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 1012 Methods of testing concrete
AS 1289 Methods for testing soils for engineering purposes
AS ISO 1000-1998 The international system of units (SI) and its application
AS ISO 17025-2005 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
AS/NZS 2243 Set:2006 Safety in laboratories set
AS/NZS ISO 9000 Set:2008 Quality management systems set
ISO 5269 Pulps - Preparation of laboratory sheets for physical testing
ISO 9142:2003 Adhesives - Guide to the selection of standard laboratory ageing conditions for testing bonded joints
Australian code of good manufacturing practice for medicinal products (GMP)
calibration and maintenance schedules
data quality procedures
enterprise recording and reporting procedures
equipment startup, operation and shutdown procedures
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
material, production and product specifications
national measurement regulations and guidelines
principles of good laboratory practice (GLP)
production and laboratory schedules
quality manuals, equipment and procedures manuals
SOPs
Mechanical principles and concepts underpinning the test/procedure
Mechanical principles and concepts underpinning the test/procedure may include:
matter, interatomic and intermolecular forces and states of matter
mass, weight, forces, pressure and energy
cohesive/adhesive forces, friction and slip resistance
elasticity, hardness, ductility, malleability, strength of materials, elastic limit, elastic moduli and ultimate stress
electrical concepts, including electric field, voltage, current, resistance and AC/DC
elasticity, hardness, strength of materials, plasticity, permeability and dispersion
Preparation of samples and test pieces
Preparation of samples and test pieces may include processes such as:
cutting
trimming
machining
etching
Mechanical tests and procedures
Mechanical tests and procedures may include:
adhesive strength
elastic properties and strength of materials
slip resistance and friction
viscosity and torque
creep and endurance
abrasion, hardness, impact, indent and penetration resistance
pressure and/or vacuum testing using manometers and load cells
Tests
Tests may include methods for:
control of starting materials, in-process materials and finished products
investigation of sources of construction materials
basic troubleshooting of enterprise processes
Hazards
Hazards may include:
microbiological organisms and agents associated with soil
chemicals, such as acids and solvents
sharps and hand tools
flammable liquids and gases
cryogenics, such as dry ice and liquid nitrogen
fluids under pressure, such as steam and industrial gases
sources of ignition
disturbance or interruption of services
crushing, entanglement and cuts associated with moving machinery or falling objects
Hazard control measures
Hazard control measures may include:
ensuring access to service shut-off points
recognising and observing hazard warnings and safety signs
labelling of samples and hazardous materials
handling and storage for hazardous materials and equipment in accordance with labelling, MSDS and manufacturer's instructions
identifying and reporting operating problems or equipment malfunctions
cleaning equipment and work areas regularly using enterprise procedures
using personal protective clothing and equipment, such as hard hats, hearing protection, gloves, safety glasses, coveralls and safety boots
following established manual handling procedures
reporting abnormal emissions, discharges and airborne contaminants, such as noise, light, solids, liquids, water/waste water, gases, smoke, vapour, fumes, odour and particulates to appropriate personnel
Records
Records may include:
test and calibration results
equipment use, maintenance and servicing history
faulty or unsafe equipment
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:
interpret test methods/procedures accurately
prepare and test samples in accordance with specified methods
perform calibration checks (if required)
safely operate test equipment/instruments to enterprise standards and/or manufacturer's specifications
apply basic knowledge of physical properties of materials to interpret gross features of data and make relevant conclusions
identify atypical results, such as out of normal range or an artefact
trace and source obvious causes of an artefact
communicate problems to a supervisor or outside service technician
record and communicate results in accordance with enterprise procedures
maintain security, integrity and traceability of samples, sub-samples, test data/results and documentation.

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:
MSL924001A Process and interpret data.
Resources may include:
standard laboratory equipped with appropriate test equipment/instruments, standards and materials
enterprise procedures and standard methods.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of test data/results obtained by the candidate over a period of time to check accuracy, consistency and timeliness of results
review of test records and workplace documentation completed by the candidate
observation of candidate conducting a range of mechanical tests and sample preparation procedures
feedback from peers and supervisors
oral or written questioning of mechanical principles and concepts, test methods and enterprise procedures.
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 to show its relevance in a workplace setting.
Construction materials
A technical assistant is responsible for compressive strength testing of concrete cylinders. Typically, there are 20 to 30 to be tested each day. On arrival in the morning the assistant records the maximum and minimum temperatures of the curing tanks, locates the particular cylinders to be tested and removes them from the tanks. She/he dries each cylinder, weighs it and measures its diameter and length using a comparator gauge. The ends are checked for excessive roughness and non-parallelism. She/he then starts the compression test machine and checks that the load pacer is set to the correct loading rate. She/he places a rubber cap on the finished end of each cylinder in turn and places it centrally on the platen of the load frame. The assistant closes the protective screen, applies load at the specified rate until failure occurs, and records the maximum load. After the cylinder has failed, the assistant removes it from the platen and checks for invalid failure modes. When this occurs (e.g. a shear failure) she/he puts the cylinder aside for further investigation. Any debris is removed from the platen and the next cylinder is tested. When all cylinders have been tested, the assistant cleans away any material left on the compression machine and switches it off. She/he enters all the data in into the laboratory information management system (LIMS) which calculates the unit mass and ultimate compressive strength of each cylinder. Finally, the assistant reviews the data for unusual or unexpected results that may indicate an error.
Manufacturing
A technician is asked to test a new polymeric material that is to be used to manufacture children's toys. The technician makes several representative test pieces and measures the elastic properties of the polymer as well as the durability of the polymer to flex many times without cracking. Because the polymer is to be used in a toy, the technician also dispatches samples of the polymer for chemical testing by a consulting laboratory to determine whether any toxic monomer could leach out if a child sucked the toy.