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.

Sorting area:
· deck
· sorting table
· by hand
· undercover or exposed.

By-catch:
· retained
· returned to sea.

Enterprise, food safety and legislative requirements:
· industry codes of practice
· food safety regulations
· enterprise-specific policies, procedures or standards
· fisheries act regulations
· Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements.

Grade:
· hand grading
· grading machine
· enterprise and/or customer specifications
· size
· species
· quantity
· quality
· legislative requirements.

Seafood product protective processes:
· enterprise or food safety washing procedures
· metabisulphite
· Everfresh
· HQBacterol F
· Antidot
· salt.

Scales:
· electronic
· computerised
· manual.

Packing, weighing, closing and labelling:
· fish bins
· containers
· cartons
· bags
· live tanks
· random or fixed weight
· nett or gross weight
· legislated or enterprise tolerance range
· package closure methods:
· adhesive tape
· glue
· strapping machine
· self-closing tabs
· labelling requirements:
· species
· product type
· cooked or raw
· weight
· additives
· temperature
· placement
· stick on, stamped or marked.

Chilling or freezing area:
· chilling techniques may include:
· ice
· ice slurry
· refrigerated air
· refrigerated sea water (RSW)
· freezing techniques may include:
· plate freezer
· blast freezer
· immersion freezer
· cryogenic freezer
· products that could be chilled or frozen are:
· whole fish (live or dead)
· shellfish (live or dead)
· head and gutted fish
· gilled and gutted fish
· fish fillets
· half shellfish
· shellfish meat.

Unload:
· according to:
· enterprise policies and procedures
· OHS requirements
· from a:
· chiller
· freezer
· RSW tank
· deck bin
· live tank
· to a:
· freezer truck
· truck with fish bins
· live holding tank
· another vessel
· unloading method may include:
· pallets
· booms, winches and cranes
· conveyor belt
· by hand.

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:
· personal, workplace and product hygiene
· by-catch regulations
· application of seafood spoilage-prevention methods
· OHS requirements when working with chemicals
· enterprise and industry standards for the processing of export and domestic products
· grading techniques, quality standards and allowable tolerance percentages
· enterprise and regulatory packing and labelling requirements
· cross-contamination control
· principles relating to the correct loading and stacking of products into chilling or freezer areas.

Practical skills
The essential skills a person needs to perform work to the required standard include:
· cleaning and maintaining the workplace and work area
· sorting the catch according to enterprise requirements and industry regulations
· disposing correctly and safely of unwanted and disallowed by-catch
· grading the product according to enterprise requirements
· checking the grading accuracy
· washing the product and applying correct spoilage-prevention measures
· packing, weighing and labelling seafood products according to enterprise requirements
· loading products correctly into chilling or freezing area
· monitoring the quality of products while they are in the chilling or freezing area
· unloading products so that the cold chain is maintained.

Literacy skills used for:
· reading and following workplace instructions
· reading and labelling product information on packed seafood products
· reading scales, temperature gauges, chemical labels and manufacturers' instructions.

Numeracy skills used for:
· counting quantity of seafood product, containers and other related packaging equipment.

Critical aspects of competence
Assessment must confirm the ability to perform all the tasks required to contribute to the at-sea processing of seafood product, including landing the catch, processing and storing it aboard and unloading it, so as to maintain the quality of the product at all times.

Assessment must confirm the ability to:
· land and sort catch
· identify species and correctly handle by-catch
· wash, grade and pack product according to enterprise and regulatory standards
· load chilling or freezing compartments
· monitor and maintain product, chiller and freezer temperatures
· unload seafood products.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:
· by-catch regulations
· food handling and safety regulations
· procedures for entering confined spaces
· chemical storage and safety
· enterprise and regulatory quality procedures for at-sea processing of seafood
· chilling and freezing techniques and maintenance of the cold chain.

Interdependent assessment of units
This unit may be assessed after/with:
· SFIPROC301B - Boil crustaceans
· SFICORE101B - Apply basic food handling and safety practices.

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:
· operational vessel with the range of equipment described above
· seafood product and processing equipment or machinery
· enterprise policies and procedures manual.