Elements and Performance Criteria

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
Legislation, standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements
Legislation, standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements may include:
federal legislation, such as
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Australian Heritage Council Act 2003
Native Title Act 1993
state/territory government legislation and regulations and local government by-laws, policies, and plans dealing with:
land use, acquisition, planning and protection
environmental protection
cultural/heritage protection
vegetation management
nature conservation and wildlife/plant protection
water and water management
soil conservation
pollution and contaminated sites
fisheries, forestry and mining operations
Australian and international standards, such as:
AS ISO 14050:1999 Environmental management - Vocabulary
AS/NZS ISO 14000 Basic Set:2007 Environmental management basic set
AS/NZS 2031:2001 Selection of containers and preservation of water samples for microbiological analysis
AS 3550 series - Water analysis
AS/NZS 4276 series - Water microbiology
AS/NZS 5667 series - Water quality: sampling
US Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Methods and guidance for the analysis of water
American Public Health Association (APHA) Standard methods for the examination of waters and wastewaters
ANZECC Guidelines for fresh and marine water quality
Australian guidelines for water quality monitoring and reporting
enterprise sampling and monitoring protocols
equipment manuals and warranties, supplier catalogue and handbooks
government policy (e.g. sustainable development and impact assessment)
occupational health and safety (OHS) national standards and codes of practice
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
site-specific requirements
specific environmental standards
Common field test parameters
Common field test parameters may include:
pH
electrical conductivity
dissolved oxygen
salinity
temperature
turbidity
Secchi disk depth
Laboratory test parameters
Laboratory test parameters (many of which may also be measured in the field) may include:
total suspended solids
volatile suspended solids
nitrogen (nitrate, organic, ammonia and Kjeldahl)
phosphorus (total and soluble reactive)
chlorophyll and phaeophytin
total organic carbon (TOC)
biological oxygen demand (BOD)
chemical oxygen demand (COD)
silica
metals (total and dissolved)
organic and inorganic pollutants
microorganisms
Enterprise procedures for field activities
Enterprise procedures for field activities may include:
use of field notebooks or log books
standard operating procedures covering fieldwork, sampling and testing
equipment operating manuals, calibration procedures, instrument fault-finding procedures and general maintenance and repair procedures
emergency, first aid and survival procedures
requirements related to protection of the environment
incident/accident/injury report forms
Equipment
Equipment may include:
navigation and communication equipment (e.g. compass, maps, global positioning system (GPS), two-way radio and mobile phone)
survey equipment
sampling equipment and containers, and animal cages
parameter specific meter or multi-probes (e.g. dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, pH, turbidity, nitrates, phosphates and temperature)
field test kits to determine such parameters as dissolved gases, chemical anions and cations, heavy metals, E. coli and BOD
portable colorimeters and field microscopes
filters and sieves
soil monitoring kits
data loggers
first aid equipment
Hazards
Hazards may include:
solar radiation, dust and noise
personnel getting lost
accidents, emergencies and incidents, such as snake, insect or animal bites
exposure to severe weather conditions
manual handling of heavy objects
vehicle and boat handling in rough/remote conditions
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

Overview of assessment
Competency must be demonstrated in the ability to perform consistently at the required standard.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Assessors must be satisfied that the candidate can competently and consistently apply the skills covered in this unit of competency in new and different situations and contexts. Critical aspects of assessment and evidence include:
planning and preparing for sample collection
interpreting and correctly applying sampling, testing and data quality procedures
demonstrating correct and safe use of field instruments and/or equipment, including field calibration
obtaining reliable, representative water samples
obtaining valid and reliable field test data
preparing calibration graphs and calculating results using appropriate units and precision
identifying atypical results as out-of-normal range or an artefact
completing sampling records using enterprise procedures
working safely and follow relevant legislative requirements for the disposal of waste and the preservation of the environment.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or a simulated workplace environment.
Assessment should emphasise a workplace context and procedures found in the candidate’s workplace.
This unit of competency may be assessed with:
MSS024003A Apply an understanding of environmental principles to site issues
MSL974003A Perform chemical tests and procedures
MSL974007A Undertake environmental field-based monitoring.
The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.
Resources may include:
vehicles, survey equipment, water sampling and monitoring equipment, cameras, consumables and manuals
work program, enterprise procedures, codes of practice, maps and field protocols.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
inspection of water samples collected by the candidate
review of water sampling and testing records completed by the candidate
feedback from peers and supervisors that the candidate consistently follows enterprise procedures, sampling/testing procedures and works safely
oral and written questioning to check underpinning knowledge of water sampling and testing procedures, use of equipment and normal ranges
review of other workplace documentation completed by the candidate.
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.
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.
Guidance information for assessment