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 1012 Methods of testing concrete
AS 1141 Methods for sampling and testing aggregates
AS 1289 Methods of testing soils for engineering purposes
AS 2891 Methods of sampling and testing asphalt
AS ISO 1000-1998 The international system of units (SI) and its application
AS ISO 17025-2005 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
AS/NZS ISO 14000 Set:2005 Environmental management standards set
AS/NZS ISO 9000 Set:2008 Quality management systems set
AustRoads test methods
calibration and maintenance schedules
enterprise recording and reporting procedures
enterprise sampling procedures for specific samples, sites and clients
environmental legislation and regulations
equipment manuals and warranty, supplier catalogues and handbooks
equipment startup, operation and shutdown procedures
industry codes of practice
maps, site plans
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
material, production and product specifications
National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) documents regarding construction materials testing (Field application document)
national measurement regulations and guidelines
occupational health and safety (OHS) national standards and codes of practice
quality manuals
sampling and test procedures, enterprise or standard operating procedures (SOPs)
site safety plans
State/Territory Road Authority test methods
Hazards
Hazards may include:
sunlight, dust and noise and heat
manual/handling of heavy equipment or materials
crushing, entanglement and cuts associated with moving machinery
vehicular traffic on roads and sites
injuries caused by falling objects and working conditions such as uneven surfaces, heights, slopes, wet surfaces, trenches and confined spaces
biohazards, such as microbiological organisms in soils
nuclear density/moisture gauges and industrial X-ray equipment
Enterprise safe work procedures
Enterprise safe work procedures may include:
use of site safety plans and MSDS
use personal protective equipment, such as hard hats, sunscreen lotion, hearing protection, gloves, goggles, coveralls, respirators and safety boots
handling and storing hazardous material and equipment in accordance with labels, MSDS, manufacturer's instructions, and enterprise procedures and regulations
regular cleaning and/or decontaminating of equipment
signage, barriers, traffic control and flashing lights
Field-based acceptance tests
Field-based acceptance tests may include:
testing of concrete:
consistency (e.g. slump)
making and curing of concrete cylinders
air content
Schmidt hammer
testing of soils:
field density (e.g. compaction control)
coarse particle distribution (e.g. rock protection layers and embankments)
dynamic cone penetration (DCP)
infiltration
Clegg hammer
sample cores form stabilised pavements
testing of asphalt and bitumen seals:
temperature of freshly laid asphalt
field density
texture depth
permeability
aggregate spread rate and binder spray rate
Site samples and test pieces
Site samples and test pieces may include:
site samples of aggregates, soil, concrete and road pavement
beams and cylinders for subsequent laboratory testing such as Brazil test and Marshall stability/flow test
asphalt cores and slabs for testing wheel tracking and fatigue
Test/sampling equipment and materials
Test/sampling equipment and materials may include:
survey equipment, steel ruler/tape and spirit level
shovel, scoops, plates, rods, cylinder and beam moulds
buckets, bags and sample containers
coring equipment
excavation equipment
slump cones, density cones and density sand
thermometer
air content meter
brushes
nuclear density/moisture gauge
worksheets, test methods
portable computers and personal digital assistants (PDAs)
Appropriate corrective actions
Appropriate corrective actions may include:
accuracy check of data entry and transcription
logical check of equipment setup
check of calibration, zero error and drift for measuring instrument
careful re-reading of procedures and checklists
repeat test measurements
seek advice
Minimising environmental impacts
Minimising environmental impacts may include:
disposal of surplus or spent or materials
containing run-off of water
recycling of wastes
compliance with quarantine requirements, including cleaning of vehicles to prevent transfer of pests (e.g. fire ants and seeds) and contaminants
compliance with environmental, cultural and heritage protection requirements
Occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental management requirements
OHS and environmental management requirements:
all operations must comply with enterprise occupational health safety 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:
liaise effectively with site personnel to arrange for testing to be performed safely and efficiently
conduct field-based acceptance tests and collect/prepare associated field samples or test pieces safely and accurately and within the required timeframe.

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 other relevant units of competency such as:
MSL922001A Record and present data
MSL943001A Work safely with instruments that emit ionising radiation
MSL943002A Participate in laboratory/field workplace safety.
Resources may include:
data sets and records
test methods and description of test setup
computer and relevant software or laboratory information system
relevant enterprise procedures.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of test data, results and records generated by the candidate
feedback from supervisors and clients regarding the candidate's ability to work independently and conduct a range of field-based acceptance tests reliably, safely and efficiently
questions to assess understanding of enterprise procedures and test methods relevant to their job role.
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 to show its relevance in a workplace setting.
Construction materials testing
A technician working for a consulting laboratory receives a telephone request from a client to conduct some concrete tests at their site at 10 am. They require a slump test and the preparation of three test cylinders and two flexural beam test pieces for later testing. The technician arrives at the site early and checks with the foreman about where the concrete truck will come in and positions his/her vehicle in a shady spot close by where the samples can cure without being disturbed. He/she prepares the slump plate, shovel, scoops, slump rod, cylinder moulds, bucket, steel ruler, spirit level, thermometer, brushes and worksheets. He/she checks the slump plate for level and damps down the moulds when the truck arrives. After waiting for the recommended volume of concrete to be discharged, he/she collects a sample and conducts the slump test. He/she pays particular attention to how each layer is added to the cone and 'rodded' and then carefully lifts off the cone in one easy motion. Using the slump rod on top of the cone as a benchmark, he/she measures the slump as 80+/-5 mm. This result is consistent with the results obtained from several repeat tests. He/she returns the slump material to the kibble and collects five buckets of concrete to make the cylinders and beams.The technician places a maximum/minimum thermometer alongside the prepared samples to monitor the curing process and the covers them with insulating material. He/she carefully cleans all the test equipment while the concrete is still wet and re-stows it in thevehicle. On returning to the laboratory, he/she ensures that all results and records are competed according to standard procedures.
Construction materials testing
A laboratory technician has been tasked with conducting a series of field density measurements using a nuclear gauge at a road construction site. Prior to leaving for the site, he/she locates the test method (AS 1289.5.8.1) and assembles all the materials and equipment needed for the job. The technician reviews the company's safe working rules for using the gauge, conducts the specified pre-use checks of the equipment, does a 'standard count' and enters all the required information in the relevant technical and administrative records. After safely stowing the equipment, he/she drives to the site. On arrival, the technician checks with the foreman about the size of the lot, test locations and datum point and the details about the other work currently going on at the site. The technician sets up the specified safety barriers and signs, ensures that the gauge is operating correctly and checks the radiation levels around the instrument. He/she drills the first of the ten required holes, carefully ensuring that it is the correct depth and is vertical, clear of obstructions and large enough to enable the gauge to be raised and lowered without jamming. He/she spreads sand near the hole to ensure that the instrument is flush with the ground and there is no air gap. With the source in position, he/she performs two measurements (@ 0º and 90º) to minimise the effect of any rocks or voids that may be close to the surface. He/she notes that the two results agree to within the accepted tolerance of 75kg/m3. The technician then carefully retracts the rod and locks the source in its shielded position before moving the instrument to the next location. After successfully completing all the required measurements, the technician carefully cleans, checks and re-stows the equipment, fills in the holes, removes the barriers/signs and advises the foreman that he/she has finished the testing. On returning to base, he/she finalises the job in accordance with enterprise procedures.