Unit of competency Outline
Date retreived
22/07/2026 12:44 PM AWST
22/07/2026 12:44 PM 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.
Manage environmental impacts of meat processing operations
Manage environmental impacts of meat processing operations
Unit of competency
National Code
MTMPS5608B
MTMPS5608B
State Code
W6759
W6759
TGA Status
Deleted
Deleted
DTWD Status
Deleted
Deleted
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
19/10/2007
Field of Education
039901 - Environmental Engineering
Original Release Date
19/10/2007
Nominal Hours
90
Description
This unit covers the skills and knowledge required to assess the potential impacts of enterprise operations on the environment and implement cost effective strategies. Management of environmental impact is a priority across all sectors of the industry and the industry has made a considerable investment in developing best practice systems for the management and minimisation of environmental impact. The scope of the unit includes water quality, usage and waste, air quality, emissions, noise, odour, and the minimisation and disposal of solid wastes.
Notes
Elements and Performance Criteria
1. Determine environment management strategy requirements
- 1.1. Enterprise's ethical, community and legal obligations for environmental management are ascertained.
- 1.2. Enterprise operations are examined to identify potential environmental impacts.
- 1.3. Competitive and economic advantages and disadvantages of environmental management strategies are analysed.
2. Develop enterprise commitment to environmental management
- 2.1. Management commitment is obtained and enterprise environmental management policy formulated.
- 2.2. Agreed environmental management strategies are built into enterprise planning, operating systems and review processes.
- 2.3. Consultative processes are developed to resolve environmental issues and problems.
- 2.4. Environmental management roles and responsibilities are incorporated into job functions, position descriptions and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
- 2.5. Communication and training strategies to inform and support stakeholder commitment are developed and implemented.
3. Prepare environmental management strategy
- 3.1. Enterprise requirements for expert assistance and advice are identified.
- 3.2. Environmental risks are identified and evaluated.
- 3.3. Requirements of environmental management systems are determined.
- 3.4. Alternative environmental management strategies and systems are evaluated for efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability, according to enterprise requirements and regulatory compliance.
- 3.5. Opportunities for minimising environmental impact and maximising commercial value of waste or waste treatment by-products are identified.
- 3.6. Resource requirements are calculated and included in enterprise planning processes.
- 3.7. Performance criteria for environmental management are developed.
4. Implement and monitor environmental management strategies and systems
- 4.1. Licences, permits, schedules and agreements are negotiated with regulatory requirements.
- 4.2. Environment and waste management policies and responsibilities are communicated to stakeholders.
- 4.3. Environmental and waste management systems are selected, developed, implemented and integrated into operational systems.
- 4.4. Monitoring, reporting and validation procedures are developed.
- 4.5. Corrective action strategies and contingency plans are prepared.
- 4.6. Verification procedures are established.
- 4.7. Causes of non-compliance are investigated and control measures developed.
- 4.8. Systems are reviewed to reflect changes in technology, regulations and operational performance.
5. Review environmental management policies, strategies and systems
- 5.1. Continuous review and improvement processes, including consultation with stakeholders, are established.
- 5.2. Performance information is assessed and analysed against specified criteria and standards to identify areas for improvement.
- 5.3. Conclusions and recommendations are analysed and included in enterprise planning and improvement processes.
6. Manage community relations
- 6.1. Environmental impact statements are prepared to address community, environmental and public health concerns and regulatory requirements.
- 6.2. Interactions with environmental authorities and agencies are conducted openly, positively and ethically.
- 6.3. Opportunities to promote the enterprise as a good corporate citizen in environmental management are identified and utilised.
- 6.4. Enterprise measurement and logging of environmental impacts is maintained, analysed and reported to stakeholders.
- 6.5. Community complaints are dealt with promptly, openly and courteously.
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.
Environmental management strategies may include:
alternative energy sources and configurations
further processing of waste for commercial purposes
minimisation strategies (e.g. plant, technology and equipment design and replacement, systems review, process and work flow redesign)
recycling, reuse and recovery of liquid and solid waste.
Stakeholders and external agencies may include:
community groups, including neighbours, residents, environment and conservation groups
company owners, directors, shareholders and financiers
customers and consumers
emergency services
employees
enterprise departments, divisions and sections
environment protection authorities and agencies
governments and government agencies (federal, state, territory and local)
industry groups and associations, including employee, employer, professional and technical groups
regulatory authorities.
Environmental management systems may include:
consultation requirements
qualitative assessment techniques
sampling and measurement schedules, methods and requirements
sustainability targets.
Regulatoryrequirements may include:
animal welfare
AS 3595-1990 Energy management - Guidelines for financial evaluation of a project
AS/NZ ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems - Requirements with Guidance for Use
AS/NZ ISO 14040:1998 Environmental Management Systems - Life Cycle Assessment - Principles and Framework
AS/NZ ISO 19011:2003 Guidelines for Quality and/or Environmental Management Systems Auditing
Australian covenants and codes of practice on packaging disposal
commercial law, including fair trading and trade practices
consumer law
corporate law, including registration, licensing and financial reporting
environmental and waste management
environmental protection, conservation and sustainability requirements
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), anti-discrimination and sexual harassment
Export Control Act
industrial awards, agreements
licensing requirements and conditions (e.g. export meat order requirements for potable water and food safety)
planning permission, including solid and liquid waste disposal, odours, plant noise, and impact of road transport/traffic (e.g. noise)
pollution control licences
public health requirements
relevant regulations, such as state and territory regulations regarding meat processing
taxation
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) covenants and agreements.
Environmental impacts may include:
air pollution (e.g. odour, noise, ozone depletion and contamination)
soil degradation (e.g. solid and liquid waste)
water pollution (e.g. effluent and liquid waste, and solid waste).
Mathematical skills may relate to:
complex actual and hypothetical
technical and financial modelling
calculations
interpretation
analysis.
complex actual and hypothetical mathematical information, such as:
product and product quality
financial operations
personnel
operations
sales and turnover
exports.
Communication skills may:
be with culturally, ethnically and socially diverse individuals and groups
involve preparation of reports which may be complex, contain information from a range of technical sources and include mathematical and graphic information and data
involve reading and interpreting workplace documentation
occur in a variety of sensitive, conflictive, collaborative and supportive environments
be formal or informal and involve face to face and technological/electronic methods
require analysis and presentation of complex concepts, technical information, mathematical information and other data in simple or complex formats
require persuasion, negotiation and assertiveness skills.
Wastewater disposal options may include:
biological treatments
disposal to surface waters
land disposal
primary and secondary treatment process
screening, flotation and evaporation
sewer disposal
wastewater recycling.
Measures to minimise nutrients and other contaminants in water may include:
dry cleaning before wash down
improved manual plug change over for blood pit plug
improved screening/filters in treatment plans and floor drains screens
pondage, purification and filtering
primary screening.
Air pollution may include:
noise (e.g. on site operations and transport)
odours related to production and transport on lairage of large animals
vapours, gases (e.g. greenhouse gases), solids fallout.
Odour treatment processes may be physical, chemical or biological and include:
activated carbon
biofilters and bioscrubbers
chemical oxidation (e.g. wet chemical scrubbing or ozonisation)
dispersion (e.g. extraction hoods and dispersion stacks)
thermal oxidation (e.g. incineration).
Solid waste may include:
animal waste (e.g. non-commercial value hides and manure)
meat and meat products (e.g. fat, bone and flesh)
packaging materials (e.g. cardboard cartons, paper/plastic liners, vacuum packs and binding tapes)
refuse from non-processing operations (e.g. canteen, offices and amenities)
smallgoods manufacturing, processing, rendering and further processing wastes (e.g. fat, meat and meat product trimmings, rejects and returns, paunch manure, waste from fly ash boilers, oil and grease trap waste, and sludge)
solids suspended in effluent.
Methods of managing solid waste may include:
composting
filtration, effluent treatment/settling ponds
identification of alternative products (e.g. biodegradable packaging)
incineration.
OHS requirements may include:
enterprise OH&S policies, procedures and programs
hygiene and sanitation requirements
OH&S legal requirements
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which may include:
coats and aprons
ear plugs or muffs
eye and facial protection
head-wear
lifting assistance
protective boot covers
protective hand and arm covering
protective head and hair covering
uniforms
waterproof clothing
work, safety or waterproof footwear
requirements set out in standards and codes of practice.
Workplace requirements may include:
enterprise-specific requirements
OHS requirements
Quality Assurance (QA) requirements
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
the ability to perform the task to production requirements
work instructions.
Benchmarking may include working with:
companies from other industries
internal departments
international or national industry standards
other companies or sites within the industry.
Reports may:
include analysis and response to complaints
include evaluation of alternative environmental management strategies and controls
include financial reports (e.g. cost/benefit analyses and budget reports)
include performance information, audit reports and environment management reports to meet licensing requirements
be complex
contain information from a range of technical sources and include mathematical and graphic information and data
need to be presented according to legal and enterprise requirements.
Expert advice and assistance may be sought from:
environmental engineers
environmental agencies
government departments.
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.
Environmental management strategies may include:
alternative energy sources and configurations
further processing of waste for commercial purposes
minimisation strategies (e.g. plant, technology and equipment design and replacement, systems review, process and work flow redesign)
recycling, reuse and recovery of liquid and solid waste.
Stakeholders and external agencies may include:
community groups, including neighbours, residents, environment and conservation groups
company owners, directors, shareholders and financiers
customers and consumers
emergency services
employees
enterprise departments, divisions and sections
environment protection authorities and agencies
governments and government agencies (federal, state, territory and local)
industry groups and associations, including employee, employer, professional and technical groups
regulatory authorities.
Environmental management systems may include:
consultation requirements
qualitative assessment techniques
sampling and measurement schedules, methods and requirements
sustainability targets.
Regulatoryrequirements may include:
animal welfare
AS 3595-1990 Energy management - Guidelines for financial evaluation of a project
AS/NZ ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems - Requirements with Guidance for Use
AS/NZ ISO 14040:1998 Environmental Management Systems - Life Cycle Assessment - Principles and Framework
AS/NZ ISO 19011:2003 Guidelines for Quality and/or Environmental Management Systems Auditing
Australian covenants and codes of practice on packaging disposal
commercial law, including fair trading and trade practices
consumer law
corporate law, including registration, licensing and financial reporting
environmental and waste management
environmental protection, conservation and sustainability requirements
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), anti-discrimination and sexual harassment
Export Control Act
industrial awards, agreements
licensing requirements and conditions (e.g. export meat order requirements for potable water and food safety)
planning permission, including solid and liquid waste disposal, odours, plant noise, and impact of road transport/traffic (e.g. noise)
pollution control licences
public health requirements
relevant regulations, such as state and territory regulations regarding meat processing
taxation
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) covenants and agreements.
Environmental impacts may include:
air pollution (e.g. odour, noise, ozone depletion and contamination)
soil degradation (e.g. solid and liquid waste)
water pollution (e.g. effluent and liquid waste, and solid waste).
Mathematical skills may relate to:
complex actual and hypothetical
technical and financial modelling
calculations
interpretation
analysis.
complex actual and hypothetical mathematical information, such as:
product and product quality
financial operations
personnel
operations
sales and turnover
exports.
Communication skills may:
be with culturally, ethnically and socially diverse individuals and groups
involve preparation of reports which may be complex, contain information from a range of technical sources and include mathematical and graphic information and data
involve reading and interpreting workplace documentation
occur in a variety of sensitive, conflictive, collaborative and supportive environments
be formal or informal and involve face to face and technological/electronic methods
require analysis and presentation of complex concepts, technical information, mathematical information and other data in simple or complex formats
require persuasion, negotiation and assertiveness skills.
Wastewater disposal options may include:
biological treatments
disposal to surface waters
land disposal
primary and secondary treatment process
screening, flotation and evaporation
sewer disposal
wastewater recycling.
Measures to minimise nutrients and other contaminants in water may include:
dry cleaning before wash down
improved manual plug change over for blood pit plug
improved screening/filters in treatment plans and floor drains screens
pondage, purification and filtering
primary screening.
Air pollution may include:
noise (e.g. on site operations and transport)
odours related to production and transport on lairage of large animals
vapours, gases (e.g. greenhouse gases), solids fallout.
Odour treatment processes may be physical, chemical or biological and include:
activated carbon
biofilters and bioscrubbers
chemical oxidation (e.g. wet chemical scrubbing or ozonisation)
dispersion (e.g. extraction hoods and dispersion stacks)
thermal oxidation (e.g. incineration).
Solid waste may include:
animal waste (e.g. non-commercial value hides and manure)
meat and meat products (e.g. fat, bone and flesh)
packaging materials (e.g. cardboard cartons, paper/plastic liners, vacuum packs and binding tapes)
refuse from non-processing operations (e.g. canteen, offices and amenities)
smallgoods manufacturing, processing, rendering and further processing wastes (e.g. fat, meat and meat product trimmings, rejects and returns, paunch manure, waste from fly ash boilers, oil and grease trap waste, and sludge)
solids suspended in effluent.
Methods of managing solid waste may include:
composting
filtration, effluent treatment/settling ponds
identification of alternative products (e.g. biodegradable packaging)
incineration.
OHS requirements may include:
enterprise OH&S policies, procedures and programs
hygiene and sanitation requirements
OH&S legal requirements
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which may include:
coats and aprons
ear plugs or muffs
eye and facial protection
head-wear
lifting assistance
protective boot covers
protective hand and arm covering
protective head and hair covering
uniforms
waterproof clothing
work, safety or waterproof footwear
requirements set out in standards and codes of practice.
Workplace requirements may include:
enterprise-specific requirements
OHS requirements
Quality Assurance (QA) requirements
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
the ability to perform the task to production requirements
work instructions.
Benchmarking may include working with:
companies from other industries
internal departments
international or national industry standards
other companies or sites within the industry.
Reports may:
include analysis and response to complaints
include evaluation of alternative environmental management strategies and controls
include financial reports (e.g. cost/benefit analyses and budget reports)
include performance information, audit reports and environment management reports to meet licensing requirements
be complex
contain information from a range of technical sources and include mathematical and graphic information and data
need to be presented according to legal and enterprise requirements.
Expert advice and assistance may be sought from:
environmental engineers
environmental agencies
government departments.
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
The meat industry has specific and clear requirements for evidence. A minimum of three forms of evidence is required to demonstrate competency in the meat industry. This is specifically designed to provide evidence that covers the demonstration in the workplace of all aspects of competency over time.
These requirements are in addition to the requirements for valid, current, authentic and sufficient evidence.
Three forms of evidence means three different kinds of evidence - not three pieces of the same kind. In practice it will mean that most of the unit is covered twice. This increases the legitimacy of the evidence.
All assessment must be conducted against Australian meat industry standards and regulations.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Competency must be demonstrated through sustained performance over time, at an appropriate level of responsibility and authority under typical operating and production conditions for the enterprise.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Resources may include:
a workplace environment with typical operating and production conditions
enterprise system information, including company Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) licences, environmental performance reports and data.
Method of assessment
Recommended methods of assessment include:
a third-party referee report of sustained performance at appropriate level of authority and responsibility
assignment focusing on understanding and application of principles and theory to workplace operations
workplace projects with focus on company environment and conditions.
Assessment practices should take into account any relevant language or cultural issues related to Aboriginality or Torres Strait Islander, gender, or language backgrounds other than English. Language and literacy demands of the assessment task should not be higher than those of the work role.
Guidance information for assessment
A current list of resources for this unit of competency is available from MINTRAC www.mintrac.com.au or telephone 1800 817 462.
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
The meat industry has specific and clear requirements for evidence. A minimum of three forms of evidence is required to demonstrate competency in the meat industry. This is specifically designed to provide evidence that covers the demonstration in the workplace of all aspects of competency over time.
These requirements are in addition to the requirements for valid, current, authentic and sufficient evidence.
Three forms of evidence means three different kinds of evidence - not three pieces of the same kind. In practice it will mean that most of the unit is covered twice. This increases the legitimacy of the evidence.
All assessment must be conducted against Australian meat industry standards and regulations.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Competency must be demonstrated through sustained performance over time, at an appropriate level of responsibility and authority under typical operating and production conditions for the enterprise.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Resources may include:
a workplace environment with typical operating and production conditions
enterprise system information, including company Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) licences, environmental performance reports and data.
Method of assessment
Recommended methods of assessment include:
a third-party referee report of sustained performance at appropriate level of authority and responsibility
assignment focusing on understanding and application of principles and theory to workplace operations
workplace projects with focus on company environment and conditions.
Assessment practices should take into account any relevant language or cultural issues related to Aboriginality or Torres Strait Islander, gender, or language backgrounds other than English. Language and literacy demands of the assessment task should not be higher than those of the work role.
Guidance information for assessment
A current list of resources for this unit of competency is available from MINTRAC www.mintrac.com.au or telephone 1800 817 462.
Replaces
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| W1444 | MTMPS5608A | Manage environmental impacts of meat processing operations | Unit of competency |
Replaced By
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| D9012 | MTMPS5608C | Manage environmental impacts of meat processing operations | Unit of competency |
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| W319 | MTM50107 | Diploma of Meat Processing | Qualification |