Elements and Performance Criteria

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.
Compliance documentation may include:
legislative, organisation and site requirements and procedures
manufacturer's guidelines and specifications
Australian standards
code of practice
Employment and workplace relations legislation
Equal Employment Opportunity and Disability Discrimination legislation
Samples may include:
soils
rocks
minerals
fossils
hydrocarbons
drill core
stream sediment
mine samples
gas or air samples
water, wastewater, stormwater, sewage, sludges
construction materials
solid wastes
raw materials
final products
hazardous materials and/or dangerous goods
atmospheric or airborne contaminants
Site hazards may include:
solar radiation, dust and noise
wildlife, such as snakes, spiders, domestic animals
biohazards, such as micro-organisms and agents associated with soil, air, water
chemicals, such as acids and hydrocarbons
sharps, broken glassware
manual/handling of heavy sample bags and containers
crushing, entanglement, cuts associated with moving machinery and hand tools
falling objects, uneven surfaces, heights, slopes, wet surfaces, trenches, confined spaces
vehicle handling in rough terrain, boat handling in rough or flowing water
Safety procedures may include:
use of materials safety data sheets (MSDS)
use of personal protective equipment, such as hard hats, heavy protection, gloves, safety glasses, goggles, faceguards, coveralls, gown, body suits, respirators, safety boots
correct labelling of hazardous materials
handling and storing hazardous material and equipment in accordance with labels, MSDS, manufacturer's instructions, enterprise procedures and regulations
regular cleaning and/or decontamination of equipment
machinery guards
signage, barriers, service isolation tags, traffic control, flashing lights
lockout and tagout procedures
Representative sampling may include:
size
frequency
location
Types of samples may include:
grab samples
disturbed or undisturbed materials
composite samples, such as time, flow proportioned, horizontal/vertical cross section
quality control samples, such as controls, background, duplicate, blanks
Sampling tools and equipment may include:
hand tools
carrying devices
portable power tools
front-end loader, backhoe, excavator, drill rig
shovels, augers, bucket
sampling frames, sampling tubes, dip tubes, spears, flexible bladders, syringes
access valves
sample thief
weighted sample bottles, bottles, plastic/metal containers and disposable buckets
sterile containers, pipettes, inoculating loops, disposable spoons
pumps, stainless steel bailers
mechanical gravity separator
high specific gravity liquids
hand magnet
isodynamic magnetic separator
electrostatic separator
crusher
ultrasonic cleaner
panning and hand jigging
hydraulic rock splitter
diamond saw
sledge hammer
crushers
screens
Sample preparation may include:
marking up
splitting
sub-sampling
sealing
size reduction
specific gravity
magnetic suspension
core-cutting
crushing/grinding
sieving
riffling
blending
homogenisation
coning
quartering
preparing sub-sample including: stain/polish
petrological and electron microscope/electron microprobes
Maintenance of integrity of samples could include:
appropriate containers and lids (for example, glass, plastic, amber, opaque)
sealing of sample containers
purging of sample lines and bores
decontamination of sampling tools between collection of consecutive samples
use of appropriate preservatives (for example, sodium azide, toluene or antibiotics)
wrapping container in foil or wet newspaper
temperature control, which may involve prevention of direct contact between the sample and coolant
transfer of sterile sample into sterile container
monitoring of storage conditions
enterprise/legal traceability through appropriate sample labelling and records
Minimising environmental impacts may involve:
replacement of soils and vegetation
driving to minimise soil erosion and damage to fauna and vegetation
disposal of surplus, spent or purged materials
recycling of non-hazardous wastes
appropriate disposal of hazardous waste
cleaning of vehicles to prevent transfer of pests and contaminants

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
The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to worksite operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit and include evidence of the following:
knowledge of the requirements, procedures and instructions for the collection of routine site samples
implementation of requirements, procedures and techniques for the safe, effective and efficient collection of routine site samples
working with others to undertake and complete the collection of routine site samples that meets all of the required outcomes
consistent timely completion of the collection of routine site samples that safely, effectively and efficiently meets the required outcomes
Context of and specific resources for assessment
This unit must be assessed in the context of the work environment. Where personal safety or environmental damage are limiting factors, assessment may occur in a simulated environment provided it is realistic and sufficiently rigorous to cover all aspects of workplace performance, including task skills, task management skills, contingency management skills and job role environment skills.
The assessment environment should not disadvantage the participant. For example, language, literacy and numeracy demands of assessment should not be greater than those required on the job.
Customisation of assessment and delivery environment to sensitively accommodate cultural diversity.
Aboriginal people and other people from a non English speaking background may have second language issues.
Assessment of this competency requires typical resources normally used in the work environment. Selection and use of resources for particular worksites may differ due to site circumstances.
Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with disabilities.
Access must be provided to appropriate learning and/or assessment support when required.
Method of assessment
This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency. The assessment strategy for this unit must verify required knowledge and skill and practical application using more than one of the following assessment methods:
written and/or oral assessment of the candidate's required knowledge
observed, documented and/or first hand testimonial evidence of the candidate's:
implementation of appropriate requirement, procedures and techniques for the safe, effective and efficient achievement of required outcomes
consistently achieving the required outcomes
first hand testimonial evidence of the candidate's:
working with others to undertake and complete the collection of routine site samples
Guidance information for assessment
Consult the SkillsDMC User Guide for further information on assessment including access and equity issues.