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 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
enterprise quality manual, customer quality plan
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 and 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
test methods
Hazards
Hazards may include:
dust and noise
extreme weather (e.g. sunlight, wind, hail, rain 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
nuclear density/moisture gauges and industrial X-ray equipment
driving vehicles over long distances, in rural or remote areas and over difficult terrain
fatigue
Enterprise safe work procedures
Enterprise safe work procedures may include:
use of site safety plans and MSDS
use of 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, enterprise procedures and regulations
regular cleaning and/or decontaminating of equipment
signage, barriers, traffic control and flashing lights
Monitoring activities
Monitoring activities may include measuring:
displacement and vibration
pressure and force
temperature
setting time
strain
cracking (visual assessment of road condition)
defect mapping
moisture
water levels
movement of chemical ions through structures
Monitoring instruments and equipment
Monitoring instruments and equipment may include:
transducers, such as accelerometers, load cells, pieziometers, strain gauges and thermocouples
signal conditioning and data storage devices such as amplifiers, data loggers and portable computers
global position system (GPS)
digital camera
survey equipment, steel ruler/tape and verniers
signage, warning lights and boundary tape/cones
worksheets and test methods
umbrellas and shade structures
communication equipment (e.g. radio)
Administrative requirements and appropriate approvals
Administrative requirements and appropriate approvals may include:
travel requisitions, insurance
authority for procurement of supplies, use of vehicles and equipment
access permits
Appropriate corrective actions
Appropriate corrective actions may include:
logical check of equipment setup
check of calibration, zero error, drift for measuring instrument, data entry/storage and transfer
replacement of batteries, instrument boards/cards and leads and connectors
careful re-reading of procedures and checklists
repeat measurements
seek advice
Minimising environmental impacts
Minimising environmental impacts may include:
damage from movement of vehicles
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 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:
liaise effectively with site personnel to arrange for monitoring to be performed safely and efficiently
set up, operate and troubleshoot monitoring equipment in the field
conduct monitoring activities safely and produce reliable data within the required timeframe
work semi-autonomously.

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:
MSL924001A Process and interpret data
MSL924002A Use laboratory application software
MSL943002A Participate in laboratory/field workplace safety.
Resources may include:
data sets and records
test methods and description of monitoring activities
monitoring instruments and equipment
data logger, computer and relevant software or laboratory information system
relevant enterprise procedures.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of monitoringdata, 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 monitoring activities reliably, safely and efficiently
questions to assess understanding of enterprise procedures, monitoring activitiesand 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 (1)
A contracting engineer has requested daily monitoring of a large cutting on a major new highway for at least several months. The new cutting has exposed a major geological fault that may result in significant slippage or total failure of the slope. A technician is assigned the task of monitoring the site which is approximately 10 km from the laboratory. He/she confirms the site location, specified monitoring points and the data required by the engineer. He/she then contacts the site manager to arrange access and schedule the monitoring times. The technician confirms that he/she has a currentfirst aid certificate and has previously completed the construction company's site induction program. Because there is only 4WD access to the cutting, the technician arranges to use an appropriate vehicle. On arrival at the site, the technician meets key company staff. He/she locates the boreholes and identifies each monitoring point on the site plan. He/she then assembles the laboratory's inclinometer taking care to check the torpedo probe, data logger, graduated support cable, electrical cables and connectors. He/she carefully checks the first borehole and uses a dummy probe to clean the keyways and ensure that it is free of obstructions. He/she records a trial set of orthogonal readings @ 0.5 m intervals over the 10 m depth. The technician then obtains a complete set of baseline data being careful to conduct repeat measurements and record each depth precisely so that subsequent measurements can be recorded at the same point and small changes in inclination can be detected. On return to base, he/she verifies the data and discusses the results with the laboratory manager before issuing them to the client. He/she then documents the site details and work instructions for the team to ensure rapid turnaround of data for the client.
Construction materials testing (2)
Two technicians have been assigned the task of surveying the condition of a stretch of highway to determine the extent of deterioration and whether it needs to be re-sealed. They locate the test method (Q702) and conduct a routine pre-use check of the laboratory's dedicated vehicle and confirm that all monitoring systems are functioning correctly. They examine the previous road roughness data and schedule the test for 8 pm in order to minimise interferences. On reaching the site, they drive the specified route to check for hazards such as cross roads, wildlife and other traffic. After commencing the test, the driver maintains constant speed while the operator records 'chainage' data and key road features on a laptop computer to reference the data set. After one pass, the technician reviews the data file to identify problem spikes, gaps or anomalies in the data. Then they perform repeat runs for both lanes in both directions, being careful to use the same wheel path in each case. On return to base, they download the data files, run data quality checks and use laboratory software to smooth the data. They then store the data files in accordance with enterprise procedures and complete the test report.