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.
Animals may include:
animals commonly encountered within the industry workplace and may cover both native and introduced species
animals from the six major animal groups (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates).
Personal health and hygiene standards may include:
appropriate handling reprocessing of reusable equipment
aseptic technique
cover cuts and abrasions with waterproof dressing and change as necessary
maintain personal immunisation/vaccination requirements for working with animals where required
personal hygiene practices especially washing and drying hands before and after animal contact and/or any activity likely to cause cross-contamination
safe handling and disposal of sharps and other clinical, related and general waste
use of personal protective clothing and equipment and change as appropriate for the intended use.
OHS risks when working with animals may include:
animal bites, envenomation, kicks, scratches and crush injuries
biological hazardous waste and sharps disposal
handling of chemicals and medicines
gas leakage
inhalation of aerosol particles
intraocular contamination
manual handling, including carrying, lifting and shifting
needle pricks and cuts from other sharps
release of infective agents (animal and human)
slippery or uneven work surfaces
zoonoses.
Animal diseases may include:
infectious diseases:
bacteria
fungi
internal and external parasites
virus
zoonoses
non-infectious diseases:
allergies
chemical toxicities
genetic
metabolic
neoplastic
nutritional
physical traumas.
Parasitic infestations may include:
external parasites:
fleas, mites, lice or ticks
flies and midges
classes of internal parasites:
cetoda
nemotoda
trematoda.
Quarantine requirements may include:
procedures and hygiene standards applied
reasons for quarantine
maintaining required records
quarantine periods for various species.
Indicators of animal health monitoring may include:
observing and reporting unusual behaviour for nominated animal:
aggression or docility (depending on animal)
disinterest in surroundings, other animals, people or usual stimuli
excessive licking, scratching and rubbing
lethargy
nest building
self mutilation
trembling
vocalising
observing and reporting indicators of illness or injury:
bleeding
changes in drinking or eating patterns
lameness or reluctance to move and vocalising when attempting to move
swelling
unusual amounts, colour or texture of faeces.
Physical environment of animals may include:
absence or presence of vermin and pests
ability to maintain appropriate hygiene standards to ensure animal health
ability to maintain enclosure security
access to sunlight,
air flow and draught
construction materials of enclosure, housing, bedding, feed and water containers, behaviour enrichment items and floor surface
location of enclosure and construction materials that may provide for or hinder positive behavioural stimulation
location of enclosure in regard to other animals, noise and other potentially threatening or challenging stimuli
protection from weather extremes (e.g. heat, cold, precipitation and wind)
temperature range in enclosure and in housing area
Signs of illness or injury may include:
chewing or licking own body excessively
defensive behaviours
drooling and regurgitating food
excessive drinking
excessive rolling
general changes in normal behaviour or routines
lameness
listlessness or disinterest in surroundings
presence of blood, swelling, excessive heat
reluctance or refusal to eat or drink
reluctance to move
sweating
yelping or other vocalising when touched or if animal attempts to move or perform particular tasks or grooming.
Abnormal animal behaviour and conditions may include:
aggression in non-aggressive species
cannibalism
reluctance to eat and drink, socialise or move in relation to the usual patterns for nominated species
repetitive movements or behaviours that prevent the animal from functioning normally or lead to injury.
Samples may include:
blood
faeces
hair
muscle
saliva
semen
skin
uterine secretions.
Authorised animal treatments may include:
treatments used in the routine preventative health care of animals that are available over the counter and have been approved by supervisor or are part of the approved animal care plan
treatments prescribed by a veterinarian.
Routine preventative health treatments may include:
control of parasites
grooming
immunisation/vaccinations as required
insect control
quarantine
routine health check-up
routine observation of waste elimination and faecal examination.

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
The evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit. Assessors should ensure that candidates can:
carry out routine, consistent monitoring of animal health and physical wellbeing
maintain personal health and a hygienic work environment
follow quarantine protocols as required
identify good health, illness, injury and abnormal behaviour in animals and report to supervisor
administer authorised animal treatments and implement routine preventative health programs as directed
maintain accurate animal activity monitoring, health, treatment and quarantine records.

The skills and knowledge required to maintain and monitor animal health and wellbeing must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment of this unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in an animal care industry sector workplace in which candidates are working or in a situation that reproduces normal work conditions. Workplaces can include pet shops, breeding or boarding kennels and catteries, aviaries, companion animal training, grooming establishments, animal shelters, zoos, wildlife parks, mobile animal facilities and animal technology facilities.

There must be access in either situation to a range of animals as well as relevant information, equipment and/or resources to enable one to demonstrate competence.Assessment must be relevant to the industry sector in which candidates are working and must cover a minimum of one species from at least two of the six major animal groups OR at least three breeds from within one of the six major animal groups (mammals, fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates.

Method of assessment
To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated, to industry defined standards, on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances over a number of assessment activities.

The assessment strategy must include practical skills assessment. Suggested strategies for this unit are:
written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge
observed, documented and first-hand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks
simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions
third-party evidence
workplace documentation
portfolio.

This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role.

Guidance information for assessment
Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds).