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.
Legislative and industry requirements may include:
dangerous goods regulations
environmental regulations
licensing arrangements
WHS legislation, regulations and codes
relevant commonwealth and state or territory building Acts, regulations and codes, such as National Construction Code (NCC)
relevant Australian standards, such as:
AS 1851 Maintenance of fire protection systems and equipment
note: Australian standards are frequently revised and users must always check for currency and amendments
other relevant legislation relating to fire protection equipment, including:
international shipping codes
marine codes for different Australian states
requirements of Australian petroleum industry.

Organisational requirements may be located in quality assurance and procedures manuals and may include:
client-specific contractual requirements
documentation and information systems and processes
legal and organisational policies and guidelines, including personnel practices and guidelines outlining work roles, responsibilities and delegations
legislation relevant to service operation
use of electronic job scheduling and communication devices.

Checking for compliance may include:
undertaking commissioning tests detailed in relevant Australian standards and manufacturers’ documents to verify performance of an installed, repaired or altered piece of equipment or system
applying inspections, tests and survey requirements to equipment and systems, according to relevant Australian standards, to determine that they are:
capable of operating as intended when originally installed
still suitable for the fire hazard or risk being protected, as no change in occupancy or use of the area protected has occurred since the equipment or system was installed or last modified
providing the coverage and protection needed to meet original design and performance requirements
reviewing documentation to verify that installed systems comply with legislative and industry requirements, such as:
building’s essential services or fire safety measures listing
relevant commonwealth and state or territory building Acts, regulations and codes
relevant Australian standards listed on essential service listing
environmental regulations.

Action may include:
advising client
documenting non-compliance
making equipment safe
reporting, as required.

Pumpset types may include:
those used in fire protection systems that comply with Australian standards, such as:
AS 1851 Maintenance of fire protection systems and equipment
AS 2118 Automatic fire sprinkler systems
AS 2419 Fire hydrant installations
AS 2941 Fixed fire protection installations - Pumpset systems
AS CA-1962 Automatic sprinkler installations
NFPA 20 Standard for the installation of stationary fire pumps for fire protection (US).

System interfaces may include:
components, such as:
flow switches
pressure switches
tamper switches
valve positioning switches
devices that operate signals between the pumpset and other services, such as:
building monitoring services
other life safety systems, such as:
warning systems
fire indicator panel (FIP)
security monitoring services.

Sustainability principles and concepts:
cover the social, economic and environmental use of resources to meet current and future needs
may include:
efficient use of material
efficient energy and water use
rain harvesting and disposal.

Testing procedures include:
activities that comply with requirements of AS 1851 Maintenance of fire protection systems and equipment to verify the following pump functions:
pump starts at correct pressure
pump supplies correct kPa at no flow condition requirements.

Frequency schedules include:
schedules of work conducted at regular frequencies as defined in AS 1851 (general section) that relate to the work scope for weekly, monthly, and six-monthly inspection and testing schedules.

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
This unit of competency could be assessed by observation of practical demonstration of inspecting and testing a range of types of fire pumpsets at customers’ premises.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to provide evidence of the ability to:
apply sustainability principles and concepts when inspecting and testing fire pumpsets
apply safety requirements throughout the work sequence, including electrical safety requirements and the use of personal protective clothing and equipment
conduct inspection and testing for the scheduled weekly, monthly and six-monthly activities according to the relevant Australian standard and on the following pumpsets:
compression ignition pumpset used as a booster pumpset on a sprinkler/hydrant system fed from:
town mains supply
static water supply
dual drive electric and compression ignition pumpset
electrical pumpset used as a:
booster pumpset on a sprinkler/hydrant system fed from a town mains supply or a static water supply
jacking pump or hose reel pump.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment of essential underpinning knowledge may be conducted in an off-site context. It is to comply with relevant regulatory or Australian standards’ requirements.
Resource implications for assessment include:
adequate water supply and draining or recycling arrangements to operate pumpsets under full load
operational pumpsets
pictures and cut-away sections of pumpsets to show operation.

Method of assessment
Assessment methods must:
satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the Property Services Training Package
include direct observation of tasks in real or simulated work conditions, with questioning to confirm the ability to consistently identify and correctly interpret the essential underpinning knowledge required for practical application
reinforce the integration of employability skills with workplace tasks and job roles
confirm that competency is verified and able to be transferred to other circumstances and environments.

Guidance information for assessment
Reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities must be made to assessment processes where required. This could include access to modified equipment and other physical resources, and the provision of appropriate assessment support.
Assessment processes and techniques should as far as is practical take into account the language, literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate in relation to the competency being assessed.
This unit could be assessed on its own or in combination with other units relevant to the job function, for example:
CPCPFS3040A Conduct basic functional testing of water-based fire-suppression systems
CPCPFS3042A Conduct annual functional testing of complex water-based fire-suppression systems
CPCPFS3043A Conduct functional water flow testing