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.
Animal technology facilities may include:
animal research and breeding facilities
biomedical research and production environments including laboratory and field based.
Legislative requirements include:
federal, state and territory environmental legislation
the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes
relevant state or territory legislation and regulations in respect to animal welfare and OHS, including:
the Federal Gene Technology Act
the Quarantine Act.
Daily routines may include:
approaching, catching and handling animals
cleaning animal housing and facilities
feeding and watering animals
collecting, collating and recording data
general animal husbandry tasks
maintaining and storing records
maintaining equipment.
OHS risks associated with animal technician procedures include:
animal bites, kicks, scratches and crush injuries
biological hazardous waste and sharps disposal
handling of chemicals and medicines
gas leakage
inhalation of aerosol particles
intraocular contamination
manual handling, including carrying, lifting and shifting
needle pricks and cuts from other sharps
release of infective agents (animal and human)
zoonoses.
Environmentally sensitive work practices may include:
implementing strategies and resources to:
minimise disturbance to animals and their living environment
practise environmentally friendly waste management
practise processes relevant to the individual's work area that support environment and resource efficiencies
reduce noise and odour.
Working ethically with animals requires:
adherence to all requirements of the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes and any requirements of the organisation's Animal Ethics Committee (AEC)
applying the 3Rs principles:
replace animals in research with non-animal alternatives
reduce the number of animals used in experiments
refine scientific procedures and animal husbandry to minimise suffering
ensuring that the welfare of animals is always considered
ensuring pain or distress in animals is avoided
ensuring the use of animals in research is justified.
Relevant policies and procedures may include:
animal welfare, including ethical use of animals for scientific or teaching purposes
environmental sustainability practices
infection control plans
OHS policies and procedures:
accident and incident reports
standard work practices
quality assurance systems
standard operating procedures.
Biosecurity protocols include:
standards precautions:
aseptic technique
personal hygiene practices especially washing and drying hands (e.g. before and after animal contact)
use of personal protective equipment
techniques to limit contamination
appropriate reprocessing of reusable equipment
surface cleaning and management of blood and body fluid spills
safe handling and disposal of sharps and other clinical, related and general waste
environmental controls (e.g. design and maintenance of premises and cleaning
additional precautions:
special ventilation requirements
additional use of personal protective equipment
dedicated equipment (e.g. to each animal or as appropriate to work function)
use of a special facility
isolation/cohorting
restricted movement of animal, staff and visitors.
Animals one would be expected to identify, subject to facility requirements, may include:
on most occasions the animal species will be common laboratory animals:
guinea pigs
mice
rabbits
rats
on some occasions animal species may include:
amphibians, fish and reptiles
dogs and cats
fish
invertebrates
livestock (e.g. sheep, cattle and pigs)
native wildlife (e.g. marsupials and birds)
primates
poultry.
Identification methods may include:
brands
ear tags or notches
enclosures
leg bands
microchips
photographs
tattoos.
Types of situations or incidents that may result in distress or grief include:
planned experimental endpoints:
single or colony euthanasia
unplanned animal deaths caused by disease
environmental failure
fire or other traumas or accidents
other causes of distress:
working with animals that are in distressing, but ethically approved, research experiments regarding severe and negative environmental impact
detrimental phenotypic abnormalities
adverse animal reactions to an experiment.
Grief and stress coping strategies may include:
advising workplace supervisor of the situation
seeking and accepting support from colleagues
seeking and accepting assistance from professional counsellors
practising stress management techniques
requesting and participating in formal or informal debriefing sessions.
Security procedure requirements may include:
checking for pests within animal housing or enclosures
checking that locks and slides are in good working order
ensuring animals are safe and secure in their housing
ensuring medications and treatments are stored in accordance with legislative requirements
identifying any animal housing faults that may result in escape
maintaining structures in good order
restricting access to authorised personnel.

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
The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit. Assessors should ensure that candidates can:
comply with relevant legislation and regulations
complete work tasks with due consideration to workplace and individual obligations to the welfare of self, others and animals
apply ethical work practices to all activities and tasks
identify animals, relevant to the workplace, using common and scientific names and distinguishing characteristics
identify, recognise and respond to personal grief or distress
maintain accurate records using relevant organisational electronic and/or manual systems.

The skills and knowledge required to work in an animal technology facility must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment of this unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in an animal technology research facility or in a situation that reproduces normal work conditions.

There must be accessto a range of research animals as well as relevant information, equipment and/or resources to enable one to demonstrate competence.

Method of assessment
To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated, to industry defined standards, on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities, and over a number of assessment activities.

The assessment strategies must include practical skills assessment. Suggested strategies for this unit are:
written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge
observed, documented and first-hand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks
simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions
third-party evidence
workplace documentation.

This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role.

Guidance information for assessment
Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds).