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.

Personnel will have access to procedures that include or have been prepared from the following
Australian and international standards, such as -
AS ISO/IEC 17025 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
ISO 9000 series Quality management and quality assurance standards
AS 2243 Safety in laboratories
AS 2830 Good laboratory practice
Codes of Practice (such as GLP and GMP)
safety manuals
quality manuals and equipment and procedure manuals
standard operating procedures (SOPs) describing personal protective equipment requirements, indications for use of biohazard and laminar flow cabinets, containment and cleanup of spillages, and disposal of wastes
material safety data sheets (MSDSs)
enterprise recording and reporting procedures
production and laboratory schedules
material, production and product specifications.
instructions to comply with legislation, standards, guidelines and codes
stock records and inventory
waste minimisation and disposal protocols.

Equipment, reagents, specimens and systems may include
tissue processors
microtomes and microtome knives (non-disposable or disposable)
embedding centres
flotation baths, drying ovens
microtome knife sharpeners
reagents, such as formaldehyde, ethanol, xylene, paraffin, stains
reference material for automated and manual quality control and quality assurance systems
fresh and fixed specimens
computer information systems, databases, record and filing systems, including specimen accessioning.

Histological procedures could include the following
cutting paraffin sections of organs, such as kidney, liver, small intestine, stomach and tongue
cutting paraffin sections of dicotyledon and monocotyledon stems
staining tissue sections with Haematoxylin and Eosin (human and animal tissue) and Safranine and Fast Green (plant tissue).
Pre-use checks could include: safety/serviceability, cleanliness and routine maintenance.

Hazards may include
micro-organisms and agents associated with soil, air, water, blood and blood products, human or animal tissue and fluids
chemicals and stains
aerosols
sharps, broken glassware.

Safety protocols/practices may include
use of material safety data sheets (MSDSs)
use of personal protective equipment, such as gloves, safety glasses, goggles, faceguards, coveralls, gown
use of biohazard containers and laminar flow cabinets
correct labelling of reagents and hazardous materials
handling and storing hazardous materials and equipment in accordance with labels, MSDS, manufacturer's instructions, enterprise procedures and regulations
regular cleaning and/or decontamination of equipment and work areas.

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:

cuts sections free of wrinkles, scores and folds and at the specified thickness to demonstrate tissue and cellular structures, granules, inclusions and organelles as required
cover slips slides, ensuring that no air bubbles are formed and material is preserved for the life of the slide
labels slides clearly with case number, specimen and stain details
manages tasks and organises work to ensure the timely completion of tasks
uses specimens, reagents and materials economically and disposes of wastes safely
uses equipment safely
maintains equipment, recording and reporting malfunctions appropriately.
minimises cross contamination between specimens
maintains traceability through all steps from receiving a specimen through to completion of a procedure.

Underpinning knowledge

Competency includes the ability to apply and explain the:

functions of the components of a rotary microtome
safety precautions relevant to tissue processing, embedding and microtomy
importance and appropriate use of certified reference materials
use of regressive haematoxylin and eosin staining
relationship of the anatomy and morphology of tissue types and the macroscopic and microscopic appearance of stained sections
correlation between poorly maintained processing reagents and resultant tissue blocks being difficult to cut or unsuitable for cutting
relationship between correct orientation of the tissue during embedding and ability to cut sections from surface required for subsequent microscopic examination
occupational health and safety procedures related to micrometry and handling irritating, volatile, flammable and potentially carcinogenic substances, such as formaldehyde, xylene, histoclear, ethanol and chloroform.
safe and environmentally responsible disposal of wastes
enterprise and/or legal traceability requirements
relevant health, safety and environment requirements.

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:

observation of the candidate performing tissue processing, embedding, cutting, pick up and mounting
inspection of sections and slides prepared by candidate
review of quality control records for sections and slides prepared by candidate
feedback from supervisors and peers on adherence to enterprise/technical procedures
questioning to assess underpinning knowledge.
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:

PMLTEST308A Perform microscopic examination.

Resource implications

Resources may include:

standard laboratory equipped with appropriate equipment and materials, such as microtomes, stains, animal and plant tissues
processing system for paraffin blocks
associated OHS equipment, such as extractor systems
enterprise procedures and standard methods.

This competency in practice
A laboratory assistant is asked to prepare a series of 5 micrometres or less sections of rats' livers as part of a team's work to investigate a new treatment for Hepatitis C. She/he retrieves the liver samples from the cut-up bench for processing. The assistant checks that the processor is warmed up and that all the reagents are topped up. She/he chooses a program to suit the 1cm square liver samples and loads the cassettes into the processor. As processing continues, the assistant regularly checks that the system is working correctly. The next day, the assistant embeds the tissue into paraffin wax and cuts sections from each block using a rotary microtome. She/he checks that each section is smooth, flat and free of artefacts, taking care to ensure that there is no contamination between specimens and that traceability of all specimens and documentation is maintained. The assistant stains the tissue with a routine H & E stain and passes the tray of prepared slides to the researcher for further analysis.
A laboratory assistant in a high school was asked to prepare sections of plant tissue using a hand microtome in preparation for a practical class where the students will stain and examine the slides in order to consolidate their knowledge about plant tissue structure and function. He/she was also asked by the supervising teacher to prepare a brief written outline for the students of the procedure(s) used to prepare the plant tissue sections and to demonstrate the procedures to the student group under the control of the teacher. The laboratory assistant emphasised the importance of set-up, pre-use checks of the equipment and appropriate disposal of the sections at the end of the practical class.

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)