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.

OHS requirements:
are to be in accordance with applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation and regulations, and organisational safety policies and procedures, and may include:
personal protective equipment and clothing
safety equipment
first aid equipment
fire fighting equipment
hazard and risk control
elimination of hazardous materials and substances
safe forest practices including required actions relating to forest fire
manual handling including shifting, lifting and carrying

Legislative requirements:
are to be in accordance with applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation, regulations, certification requirements and codes of practice and may include:
award and enterprise agreements
industrial relations
Australian Standards
confidentiality and privacy
OHS
the environment
equal opportunity
anti-discrimination
relevant industry codes of practice
duty of care
heritage and traditional land owner issues

Organisational requirements may include:
legal
organisational and site guidelines
policies and procedures relating to own role and responsibility
quality assurance
procedural manuals
quality and continuous improvement processes and standards
OHS, emergency and evacuation procedures
ethical standards
recording and reporting requirements
equipment use and maintenance and storage requirements
environmental management requirements (waste disposal, recycling and re-use guidelines)

Mechanical processor
may be wheeled or tracked

Environmental protection measures
may include action to limit the impact to:
ground growth and canopy
soil and water
may include action to limit the impact of:
general forest lean
wind speed and direction
fallen trees
density of trees
ground slope
ground hazards
obstacles

Work plan may include:
instructions for mechanical processor operations including trees to be processed and cutting length requirements.
Information may also be included relating to:
landing layouts
site plans
forest operational plans
emergency procedures in case of fire and/or accident

Appropriate personnel may include:
supervisors
clients
colleagues
managers

Logs
handled may cover the full range of species
size and conditions to be encountered in local harvesting operations
softwood or hardwood

Safe working conditions may include:
identification of risks and hazards
unsafe ground
fences
holes, pot holes
materials
vehicles
abandoned equipment
personnel
adverse weather conditions (electrical storms, floods)
fires

Mechanical processor operations
must include the mechanical processing of trees and segregating and stacking of logs and may include:
the mechanical falling of trees
the de-barking, pre-bunching and loading of logs

Planning
requires ensuring minimal equipment and product movement during operations including determining level and stable surfaces for safely relocating logs

Environmental and heritage concerns may include:
dust
noise
water
flora and fauna
heritage legislation
culturally sensitive sights and artefacts
plantations
native forest

Communication may include:
verbal and non-verbal language
hand or other agreed signals
eye contact with other operators or personnel
active listening
questioning to clarify and confirm understanding
use of electronic communication devices

Capabilities
of equipment and/or attachments may include:
efficient and safe operating speed
duration of operation
type of activities performed
weight and/or load limitations
operating limitations

Pre-operational checks
are conducted to ensure equipment and attachments have been set-up correctly, the systems are performing accurately and operating to optimum performance.
Checks may be to:
visual and audio warning devices and lights
engine and stop engine lights
fluid levels
cab display instrumentation and gauges
on-board computer systems, if relevant
Checks may also involve:
start-up, park and shut-down procedures including safety mechanisms operation (horn, operating lights), correct location of equipment, vehicle security

Site conditions may include:
wet, dry
day, night
stability of ground, broken ground
slope of working surface
location of water table

Hazards may include:
uneven/unstable terrain
trees
fires
overhead and underground services
bridges
buildings
excavations
traffic
embankment
cuttings
structures and hazardous materials

Emergency plan may include:
notification of authorities
evacuation procedures
isolation procedures
equipment shut-down procedures
clean up
first aid
use of personal protective equipment and guarding

Positioning
of equipment ensures:
machine stability to minimise movement during and between processing operations, ensures safe access to felled tree, ensures safe processing and placement clearance for the efficient extraction of processed logs

Maintenance
of log stacks includes:
providing for anticipated stock levels
stock rotation requirements
size, segregation of lengths
species and grades

Visual assessment
of logs includes:
identifying and determining species
diameter, length, grade
landing layout
stock rotation requirements

Visual inspection and fault finding procedures may include:
vehicle number
danger tag
personnel proximity
tyres and rim condition
wheel nuts and studs
light positioning and cleanliness
radiator top up tank
oil leaks, fuel leaks, water leaks
no combustible material around exhaust
damage to equipment
portable fire extinguisher
fire suppression system
cab mounts
windows
engine oil to be checked before starting engine
grease lines
cab conditions

Routine operational servicing may include:
checking fluid levels
greasing
tightening loose fittings
filter changing

Cleaning methods may include:
water
steam
degreasing
vacuum
forced air

Records and reports
may relate to end of shift documentation and may in include:
work log
supplies log
computer readings and;
may be manual or using a computer-based system or another appropriate organisational communication system

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
A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to provide evidence that they can safely and efficiently conduct mechanical processor operations within organisational requirements

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 and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements of this unit and include demonstration of:

compliance with applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislative and regulatory requirements and codes of practice relevant to mechanical processor operations
compliance with organisational policies and procedures relevant to mechanical processor operations
communicating effectively and working safely with others in the work area
planning, preparing and carrying out mechanical processor operations to safely and efficiently process trees mechanically and segregate and stack logs
conducting pre-operational checks and routine operational servicing of equipment

Context of and specific resources for assessment
Competency is to be assessed in the workplace or realistically simulated workplace
Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints
Assessment of essential underpinning knowledge, other than confirmatory questions, will usually be conducted in an off-site context
Assessment is to comply with relevant regulatory or Australian Standards requirements

The following resources should be made available:

workplace location or simulated workplace
materials and equipment relevant to undertaking work applicable to this unit
specifications and work instructions

Method of assessment
Assessment must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the FPI05 Training Package
Assessment methods must confirm consistency and accuracy of performance (over time and in a range of workplace relevant contexts) together with application of underpinning knowledge
Assessment must be by direct observation of tasks, with questioning on underpinning knowledge and it must also reinforce the integration of employability skills
Assessment methods must confirm the ability to access and correctly interpret and apply the essential underpinning knowledge
Assessment may be applied under project-related conditions (real or simulated) and require evidence of process
Assessment must confirm a reasonable inference that competency is able not only to be satisfied under the particular circumstance, but is able to be transferred to other circumstances
Assessment may be in conjunction with assessment of other units of competency
The assessment environment should not disadvantage the candidate
Assessment practices should take into account any relevant language or cultural issues related to Aboriginality, gender or language backgrounds other than English
Where the participant has a disability, reasonable adjustment may be applied during assessment
Language and literacy demands of the assessment task should not be higher than those of the work role