Unit of competency Outline

Date retreived
22/07/2026 4:49 AM 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.

Dry softwood

Dry softwood

Unit of competency
National Code
FPISAW3206B
State Code
D6062
TGA Status
Replaced
DTWD Status
Replaced
Current Release Number
1.00
Current Release Date
20/05/2011
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
15/02/2013
Field of Education
030305 - Materials Engineering
Original Release Date
15/02/2013
Nominal Hours
40
Description
This unit describes the outcomes required to prepare timber racks for processing, load conventional and high temperature kilns, monitor and control kiln conditions to dry and recondition softwood, unload kilns and process timberGeneral workplace legislative and regulatory requirements apply to this unit; however there are no specific licensing or certification requirements at the time of publicationThis unit replaces FPISAW3206A Dry softwood
Notes
Elements and Performance Criteria
1. Prepare for drying
  • 1.1. Applicable Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), environmental, legislative and organisational requirements relevant to drying softwood are identified and followed
  • 1.2. Work order is reviewed and checked with appropriate personnel
  • 1.3. Type and quantity of softwood to be dried are assessed and acquired from the conversion process
  • 1.4. Equipment is selected appropriate to work requirements and checked for operational effectiveness in line with manufacturer's recommendations
  • 1.5. Drying process is planned in line with site procedures
  • 1.6. Communication with others is established and maintained in line with OHS requirements
2. Load and control kiln conditions
  • 2.1. Racks to be dried are visually assessed for consistent drying characteristics and adjusted to meet site requirements
  • 2.2. Moisture content is measured and routinely compared with anticipated levels in line with standard operating procedures
  • 2.3. Pre start-up checks are carried out on equipment in line with site requirements
  • 2.4. Emergency shut down procedures are followed in case of alarm being triggered
  • 2.5. Kiln is loaded with racks selected for processing and loading completed and reported
  • 2.6. Baffles and blankets are positioned in line with standard operating procedures
  • 2.7. Kiln control settings are regularly adjusted and routinely checked to site drying schedules
3. Unload kiln and process softwood
  • 3.1. Drying end point is identified and kiln made safe for entry
  • 3.2. Kiln is opened and moisture content of processed softwood identified in line with anticipated equilibrium moisture content
  • 3.3. Moisture probes and baffles are removed from timber
  • 3.4. Softwood is directed and moved to storage or processing operations in line with site requirements
  • 3.5. Sub-standard material is rejected and disposed of in line with site procedures and environmental requirements
  • 3.6. Work area is cleaned in line with site requirements
  • 3.7. Drying process and equipment faults are recorded and reported to the appropriate personnel
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.
OHS requirements:
are to be in line with applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation and regulations, and organisational safety policies and procedures, and may include:
personal protective equipment and clothing
safety equipment
first aid equipment
fire fighting equipment
hazard and risk control
fatigue management
elimination of hazardous materials and substances
safe forest practices including required actions relating to forest fire
manual handling including shifting, lifting and carrying
machine isolation and guarding
Environmental requirements may include:
legislation
organisational policies and procedures
workplace practices
Legislative requirements:
are to be in line with applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation, regulations, certification requirements and codes of practice and may include:
award and enterprise agreements
industrial relations
Australian Standards
confidentiality and privacy
OHS
the environment
equal opportunity
anti-discrimination
relevant industry codes of practice
duty of care
Organisational requirements may include:
legal
organisational and site guidelines
policies and procedures relating to own role and responsibility
quality assurance
procedural manuals
quality and continuous improvement processes and standards
OHS, emergency and evacuation procedures
ethical standards
recording and reporting requirements
equipment use and maintenance and storage requirements
environmental management requirements (waste minimisation and disposal, recycling and re-use guidelines)
Work order is to include:
instructions for the drying of softwood
and may include:
species
colour
type
width
length
thickness
quantity
instructions for the environmental monitoring of work and procedures
environmental care requirements relevant to the work
Appropriate personnel may include:
supervisors
suppliers
clients
colleagues
managers
Softwood
is non-pored wood, usually comes from trees with needle like foliage and has a more uniform cell structure native timber species
and may include:
imported timber species
dressed timber
in-the-rough timber
preservative treated timber
Drying
is the process of:
placing timber in a heat controlled kiln to dry high levels of moisture from timber causing cell collapse
followed by humidity generation to recondition timber to its former shape and desired EMC
Conversion process is to include:
sawing logs into flitches
converting flitches into green boards
Equipment may include:
conventional, high temperature, very high temperature and extremely high temperature kilns and vacuum dryers of 60 to 150 degrees Celsius or higher with a heat source that may be steam, hot oil or gas
and is to include:
procedures for equipment lock-out such as protecting operators and co-workers from accidental injury by isolating the machine from the power source
Communication may include:
verbal and non-verbal language
constructive feedback
active listening
questioning to clarify and confirm understanding
use of positive, confident and cooperative language
use of language and concepts appropriate to individual social and cultural differences
control of tone of voice
body language
Visually assessed
is the assessment of materials to determine finish quality and faults
and may include:
stability
spacing of strips
support to minimise warping
Moisture content
is the amount of moisture maintained in timber or timber products after drying to avoid cracking and deforming
and may include:
testing for capacitance
resistance
oven dry conditions
Pre start-up checks
are conducted to ensure:
equipment has been set-up correctly
systems are performing accurately
equipment is operating to optimum performance
Emergency shut down
is the immediate shutting off of the equipment to prevent an accident or prevent damage to the machine or product
Kiln
refer to equipment
Baffles and blankets
assist in the drying process by controlling moisture
Drying schedule
is the drying times based on moisture content
Drying end point
is the predicted time when the drying process will be completed and the desired moisture content achieved
Equilibrium moisture content (EMC)
is the moisture level to be achieved by drying which will be sustainable in the environment after processing thereby retaining its shape and strength without excessive movement
Moisture probes
are probes pierced into random boards which provide moisture readings on the kiln gauges to assist in modifying the drying schedule
On-site movement of material may include:
the use of:
conveyor belt systems
track systems
lifting equipment such as:
fork lifts
slings
trolley jacks
gantry cranes
loaders
assistance with lifting such as:
the involvement of two or more personnel to lift materials manually or to guide the movement of mechanical equipment
Storage may include:
storage racks
storage bays
bins
stacks
pallet boxes
modularised storage components
temporary stacking bays (stand, frame or ground)
and may be divided into:
standard product classification
product designation
size
dimension
stack number
weight
grade
shelf life
stock rotation position
Disposing of may include:
recycling sub-standard material
re-using sub-standard material
Records and reports may include:
drying requirements
product type
size
inspection
grading and labelling outcomes
storage locations
quality outcomes
hazards
incidents
equipment malfunctions
and may be:
manual
using a computer-based system or other appropriate organisational communication system
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
A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to provide evidence that they can safely and efficiently dry softwood in line with organisational requirements
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, and satisfy, all of the requirements of the elements of this unit and include demonstration of:
following applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislative and regulatory requirements and codes of practice relevant to drying softwood
following organisational policies and procedures relevant to drying softwood
drying softwood in readiness for storage and/or processing
conducting kiln operations
redistributing timber on site using designated equipment
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Competency is to be assessed in the workplace or realistically simulated workplace
Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints
Assessment of required knowledge, other than confirmatory questions, will usually be conducted in an off-site context
Assessment is to follow relevant regulatory or Australian Standards requirements
The following resources should be made available:
workplace location or simulated workplace
materials and equipment relevant to undertaking work applicable to this unit
specifications and work instructions
Method of assessment
Assessment must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the FPI11 Training Package
Assessment methods must confirm consistency and accuracy of performance (over time and in a range of workplace relevant contexts) together with application of required knowledge
Assessment must be by direct observation of tasks, with questioning on required knowledge and it must also reinforce the integration of employability skills
Assessment methods must confirm the ability to access and correctly interpret and apply the required knowledge
Assessment may be applied under project-related conditions (real or simulated) and require evidence of process
Assessment must confirm a reasonable inference that competency is able not only to be satisfied under the particular circumstance, but is able to be transferred to other circumstances
Assessment may be in conjunction with assessment of other units of competency
The assessment environment should not disadvantage the candidate
Assessment practices should take into account any relevant language or cultural issues related to Aboriginality, gender or language backgrounds other than English
Where the participant has a disability, reasonable adjustment may be applied during assessment
Language and literacy demands of the assessment task should not be higher than those of the work role
Replaces
State Code National Code Title Type
S4734 FPISAW3206A Dry softwood Unit of competency
Replaced By
State Code National Code Title Type
AXK02 FWPSAW3206 Dry softwood Unit of competency