customise a net design.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:
· how a net design describes a net
· how to customise a net design so as to maintain net symmetry and function.

Interdependent assessment of units
This unit may be assessed after/with:
· SFIFISH210B - Assemble and repair damaged netting.

Context of assessment
Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
· observation of practical demonstration.
· written or oral short answer testing
· practical exercises
· project work.

Resources required for assessment
Resources may include:
· different types of netting used to construct nets
· net construction tools
· fully operational net construction area
· access to workplace documentation
· personal protective equipment.