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.
Relevant legislation, codes, regulations and standards may include:
Australian Communications Industry Forum (ACIF) standards and codes
AS Communications Cabling Manual (CCM) Volume 1
AS/NZS 3000:2007
AS/NZS 3080:2003
AS/NZS 3084:2003
AS/NZS 3085.1:2004
AS/NZS IEC 61935.1:2006
AS/NZS IEC 61935.2:2006
AS/NZS ISO/IEC 14763.3:2007
AS/NZS ISO/IEC 15018:2005
AS/NZS ISO/IEC 24702:2007
cabling security codes and regulations
Environmental Protection Acts
ISO Draft 11801 (International)
OHS
regulated or industry codes of practice including appropriate Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) standards
relevant Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards
technical standards AS/ACIF S008:2006 and AS/ACIF S009:2006.
Appropriate personnel may be:
consultant
project engineer
project supervisor
site supervisor.
Safety hazards may refer to:
access points that may contain:
hazardous light (non-visible laser)
radio frequency (RF) emission
active lasers with no safety labels
active optical fibres
contact with remote power feed
electrical supply that require mandatory separation from communications cable
exposed fibres
unsafe support structures
unsafe weather:
heavy rains
high winds
severe heat or cold
thunderstorms.
FTTx equipment may include:
add-drop multiplexer
Bragg grating device
lead-in fibre cable
optical amplifier
optical filter
optical splitter.
Components of the optical distribution network (ODN) may include:
distribution fibre
distribution joint acting as and feeding LMs (DLM)
fibre access point (FAP)
fibre distribution hub (FDH)
FDH tail cable
lead-in joint with multiple lead-in ports (LM)
main fibre cable
multi-dwelling unit (MDU)
network termination device (NTD)
optical network termination (ONT)
passive optical network (PON)
power supply unit (PSU)
single dwelling unit (SDU).
WDM components may include:
dispersion compensation module
optical add/drop multiplexer
optical amplifier
optical de-multiplexer
optical multiplexer
transponder
variable optical attenuator.
Tools and safety equipment may include:
personal protective equipment
safety equipment
test equipment:
PON meter
optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR)
tools:
fibre cleaning kit
fibre splicer
labeller
screw drivers
spanners
tagging tool.
Safe work practices may relate to:
applying relevant Australian standards of required health and safety precautions when working with visible and infra-red lasers
avoiding contact with chemicals, breathing in fumes and vapours, and digesting such materials
clearing fibre particles, hazardous solvents or chemicals from site at the completion of the work
ensuring all solvent residues are disposed of according to environmental policy when using a wet cleaning process
gently releasing stored energy in coiled fibre cable
installing dust caps on unplugged fibre connectors
knowing action and treatment of potential accidents
knowing the colour codes used to identify the various types of fibre and what sort of signals these cables would normally carry
labelling active equipment to warn other people of possible hazards
leaving caps at the end of unconnected fibres and unused laser outputs
never unplugging patch leads without first turning off the active equipment
not damaging or obscuring manufacturer warnings or instruction labels of the laser product during installation
not looking directly into the end of a fibre as it may be carrying laser light
not looking into transmitter ports as they may be of active
not using magnifiers in the presence of laser radiation
restraining cable ends to prevent damage to eyes or body
using only built-in or another form of safe light source when examining connectors with a microscope for contamination, chips or fractures
using protective eyewear designed specifically for laser work
using sharps container to dispose of fibre off-cuts.
Optical fibre hazards may relate to:
cleaning alcohol, epoxy resins and other solvents and chemicals may be carcinogenic, cause allergies or be dangerous to health in other ways
cleaning fluids, solvents and other chemicals may be highly inflammable
fibre off-cut damage to eyes and skin
inhalation of fibre off-cuts and particles from vacuum cleaning of worksite
laser damage to eyes
causing personal injury by activating equipment without notifying other staff who may be working remotely on the network.
Possible injuries may include:
damage to lungs from inhalation of fibre off-cuts or particles
damage to retina in eyes
damage to skin from fibre off-cuts
personal injury from cable end whipping when releasing coiled cable.
OHS and environmental requirements may include:
identifying other services, including power and gas
personal protective equipment:
earmuffs
gloves:
leather
plastic
rubber
head protection
masks
protective suits
safety boots
safety glasses
safe working practices, such as the safe use and handling of:
chemicals
materials
tools and equipment
safety equipment:
flashing lights
safety barriers
warning signs and tapes
witches hats
special access requirements
environmental considerations:
clean-up protection
stormwater protection
waste management.
Other services may include:
alarms
electrical services
fire sprinkler systems
gas and water mains
high voltage power
other service provider networks.
Operating wavelengths may include:
1310 nm
1490 nm
1550 nm.
Range of acceptable power levels may include:
-2 to + 2 dBm @ 1310 nm
-26 to -6 dBm @ 1490 nm
-11.5 to +5 dBm @ 1550 nm.
Maximum and minimum power losses may include:
23.3 dB to 15.0 dB @1310 nm
21.6 dB to 8.0 dB @1490 nm
20.9 dB to 9.5 dB @1550 nm.
Acceptance tests may include:
delay
dispersion
optical attenuation and loss measurements
optical power levels
phase.

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
Evidence of the ability to:
use optical power test equipment
evaluate tests results
connect input and output optical fibres to the splitter
conduct live tests measuring optical signals at three WDM wavelengths on optical devices
conduct acceptance tests for commissioning
demonstrate successful completion of the procedures
complete connection recording
comply with all related OHS requirements and work practices.
Context of, and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure:
a telecommunications operations site where an FTTP installation may be tested and commissioned
access to a WDM system and relevant optical splitter
use of tools, equipment and personal protective equipment currently used in industry
relevant regulatory and equipment documentation that impacts on work activities.
Methods of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
direct observation of the candidate using optical power test equipment applying all related OHS requirements and work practices
direct observation of the candidate conducting live tests measuring optical signals at three WDM wavelengths
direct observation of the candidate conducting acceptance tests for commissioning
oral or written questioning to assess required knowledge.
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:
ICTBWN3082A Perform tests on optical communication system and components
ICTBWN3088A Install optical fibre splitters in fibre distribution hubs
ICTBWN3090A Install lead-in module and cable for fibre to the premises.

Aboriginal people and other people from a non-English speaking background may have second language issues.

Access must be provided to appropriate learning and assessment support when required.

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and appropriate to the oral communication skill level, and language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

In all cases where practical assessment is used it will be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge. Questioning techniques should not require language, literacy and numeracy skills beyond those required in this unit of competency.

Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with special needs.