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 ISO 17025-2005 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
AS/NZS ISO 9000 Set:2008 Quality management systems set
Australia New Zealand Food Standards (ANZFS) Code
Australian code of good manufacturing practice for medicinal products (GMP)
customer specific requirements/standards
National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) Accreditation programs requirements
principles of good laboratory practice (GLP)
Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1009
Quality control procedures
Quality control procedures may include:
standards imposed by regulatory and licensing bodies
enterprise quality procedures
working to a customer brief and associated quality procedures
checklists to monitor job progress against agreed time, costs and quality standards
the use of hold points to evaluate conformance
the use of inspection and test plans to check compliance
Concepts of metrology
Concepts of metrology may include:
that all measurements are estimates
measurements belong to a population of measurements of the measured parameters
repeatability
precision
accuracy
significant figures
sources of error
uncertainty
traceability
Sustainable energy principles and work practices
Sustainable energy principles and work practices may include:
examining work practices that use excessive electricity
switching off equipment when not in use
regularly cleaning filters
insulating rooms and buildings to reduce energy use
recycling and reusing materials wherever practicable
minimising process waste
Reporting
Reporting may involve:
verbal responses
data entry into laboratory information management system (LIMS) or enterprise databases
brief written reports using enterprise proformas
Quality improvement opportunities
Quality improvement opportunities that relate to the work of laboratory assistants could include:
improved methods for sampling, testing and recording data
improved hygiene and sanitation procedures
minimisation of waste and rework
improved laboratory layout and work flow
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:
apply the required quality control principles and procedures to their work
contribute to improvements in productivity and quality
maintain their personal commitment to quality objectives.

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:
MSL913001ACommunicate with other people
technical units of competency dealing with sampling and testing.
Resources may include:
enterprise quality manual and procedures
standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of quality control data collected by the candidate
review of quality improvements suggested by the candidate
feedback from supervisors and peers
oral or written questions about quality concepts and enterprise procedures
flow charts or diagrams prepared by the candidate to describe work flows and workplace layout (alternatively, the candidate could explain existing charts or diagrams).
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 show its relevance in a workplace setting.
Manufacturing
Laboratory assistants must have a good working knowledge of quality control procedures and how they contribute to the achievement of enterprise quality objectives. An assistant was measuring the moisture content of coke by a standard method. The SOP for this test stated that the limits for moisture should be between 2% and 5% by weight. The assistant obtained a result of 5.8%. The assistant had followed the SOP correctly and performed the determination in triplicate and had confidence in the precision of the result. The assistant recognised and reported the non-conformance to the laboratory supervisor. The production manager took corrective action and modified the drying process to reduce the moisture content and provide a product which met the customer's requirements.
Biomedical
A laboratory assistant working in the pathology department of a rural hospital was responsible for serum lithium estimations by flame photometry. When asked by the office staff when the lithium results would be ready, the assistant replied that the testing schedule of the laboratory meant that the test would not be done until the following week and asked why the office staff needed to know. The answer was that an outpatient clinic was being held, and the results were needed for a consultation. Although samples were often taken a week before the clinic was to be held, the assistant realised that results were not always ready for the clinic because of the testing schedule of the laboratory. The assistant reported the situation to the laboratory supervisor. The supervisor rescheduled lithium testing to match the clinic times, so that results would always be ready for the clinic consultation. This pleased the clinic staff, the patient did not waste a visit, the office staff no longer got irate phone calls and the quality of service was improved overall.
Food processing
A fruit processing company produced many tonnes of solid vegetable waste annually. This was dumped as landfill at considerable cost and the local council was concerned that the method of disposal was not sustainable. The laboratory assistants at the company were included in a quality improvement team to investigate the problem. The team concentrated on alternative production methods to minimise waste yields and additional production methods that would enable the waste to be profitably utilised. They identified four potential uses of the waste: a source of pectin, alcohol and sugar and conversion of raw fruit peel to glazed peel.
A cost-benefit analysis was performed in consultation with supporting industries, including a local winery to assess the merits of these value adding activities. The outcome was that the amount of waste produced by the company was significantly reduced with much of the waste channelled into marketable products with full cost recovery. After some initial doubts, the laboratory personnel realised that they were able to make useful contributions to the project. As a result, they became part of an ongoing investigation of waste minimisation and value adding practices.