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

A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to provide evidence that they can safely and efficiently conduct excavator operations with grabs in line with organisational requirements

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to, and satisfy, all of the requirements of the elements of this unit and include demonstration of:

following applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislative and regulatory requirements and codes of practice relevant to conducting excavator operations with grabs

following organisational policies and procedures relevant to conducting excavator operations with grabs

communicating and working safely with others in the work area

conducting excavator operations with grabs in line with site requirements

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Competency is to be assessed in the workplace or realistically simulated workplace

Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints

Assessment of required knowledge, other than confirmatory questions, will usually be conducted in an off-site context

Assessment is to follow relevant regulatory or Australian Standards requirements

The following resources should be made available:

workplace location or simulated workplace

materials and equipment relevant to undertaking work applicable to this unit

specifications and work instructions

Method of assessment

Assessment must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the FPI11 Training Package

Assessment methods must confirm consistency and accuracy of performance (over time and in a range of workplace relevant contexts) together with application of required knowledge

Assessment must be by direct observation of tasks, with questioning on required knowledge and it must also reinforce the integration of employability skills

Assessment methods must confirm the ability to access and correctly interpret and apply the required knowledge

Assessment may be applied under project-related conditions (real or simulated) and require evidence of process

Assessment must confirm a reasonable inference that competency is able not only to be satisfied under the particular circumstance, but is able to be transferred to other circumstances

Assessment may be in conjunction with assessment of other units of competency

The assessment environment should not disadvantage the candidate

Assessment practices should take into account any relevant language or cultural issues related to Aboriginality, gender or language backgrounds other than English

Where the participant has a disability, reasonable adjustment may be applied during assessment

Language and literacy demands of the assessment task should not be higher than those of the work role

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit

Required skills

Technical skills sufficient to use and maintain relevant tools, machinery and equipment; efficiently and safely operate an excavator

Communication skills and interpersonal techniques sufficient to interact appropriately with colleagues and others in the workplace

Literacy skills sufficient to accurately record and report workplace information, and maintain documentation

Numeracy skills sufficient to estimate, measure and calculate time required to complete a task

Problem solving skills sufficient to identify problems and equipment faults and demonstrate appropriate response procedures

Required knowledge

Applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation, regulations, standards, codes of practice and established safe practices relevant to the full range of processes for conducting excavator operations with grabs

Environmental protection requirements, including the safe disposal of waste material and the cleaning of plant, tools and equipment

Organisational and site standards, requirements, policies and procedures for conducting excavator operations with grabs

Excavator operations and operating techniques

Excavator capabilities

Established communication channels and protocols

Problem identification and resolution strategies and common fault finding techniques

Types of tools and equipment and procedures for their safe use and maintenance including equipment safety requirements

Appropriate mathematical procedures for estimating and measuring, including calculating time to complete tasks

Procedures for recording and reporting workplace information

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.

OHS requirements:

are to be in line with applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation and regulations, and organisational safety policies and procedures, and may include:

personal protective equipment and clothing

safety equipment

first aid equipment

fire fighting equipment

hazard and risk control

fatigue management

elimination of hazardous materials and substances

safe forest practices including required actions relating to forest fire

manual handling including shifting, lifting and carrying

Environmental requirements may include:

legislation

organisational policies and procedures

workplace practices

Legislative requirements:

are to be in line with applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation, regulations, certification requirements and codes of practice and may include:

award and enterprise agreements

industrial relations

Australian Standards

confidentiality and privacy

OHS

the environment

equal opportunity

anti-discrimination

relevant industry codes of practice

duty of care

heritage and traditional land owner issues

Organisational requirements may include:

legal

organisational and site guidelines

policies and procedures relating to own role and responsibility

quality assurance

procedural manuals

quality and continuous improvement processes and standards

OHS, emergency and evacuation procedures

ethical standards

recording and reporting requirements

equipment use and maintenance and storage requirements

environmental management requirements (waste disposal, recycling and re-use guidelines)

Environmental protection measures

may include action to limit the impact to:

ground growth and canopy

may include action to limit the impact of:

soil and water

general forest lean

wind speed and direction

fallen trees

density of trees

ground slope

ground hazards

obstacles

Work order is to include:

instructions for the operation of an excavator and its respective tasks

and may include:

instructions for the environmental monitoring of work and procedures

environmental care requirements relevant to the work

Appropriate personnel may include:

supervisors

suppliers

clients

colleagues

managers

Excavator

is a self-propelled tracked or wheeled machine with an upper structure capable of a minimum of 360° rotation which lifts, elevates, swings and discharges material by the action of attachments fitted to the boom and arm or telescoping boom, without moving the chassis or undercarriage during any part of the working cycle of the machine

Equipment may include:

excavators and relevant maintenance equipment

bucket

forks

grabs

procedures for equipment lock-out such as protecting operators and co-workers from accidental injury by isolating the machine

Environmental and heritage concerns may include:

dust

noise

water

flora and fauna

heritage legislation

culturally sensitive sites and artefacts

plantations

native forest

Communication may include:

verbal and non-verbal language

hand or other agreed signals

eye contact with other operators or personnel

active listening

questioning to clarify and confirm understanding

use of electronic communication devices

Pre start-up checks

are conducted to ensure:

equipment has been set-up correctly

plant is operating to optimum performance

Hazards may include:

uneven/unstable terrain

trees

fires

overhead and underground services

bridges

buildings

excavations

traffic

embankments

cuttings

structures

hazardous materials

Emergency plan may include:

notification of authorities

evacuation procedures

isolation procedures

equipment shut-down procedures

clean up

first aid

use of personal protective equipment and clothing

guarding

access and egress

Weight of load

is that prescribed by the manufacturer as not exceeding the allowable capacity of the excavator

Lifting gear may include:

slings

cables

grabs

Stability

is to ensure the excavator is positioned and secured so as not to topple over during operations

Tasks may include:

lifting and moving materials

tree removal

stripping

spreading materials

stockpiling

bulk excavation

land clearing

towing equipment

working in tandem

winching

boxing

constructing fire breaks

Records and reports may include:

end of shift documentation

work log

and may be:

manual

using a computer-based system or another appropriate organisational communication system