Elements and Performance Criteria

The range of variables relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that will affect performance.
Where reference is made to industry Codes of Practice, and/or Australian/international standards, it is expected the latest version will be used.
Information sources and documentation could include

Enterprise procedures that deal with
anti-discrimination, equal opportunity and anti-harassment legislative requirements
legislative requirements (for example, Therapeutic Goods Act) and Codes of Practice (for example, good manufacturing practice (GMP) and Food Standards Code Australia, New Zealand)
customer service, telephone protocols
technical tasks
information directories for staff access, (personnel, telephone), online databases, CD ROMS

Workplace documents, such as
standard operating procedures (SOPs), laboratory methods
job (batch) cards and job descriptions
equipment manuals, service logs
induction manuals
supplier catalogues
(daily) production schedules
laboratory schedules
calibration and maintenance schedules
guide to relevant Acts and regulations (for example, Food Standards Code)
material safety data sheets (MSDSs)
non compliance reports
quality manuals
time sheets, logbooks
product specifications
text procedures
shift handover reports
pick lists
HACCP procedures
libraries

Information which uses
common scientific and technical terminology
symbols, charts, signs, written text, tables, graphs and calculations.

Communication may include interactions with
supervisors and managers
other laboratory and production personnel
members of the public, customers and clients.

Items of equipment may include
telephone, two-way radio, PA system, fax, computer (email)
direct display readouts
on-line information systems.

Interpersonal communication includes
active listening
including others
effective questioning
tolerating the view of others, attempting to reduce conflict and to negotiate suitable outcomes.

Health, safety and environment
All operations to which this unit applies are subject to stringent health, safety and environmental (HSE) requirements, which may be imposed through State or Federal legislation, and these must not be compromised at any time. Where there is an apparent conflict between performance criteria and HSE requirements, the HSE requirements take precedence.
All operations assume the potentially hazardous nature of samples and require standard precautions to be applied. Users should access and apply current industry understanding of infection control issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council and State and Territory Departments of Health. All operations are performed in accordance with standard operating procedures.

The Evidence Guide describes the underpinning knowledge and skills that must be demonstrated to prove competence.
Critical aspects of competency

Competency must be demonstrated in the ability to perform consistently at the required standard. In particular, assessors should look to see that the candidate:

communicates effectively with people at different organisational levels and from diverse cultural backgrounds
uses available communication equipment (for example, telephone, on-line and hard copy directories, email, fax, intranet and Internet)
listens attentively and clarifies messages and instructions to confirm their meaning
locates relevant sources of information
provides accurate information in an effective and timely manner
understands colloquial, scientific and technical terminology appropriate to their expected level of knowledge and their workplace
completes relevant workplace documents legibly and accurately
responds to calls and messages within accepted enterprise timelines
promotes cooperation through personal interactions.

Underpinning knowledge

Competency includes the ability to apply and explain:

enterprise customer service standards and procedures
standard operating procedures (SOPs) for routine technical tasks undertaken by candidate
principles of effective interpersonal interactions
equal opportunity, anti-discrimination, anti-harassment requirements
communication protocols and the completion of workplace documentation
relevant health, safety and environment requirements.

Knowledge is also required of the:

products and services provided by the enterprise
layout of the enterprise and laboratory
role of laboratory services to the enterprise and customers
organisational structure.

Specific industry

Additional knowledge requirements may apply for different industry sectors. For example:

Manufacturing, Food Processing and construction materials
instructions to production staff when altering production mixes as a result of laboratory analysis.
Biomedical
verification and signature requirements for the receipt and release of human specimens (such as blood transfusion products, blood alcohol samples and urine for drug testing).

Assessment context and methods
This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or simulated workplace environment.

The following assessment methods are suggested:

review of messages and workplace documentation prepared by the candidate
feedback from peers, customers and supervisors
observation of the candidate's performance of a wide range of technical and administrative tasks
questions to assess understanding of relevant workplace procedures.
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. Questioning techniques should suit the language and literacy levels of the candidate.

Interdependent assessment of unit

This unit of competency may be assessed with:

PMLQUAL300B Contribute to the achievement of quality objectives.

Resource implications

Resources may include:

enterprise procedures and documents
equipment, such as telephone, fax and computer (email)

This competency in practice
A technician in a petroleum refinery asked a laboratory assistant to 'go down to the cat and take a sample of the bottoms,' not realising that the assistant had only just started work with the company. The assistant looked at the technician in amazement, not knowing whether to pretend to understand, maintain self esteem, or clarify the instructions for the task. The assistant decided on the latter - to ask for clarification - and the technician repeated the instructions without using jargon. The laboratory assistant then proceeded to the catalytic cracker to take the sample as per the appropriate standard operating procedures.
The regular collection staff were not present when a flustered client came into the outpatient clinic with a domestic container full of straw coloured fluid. The receptionist knew what urine collection containers usually looked like and this was clearly not one. The receptionist called for help from the laboratory in the absence of collection staff. A technical officer was sent. The officer quickly realised that a recollection would be requested and because this would be inconvenient to the patient, tried to seek an explanation from them as to why the correct container was not used. The technical officer then explained as clearly and gently as possible the reasons for the recollection and why the substitute container could not be used. The officer confirmed that the patient was clear on the collection procedure and checked that the labels on the new container were correct.
The front office staff of a small food processing company were responsible for many tasks and could not always ensure that they were in the office to receive customers and answer phone calls. This meant that urgent inquiries were not always immediately attended to and some customers became irate if they were unfortunate enough to have made several inquiries while the office staff were absent.
The company laboratory was adjacent to the reception area and laboratory technicians would attend to customers if they happened to see them waiting. The laboratory technicians realised that they could improve company-customer relations. They organised for a buzzer to be installed that connected the reception desk to the laboratory and the reception phone to redirect to the laboratory if it was not answered within a reasonable period of time. Since they could not always attend to the specific needs of the callers, they developed a standard format for recording messages that were passed back to the reception staff. The laboratory assistants were also trained to receive personal and phone inquires in an appropriate manner. The company found that, even though the laboratory technicians could not always satisfy the immediate demands of customers, the customer satisfaction level was greater when customers were attended to personally than when they were connected to an answering machine or not received at all.

The seven key competencies represent generic skills considered for effective work participation. The bracketed numbering against each of the key competencies indicates the performance level required in this unit. These are stand-alone levels and do not correspond to levels in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).
Level (1) represents the competence to undertake tasks effectively
Level (2) represents the competence to manage tasks
Level (3) represents the competence to use concepts for evaluating and reshaping tasks.
Communicating ideas and information
(1)

Collecting analysing and organising information
(1)

Planning and organising activities
(1)

Working with others and in teams
(1)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
(1)

Solving problems
(1)

Using technology
(1)