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.
Codes of practice
Where reference is made to industry codes of practice, and/or Australian/international standards, it is expected the latest version will be used
Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements
Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements may include:
Australian and international standards, such as:
AS 2134.1-1999 Recommended practice for chemical analysis by atomic absorption spectrometry - Flame atomic absorption spectrometry
AS 2162.1-1996 Verification and use of volumetric apparatus - General - Volumetric glassware
AS 3753-2001 Recommended practice for chemical analysis by ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometry
AS ISO 1000-1998 The international system of units (SI) and its application
AS ISO 17025-2005 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
AS/NZS 2243 Set:2006 Safety in laboratories set
AS/NZS ISO 9000 Set:2008 Quality management systems set
Australian code of good manufacturing practice for medicinal products (GMP)
calibration and maintenance schedules
enterprise recording and reporting procedures
equipment manuals
equipment startup, operation and shutdown procedures
industry methods, such as Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) and/or American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC) methods for inorganic constituents
material safety data sheets (MSDS) and safety procedures
material, production and product specifications
national measurement regulations and guidelines
principles of good laboratory practice (GLP)
production and laboratory schedules
quality manuals and equipment and procedure manuals
SOPs
waste minimisation and safe disposal procedures
Sample preparation processes
Sample preparation processes may include:
grinding
mulling
preparation of discs
digestion
dissolving
ashing
refluxing
tracting
filtration
evaporation
flocculation
precipitation
washing
drying
centrifugation
Non-instrumental test/procedures
Non-instrumental test/procedures may include:
gravimetric analysis:
loss on drying
suspended solids
ashes, such as sulphated and gravimetric assays (e.g. sulphates and nitrogen in fertilisers)
Ni by dimethylglyoxime
bitumen content of asphaltic concrete
titrimetric analysis:
acid/base determinations
complexiometric, such as water hardness, Fe by dichromate and binder content analysis
redox, such as precipitation of chlorides in water
dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
filtration, separation and solvent extraction techniques
corrosion testing, cement content and accelerated weathering
Instrumental tests
Instrumental tests may include:
spectrometry
chromatography
electrochemistry
Types of instrumentation and instrumental techniques
Types of instrumentation and instrumental techniques may include:
colorimetric techniques, such as enzyme activity, chlorine in water, specific cations and anions
infrared, ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectrophotometry
other spectrometric techniques:
fluorimetric analysis, flame atomic emission and flame atomic absorption spectrometry
fourier transform infrared
chromatographic techniques:
column and thin layer analytical and preparative chromatography
gas or liquid chromatography for purity, raw material and formulation checks
ion chromatography for detection of nitrates, phosphates, sulphates, chlorides and bromides
gel filtration chromatography for purification of proteins
electrochemical techniques, such as pH, eH, conductivity and ion-selective electrodes
electrophoretic techniques for DNA patterns and determination of protein purity
soil testing:
moisture content
organic matter content
specific anions and cations
auto-analysers for determination of total P, total Kjeldahl N, orthophosphate, nitrite/nitrate and ammonia
Chemical principles and concepts
Chemical principles and concepts may include:
ions, atoms, molecules, bonding and links to chemical properties
chemical reactions involving acid/base, redox, complex ion formation, solubility and equilibrium
energy levels and absorption/emission spectra
Chemical tests methods
Chemical tests methods may include:
control of starting materials, in-process materials and finished products
environmental monitoring
basic troubleshooting and/or problem solving within the scope of SOPs and enterprise processes
Hazards
Hazards may include:
chemicals:
acids (e.g. sulphuric, perchloric and hydrofluoric)
heavy metals and pesticides
anions (e.g. fluoride)
hydrocarbons (e.g. mono-aromatics)
aerosols from broken centrifuge tubes, pipetting
sharps and broken glassware
flammable liquids and gases
cryogenics, such as dry ice and liquid nitrogen
fluids under pressure, such as hydrogen in gas liquid chromatography, acetylene in atomic absorption spectrometry
sources of ignition
high-temperature ashing processes
disturbance or interruption of services
Hazard control measures:
Hazard control measures may include:
ensuring access to service shut-off points
recognising and observing hazard warnings and safety signs
labelling of samples, reagents, aliquoted samples and hazardous materials
handling and storage of hazardous materials and equipment in accordance with labelling, MSDS and manufacturer's instructions
identifying and reporting operating problems or equipment malfunctions
cleaning and decontaminating equipment and work areas regularly using enterprise procedures
using personal protective clothing and equipment, such as gloves, safety glasses and coveralls
using containment facilities (PCII, PCIII and PCIV physical containment laboratories), containment equipment (biohazard containers, laminar flow cabinets, Class I, II and III biohazard cabinets) and containment procedures
reporting abnormal emissions, discharges and airborne contaminants, such as noise, light, solids, liquids, water/waste water, gases, smoke, vapour, fumes, odour and particulates to appropriate personnel
Records
Records may include:
test and calibration results
equipment use, maintenance and servicing history
faulty or unsafe equipment
Occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental management requirements
OHS and environmental management requirements:
all operations must comply with enterprise OHS and environmental management requirements, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation - these requirements must not be compromised at any time
all operations assume the potentially hazardous nature of samples and require standard precautions to be applied
where relevant, users should access and apply current industry understanding of infection control issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and State and Territory Departments of Health

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
Assessors should ensure that candidates can:
interpret test methods/procedures accurately
prepare and test samples using procedures appropriate to the nature of sample
perform calibration checks (if required)
safely operate test equipment/instruments to enterprise standards and/or manufacturer's specification
prepare calibration graphs and calculate results using appropriate units and precision
apply basic theoretical knowledge to interpret gross features of data and make relevant conclusions
identify atypical results as out of normal range or an artefact
traces and source obvious causes of an artefact
communicate problems to a supervisor or outside service technician
record and communicate results in accordance with enterprise procedures
maintain security, integrity, traceability of samples, sub-samples, test data and results and documentation.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or simulated workplace environment.
This unit of competency may be assessed with:
MSL924001A Process and interpret data
MSL974001A Prepare, standardise and use solutions.
Resources may include:
standard laboratory equipped with appropriate test equipment/instruments, standards and reagents
enterprise procedures and standard methods.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of test data/results obtained by the candidate over a period of time to check accuracy, consistency and timeliness of results
review of test records and workplace documentation completed by the candidate
observation of candidate conducting a range of chemical tests and procedures and sample preparation
feedback from peers and supervisors
oral or written questioning of chemical principles and concepts, test methods and enterprise 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.
Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.
Access must be provided to appropriate learning and/or assessment support when required.
The language, literacy and numeracy demands of assessment should not be greater than those required to undertake the unit of competency in a work like environment.

This competency in practice
Industry representatives have provided the case studies below to illustrate the practical application of this unit of competency and to show its relevance in a workplace setting.
Manufacturing
Ultraviolet spectroscopy is a suitable method for determining the concentration of sulphanilamide in pharmaceutical preparations. The ultraviolet absorption spectrum is pH dependent, with the wavelength maximum different in acid and alkaline solutions. Example: a technician was conducting an analysis and noted that the wavelength maxima had moved from approximately 250nm to below 230nm. After reviewing the procedure being used and checking for possible errors, the technician found that an incorrect solvent had been used for the analysis. The hydrochloric acid solvent was replaced with sodium hydroxide, as per the standard method, and the correct absorption spectrum was obtained.
Environmental
A technician was asked to test water samples from a local lake over several days to determine the lake's nutrient levels following reports of algal blooms in the lake over the preceding weeks. He/she used a field colorimeter kit to determine both nitrates and orthophosphates using SOPs. Because the same colorimetric cells were used for the nitrate and orthophosphate tests, they were carefully washed and rinsed with distilled water between all tests (as specified in the SOP). After reviewing the results from the first three days, the technician noted that the first orthophosphate result, which was done immediately after all the nitrate tests, was much higher than subsequent orthophosphate tests which were all consistently low. The technician argued that the 'high' results for the first orthophosphate test may be due to cross-contamination from trace amounts of reagents used in previous nitrate tests despite having closely followed the cleaning/rinsing SOPs. After discussion with his/her supervisor, the technician modified the field procedures by using totally different colorimetric cells for the nitrate and orthophosphate tests. For all subsequent tests no 'high' orthophosphate results were obtained for the first sample. As a result, the laboratory supervisor amended the SOPs to incorporate this new requirement.
Food processing
Regular checks are conducted on the percentage of salt in cheese at a dairy company's laboratory. A technician checks the results from the airomatic salt-titration equipment and, if the results are abnormal, notifies the supervisor before taking appropriate action. After obtaining a high result, for example, the assistant notified the supervisor and then began checking the machine to identify a possible reason for the high reading. He/she found that the supply bottle of silver nitrate used in the test was almost empty. This had resulted in less solution being pumped through the equipment than required, leading to graph readings that indicated a high percentage of salt. After replacing the silver nitrate bottle and recalibrating the equipment, the assistant retested the cheese samples and found that they contained the expected 1-2% salt.