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 1678 Emergency procedure guide - Transport
AS 1940-2004 Storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids
AS 2252 Biological safety cabinets
AS 3780-2008 The storage and handling of corrosive substances
AS 4332-2004 The storage and handling of gases in cylinders
AS ISO 17025-2005 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
AS/NZS 1269 Set:2005 Occupational noise management set
AS/NZS 1337 Eye protection
AS/NZS 2161 Set:2008 Occupational protective gloves set
AS/NZS 2210:1994 Occupational protective footwear
AS/NZS 2243 Set:2006 Safety in laboratories set
AS/NZS 2243.8:2006 Safety in laboratories - Fume cupboards
AS/NZS 2865 Set:2005 Safe working in a confined space set
AS/NZS 2982.1:1997 Laboratory design and construction - General requirements
AS/NZS 4187:2003 Cleaning, disinfecting and sterilising reusable medical and surgical instruments and equipment, and maintenance of associated environments in health care facilities
AS/NZS 4452:1997 The storage and handling of toxic substances
AS/NZS 4501 Set:2008 Occupational clothing set
AS/NZS ISO 14000 Set:2005 Environmental management standards set
animal welfare legislation and codes of practice
Australian code of good manufacturing practice for medicinal products (GMP)
Australian Dangerous Goods Code
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) Export Control (Orders) Regulations 1982
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) Import Guidelines
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) Codes of Practice
enterprise or standard operating procedures (SOPs)
equipment manuals and warranties, supplier catalogues and handbooks
gene technology regulations
guide to physical containment levels and facility types
HB 9-1994 Occupational personal protection
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
National Code of Practice for the labelling of workplace substances (NOHSC:2012 (1994))
national environment protection measures
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Guidelines
national measurement regulations and guidelines
occupational health and safety (OHS) national standards and codes of practice
principles of good laboratory practice (GLP)
Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1009
Equipment, material procedures and facilities
Equipment, material procedures and facilities may include:
animal cages
autoclaves
balances
blenders, centrifuges and separating equipment
brushes
cell counters and staining machines
colorimeters/spectrometers and polarimeters
compaction rammers and soil classification equipment
conductivity meters and pH meters
dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, ovens, microwave ovens, incubators and water baths
disintegration apparatus, thermometers and incubators
fume hoods, biohazard containers and biological safety cabinets
gas cylinders
glassware, plastic ware; glass, plastic and quartz cuvettes
hotplates, mantles, burners and muffle furnaces
instrument chart recorders, penetrometers, force measuring equipment and tensiometers
light and fluorescence microscopes
melting point apparatus, viscometers and hardness testing equipment
microtomes and tissue processors
mixing and separating equipment such as centrifuges, rifflers and splitters and mixers
noise meters and blasting meters
optical microscopes
pipettes, burettes and volumetric glassware
shovels, scoops, plates, rods, cylinder moulds and buckets
steel ruler/tapes and spirit levels
thermometers, thermohygrographs, instrument chart recorders, hydrometers, pH meters and ion-selective electrodes
ultrasonic cleaners
vehicles
Typical materials
Typical materials may include:
consumable items, such as syringes, pipette tips, weigh boats
disposable clothing and personal protective equipment
distilled water, reagents, chemicals, disinfectants, detergents, agar media and plates
equipment spares, such as fuses, bulbs and batteries
oils/lubricants, fuels, industrial gases and cryogenics, such as dry ice and liquid nitrogen
paper and stationery
reference samples and standards
Maintenance
Maintenance may include:
checking serviceability before storage
cleaning
prevention of contamination
storing
Cleaning requirements
Cleaning requirements may include:
decontamination and/or disinfection
hygiene monitoring
minimising environmental impacts
operation of automatic cleaning apparatus, such as pipette washer, ultrasonic cleaners and dishwashers
sterilisation and disposal of wastes using boiling, high pressure air or steam, microwaves, chemicals, gas, filtration, ultraviolet radiation and autoclaving
use of specialised techniques, such as chromic acid baths and soaking in hypochlorite
Preparation areas
Preparation areas may include:
benches
fume cupboards
sheds
sinks
Agents for cleaning
Agents for cleaning may include:
cleaning solutions
decontaminants
organic solvents
Spillages
Spillages may include:
chemicals
radioactive materials
biologically active materials
Wastes
Wastes may include:
broken glass
batteries
disposable personal protective equipment
excess test samples
micro-organisms
plastic and metals
sharps
solvents
spent reagents
spent samples and test pieces
used containers, boxes, bags and palettes
Stock records
Stock records may include:
calibration and maintenance history
data sheets
handbooks, warranty documents, catalogues, manuals and MSDS
records of usage, loans and breakages
Communication
Communication could involve other people, such as:
laboratory, production, administration and cleaning staff
internal/external contractors
emergency personnel
Maintenance issues
Maintenance issues could involve:
checking materials and equipment are fit for purpose
equipment malfunction
hygiene issues
potential hazards, incidents and emergencies
recycling and waste disposal
spillages, leakages, breakages and contamination
stock requirements and shortages
Hazards
Hazards may include:
aerosols from broken centrifuge tubes and pipetting
chemicals, such as acids, heavy metals, pesticides and hydrocarbons
crushing, entanglement and cuts associated with moving machinery or falling objects
cryogenics, such as dry ice and liquid nitrogen
electric shock
fluids under pressure, such as steam and industrial gas cylinders
manual handling, working at heights and working in confined spaces
microbiological organisms and agents associated with soil, air, water, blood and blood products, and human or animal tissue and fluids
occupational overuse syndrome, slips, trips and falls
pedestrian and vehicular traffic
sharps, broken glassware and hand tools
solar radiation, dust and noise
sources of ignition, flammable liquids and gases
Established safe work practices
Established safe work practices may include:
applying containment procedures through the use of appropriate equipment, such as biohazard containers, laminar flow cabinets, Class I, II and III biohazard cabinets and Class PCII, PCIII, and PCIV physical containment facilities
ensuring access to service shut-off points
following established manual handling procedures for tasks involving manual handling
handling and storage of all hazardous materials and equipment in accordance with labelling, MSDS and manufacturer's instructions
identifying and reporting operating problems or equipment malfunctions
labelling of samples, reagents, aliquoted samples and hazardous materials
recognising and observing hazard warnings and safety signs
reporting to appropriate personnel of abnormal emissions, discharges and airborne contaminants, such as noise, light, solids, liquids, water/waste water, gases, smoke, vapour, fumes, odour and particulates
use of MSDS
use of personal protective equipment, such as hard hats, hearing protection, gloves, safety glasses, goggles, face guards, coveralls, gown, body suits, respirators and safety boots
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:
follow enterprise procedures, relevant codes and guidelines when maintaining the laboratory/field workplace
work safely and minimise exposure of hazards to self, others and the laboratory
keep accurate up-to-date records and report potential hazards and maintenance issues.

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:
MSL943002A Participate in laboratory/field workplace safety.
Resources may include:
access to work preparation areas, stocks, materials and equipment
cleaning, decontamination and/or disinfection agents and equipment
personal protective equipment
stock order firms, labels and records/forms.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
observation of the candidate's techniques for cleaning and/or removal of spillages and waste disposal
review of stock records completed by the candidate
feedback from supervisors and peers
questioning to assess underpinning knowledge of regulations and procedures where direct observation is difficult (such as dealing with hazards) and choice of materials and equipment.
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
On receipt of a bulk container of cleaning or sanitising agent, a laboratory assistant always attached to the container a description of its method of use. The assistant also attached a list of the surfaces, apparatus, utensils and machines that could be safely treated with that chemical agent as outlined in the company's quality manual. This practice reduced the likelihood of misuse of the chemical, wastage, damage to equipment and inadequate cleaning and sanitation.
Biomedical and environmental
Laboratory assistants and technical officers routinely examine fluids for micro-organisms using a microscope. They examine fluids, such as urine, seawater, chlorinated pool water, water from catchment areas and bottled water. To maintain microscopes in working order, they thoroughly clean the stage, oculars and each objective after use and sometimes between samples. The 100X objective requires particular care since this is the oil immersion objective. The oil is slightly acidic and will slowly corrode the objective if it is not cleaned thoroughly and regularly. After using the 100X objective they also take care not to drag the other objectives through the oil.
Food processing
A laboratory assistant regularly uses standard pH solutions to calibrate the laboratory's pH meters. The assistant is aware from the label that the shelf life of these solutions after opening is two months and records the opening and disposal dates on the container. The assistant is also aware that the shelf life of unopened buffer solutions is twelve months from the date of manufacture and monitors this by noting the production date on the bottle. Requests for stock replacement take into account the normal rate of use of these buffer solutions so that unopened bottles have not reached their expiry date before use.