Elements and Performance Criteria

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
Legislation, standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements
Legislation, standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements may include:
federal legislation, such as
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
state/territory government legislation and regulations and local government by-laws, policies, and plans dealing with:
land use, acquisition, planning and protection
water and water management
pollution and contaminated sites
Australian and international standards and guidelines, such as:
AS/NZS ISO 14000 Basic set:2007 Environmental management basic set
AS/NZS 5667 series: Water quality - Part 11 Guidance on sampling of groundwaters
Geoscience Australia, Groundwater sampling and analysis - A field guide
Australian drinking water guidelines
Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for fresh and marine water quality
enterprise sampling and monitoring protocols
equipment manuals and warranties, supplier catalogue and handbooks
government policy (e.g. sustainable development and impact assessment)
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
OHS national standards and codes of practice
site-specific requirements
Enterprise procedures for field activities
Enterprise procedures for field activities may include:
field notebooks or log books
standard operating procedures covering fieldwork, sampling and testing
equipment operating manuals, calibration procedures, instrument fault-finding procedures and general maintenance and repair procedures
emergency, first aid and survival procedures
requirements related to protection of the environment
incident/accident/injury report forms
Sampling/monitoring plans
Sampling and monitoring plans may include:
purpose, such as:
identification of aquifers, leakage and hydraulic connection of aquifers
assessment of groundwater movement, flow, recharge and discharge, and quality
assessment of salt, nutrients, pesticides and other contaminants
sampling criteria, such as:
spatial and depth distribution within target
depth to water level for shallow/deep aquifers
contamination potential and land use
nature of recharge/discharge mechanisms
diversity of groundwater use
bore accessibility and bore equipment availability
sampling frequency/duration depending on purpose, such as level, quality indicators (e.g. temperature and electrical conductivity), long-term quality parameters and could be continuous, hourly, daily, monthly, quarterly, six monthly, annual and long term
Site and sampling hazards
Site and sampling hazards may include:
risk of surface collapse around old wells
unsafe stages and ladders
working in confined spaces, such as wells, boreholes, wellheads and basements
exposure to contaminated groundwater and confined space atmospheres
solar radiation, dust and noise
handling bulky or heavy equipment
Safe working procedures
Safe working procedures may include:
use of safety harness, suitable clothing and boots, sunglasses, hat and gloves
use of breathing apparatus
ensuring two persons are present during sampling of wells (one at the surface)
testing of atmosphere for oxygen deficiency and flammable/toxic vapours
working upwind of known contaminants
prohibition of eating, drinking and smoking
separation of heavy equipment into smaller units/cases for transport
location and avoidance of site utility services
securing and counterbalancing of pumps and water filled hoses down the hole
testing and earthing of electrical generators, trip out devices and connectors (especially at waterlogged sites)
shielding of hot surfaces and exhausts
careful handling of glass containers and preservatives
regular medical checks
Drilling and construction of wells and bores
Drilling and construction of bores and wells may include:
drilling techniques, such as auger, rotary air, rotary mud, cable tool, direct push technologies, sonic drilling and vibro coring
bore construction techniques, such as:
use of PVC, stainless steel and fibreglass casings
mechanical casing joints
screen and gravel packs
cement or bentonite seals,
lockable caps, bore name and ID label
piezometer construction techniques, such as:
shallow piezometers
bundled mini piezometers
Purging and field sampling equipment
Purging and field sampling equipment will vary according to the position of the sampler intake, purge criteria used and composition of the groundwater to be sampled, and may include:
Teflon, glass and stainless steel items
bailers and cords, and syringe devices
air-lift, suction-lift, gas operated, bladder, submersible, inertial (foot pump) and submersible piston pumps
inlet screens
flow meter water sampler
groundsheets, scrubbing brushes, hoses, buckets, jerry cans and waste containers
cables, batteries, generator and air compressor
tripods, stands, swivelling blocks and tools
eskies and ice
first aid equipment, sunscreen, drinking water and mobile phone
Sample preparation and transport
Sample preparation and transport may include:
filtering groundwater samples using syringes, filter capsules and hand operated pumps
sample preparation for major and minor chemistry, nutrients and isotope analysis
sampling and filtration for incubated microbiology samples
collecting samples of dissolved and entrained or evolving gases
labelling and packing of samples to ensure integrity, traceability, preservation and prevention of cross-contamination during transit
sample delivery within specified holding times
Field testing equipment and instruments
Field testing equipment and instruments may include:
maps, global positioning system (GPS), two-way radio and mobile phone
tape measures and weights, plopper/samplers and water level meters
flow cells
parameter specific meter or multi-probes, such as dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, pH, turbidity, nitrates, phosphates and temperature
field test kits for parameters such as dissolved gases, chemical anions and cations, heavy metals, E. coli and biological oxygen demand (BOD)
portable colourimeters and field microscopes
portable gas analyser for CH4, O2, CO2, CO and H2S
sterile sample bottles and other sample containers specific to analytical method
reagents, calibration solutions and cleaning solutions
media/substrates for presence or absence microbiology field tests
filters and sieves
data loggers and digital camera
equipment manuals and sampling/testing procedures
Field measurements/tests
Field measurements/tests may include:
measuring depth of bores and water levels
pH and temperature
electrical conductivity
dissolved oxygen
redox potential
alkalinity using burette titration and alkalinity titrator
presence or absence microbiology field tests
field gas analysis for CH4,O2, CO2, CO and H2S
Field observations and data
Field observations and data may include:
sampling point name, location, time, date and type
nature of aquifer and water bearing strata
well/bore dimensions and description of conditions
pumping status, depth of pump suction and/or discharge
water level within well or borehole
method of sampling and depth of sampling
sample appearance when collected (colour, clarity and odour)
results of on-site analysis (e.g. pH, electrical conductivity and dissolved oxygen)
details of sample preservation techniques used
details of on-site filtration (e.g. filter pore size)
details of sample storage method required/used
name of sample collector
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

Overview of assessment
Competency must be demonstrated in the ability to perform consistently at the required standard.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Assessors must be satisfied that the candidate can competently and consistently apply the skills covered in this unit of competency in new and different situations and contexts. Critical aspects of assessment and evidence include:
interpreting and applying groundwater sampling/ monitoring plans and procedures for site
recognising site hazards and applying safe work procedures during sampling, testing and transport
providing advice to drillers about environmental requirements
obtaining reliable, representative samples of groundwater
demonstrating correct and safe use and calibration of field instruments and/or equipment
measuring bore conditions and conducting field tests of groundwater parameters to obtain reliable data
calculating results using appropriate units/precision
identifying atypical results as out-of-normal range or an artefact
providing accurate, complete records of sampling and field testing
working safely and following relevant legislative requirements for the disposal of waste and the preservation of the environment.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or a simulated workplace environment.
Assessment should emphasise a workplace context and procedures found in the candidate’s workplace.
This unit of competency may be assessed with:
MSS025014A Perform sampling and testing of contaminated sites.
The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.
Resources may include:
vehicles, sampling equipment, field test equipment, digital camera, containers, reagents, consumables and manuals
enterprise procedures, test methods, maps, site plans and site sampling/monitoring plans
safety equipment.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
inspection of groundwater samples collected by the candidate
review of groundwater measurements, test results, calculations and site observations produced by the candidate
review of sampling/testing records completed by the candidate
feedback from peers and supervisors about the candidate’s ability to consistently apply enterprise procedures and work safely
oral and written questioning to check underpinning knowledge of groundwater parameters, sampling/test procedures and calculations.
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.
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.
Guidance information for assessment