Elements and Performance Criteria

The Range of Variables explains the range of contexts within which the performance and knowledge requirements of this unit may be assessed. The scope of variables chosen in training and assessment may depend on the work contexts.

Which legislative requirements are relevant?
The Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes.
Relevant state or territory legislation and regulations in respect to animal welfare and OHS, including the Quarantine Act and the federal Gene Technology Act

What information about the industry may be relevant to this unit?
Different sectors of the industry and the services available in each sector, relationship between sectors and other industries, industry work conditions including OHS hazards, employer and employee rights and responsibilities, industrial relations issues, major employer and employee institutions, career opportunities within the industry, work ethics required to work in the industry, industry expectations of staff and the standards and codes of practice in animal care including quality assurance standards.

What policies and procedures may be relevant to this unit?
Institutional policies and procedures may include standard operating procedures, quality system policies and procedures, OHS policies and procedures including accident reports and standard work practices, responsibilities and duties.

What are examples of daily routines?
Daily routines may include cleaning, feeding and watering; capturing animals; general animal husbandry tasks; maintaining equipment; collecting, collating and recording data; and maintaining and storing records.

What type of OHS issues would be relevant in this context?
Animal care in an animal technology environment has a range of associated risks from bites, kicks or scratches. All duties should reflect an awareness of and a respect for these risks.
The handling of chemicals requires extra care to ensure safe work practices are maintained.
Safe work practices are used in packaging and handling loads and animals. Appropriate safe handling techniques are used to reduce muscle load on exertion.
Some animal technology facilities may expose personnel to risks such as zoonoses, release of infective agents (both animal and human) and chemical spillage. Procedures to reduce the spread of disease may include incident reporting, cleaning, the removal of waste and spillage, the containment or elimination of risk, the use of personal protective clothing and equipment and seeking advice from workplace supervisors.

What is meant by working ethically with animals?
This requires the person to adhere to all requirements of the Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes and any specific requirements of the institution's ethics committee.
Working ethically with animals includes ensuring that the welfare of animals is always considered, that pain or distress in animals is avoided, that the use of animals is justified and that the number of animals used in research programs is minimised.

Which animals would one be expected to identify?
Animals from the six major groups (mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates and birds).

What types of identification methods may be assisted?
Assistance may be provided with the application of microchips, tattoos, ear tags, leg bands, ear notches, photographs, brands and enclosures.

What type of situations or incidents might result in distress or grief?
Situations or incidents that might result in distress or grief might include planned experimental endpoints including single or colony euthanasia or unplanned animal deaths caused by disease, environmental failure, fire or other traumas or accidents.
Other causes of distress may include working with animals that are in distressing, but ethically approved, research experiments regarding severe and negative environmental impact, detrimental phenotypic abnormalities and adverse animal reactions to an experiment.

What might be some typical grief responses?
Grief responses might include crying, fear, pain, depression, anger, sadness, disbelief or denial, shock, violence, humour, relief, withdrawal, confusion, migraine, elevated blood pressure and weight loss or gain.

What grief or stress coping strategies may be identified and used?
Strategies may include advising workplace supervisor of the situation, seeking and accepting support from colleagues, seeking and accepting assistance from professional counsellors, practising stress management techniques and requesting and participating in formal or informal debriefing sessions.

What are the critical aspects of evidence required for this unit of competency as a whole?
The critical requirements that are valuable for this unit of competency as a whole are listed below.

Assessment must confirm one's ability to:

comply with relevant legislation
apply ethical work practices to all activities and tasks performed
handle animals in a safe and ethical manner
identify animals using common and scientific names and distinguishing characteristics
identify, recognise and respond to personal grief or distress
maintain accurate records using relevant institutional electronic and / or manual systems.

What specific knowledge is needed to achieve the performance criteria?

Knowledge and understanding are essential to apply this unit in the workplace, to transfer the skills to other contexts and to deal with unplanned events. The knowledge requirements for this unit of competency are listed below and include:

institutional policies and procedures, including OHS
working knowledge of relevant federal and state or territory legislation and codes of practice, in particular the Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes
hazard identification
institutional structure and function
sound knowledge of the six major animal groups (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and fish)
boundaries of professional behaviour in dealing with own distress and grief
workplace procedures and resources for grief and stress management and counselling
operational knowledge of the institution's record-keeping system.

What specific skills are needed to achieve the performance criteria?

To achieve the performance criteria, some complementary skills are required. These skills include the ability to:

identify animals
conduct research, including research into relevant legislation
select and apply institutional procedures to perform a range of defined tasks
follow sequenced written and oral instructions
read and implement codes of practice, legislation and policies and procedures, including those relating to OHS and waste management
communicate orally with others in the workplace using appropriate questioning techniques and active listening
identify when clarification, direction and advice is needed from senior and more experienced staff and then seek it
consult with other staff, including senior and more experienced staff
prepare and write reports
work cooperatively with and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds
perform basic arithmetic calculations, including measuring volumes
identify signs of distress and grief in self
solve problems including using available resources and prioritising daily tasks
use the institution's record-keeping system
apply information technology skills.

What are the specific resource implications for this unit of competency?
For valid assessment, one
an appropriate animal technology workplace or an environment that reproduces normal work conditions
equipment and / or resources normally used in the workplace
relevant legislation, regulations, codes of practice and institutional policies and procedures
personal computer with Intranet and Internet access
a variety of different animal species
institutional record-keeping system.

What considerations should there be for consistency in performance?
To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities and, where possible, over a number of assessment activities.
The skills and knowledge required to

What considerations should there be for context of assessment?
Assessment for this unit of competency is to be largely practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in an animal technology institution or in a situation that reproduces normal work conditions.
There must be access in either situation to the appropriate equipment and / or resources to enable one to demonstrate competency.

Are there other units of competency that could be assessed with this one?
This unit of competency
RUV3301A Carry out institution containment and exclusion procedures
RUV3302A Conduct euthanasia of research animals

There are a number of processes that are learnt throughout work and life which are required in all jobs. They are fundamental processes and generally transferable to other work functions. Some of these are covered by the key competencies, although others may be added. The questions below highlight how these processes are applied in this unit of competency. Following each question a number in brackets indicates the level to which the key competency needs to be demonstrated where 0 = not required, 1 = perform the process, 2 = perform and administer the process and 3 = perform, administer and design the process.
Communicating ideas and information
By discussing daily routines with workplace supervisors and peers. (1)

Collecting analysing and organising information
By maintaining animal identification records. (1)

Planning and organising activities
By consulting with workplace supervisors on daily tasks to be completed. (1)

Working with others and in teams
By working with others on agreed tasks. (1)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
By calculating volumes and using simple arithmetic calculations for daily tasks. (1)

Solving problems
By identifying and eliminating workplace hazards. (1)

Using technology
By using electronic databases and the Internet for accessing information. (1)