• MSL953001A - Receive and prepare samples for testing

Assessor Resource

MSL953001A
Receive and prepare samples for testing

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: March 2024


This unit of competency is applicable to field and laboratory assistants in all industry sectors who receive and prepare samples as part/all of their jobs in a sample reception area.

Industry representatives have provided case studies to illustrate the practical application of this unit of competency and to show its relevance in a workplace setting. These are found at the end of this unit of competency under the section 'This competency in practice'.

This unit of competency covers the ability to log samples, check sample documentation, schedule and prepare samples for testing in accordance with enterprise procedures. This unit does not include testing, tissue processing or similar techniques.

You may want to include more information here about the target group and the purpose of the assessments (eg formative, summative, recognition)

Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.




Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

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:

safely receive and log samples in accordance with enterprise procedures

apply knowledge of the relationship between sample preparation requirements and associated tests

deal with customers politely and efficiently

recognise and deal with problems according to enterprise procedures

maintain sample integrity and traceability.

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:

MSL913001A Communicate with other people

MSL943002A Participate in laboratory/field workplace safety.

Resources may include:

a selection of sample containers, tubes, request forms and sample documentation

simulated samples when an authentic sample is unavailable or inappropriate.

Method of assessment

The following assessment methods are suggested:

review of sample receipt and preparation records prepared by the candidate

feedback from supervisors and peers

direct observation of sample receipt and preparation

questioning to assess knowledge of procedures where direct observation is difficult (such as sample receipt and preparation in the field).

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 show its relevance in a workplace setting.

Environmental

A laboratory assistant at a hazardous liquid waste recycling plant is required to log in all samples, match all samples with the in-house profile of the source of the waste, label them and activate the tracking procedure. He/she then prepares a sample for a series of standard tests which are determined by the profile of the waste material (acid or alkali, organic or heavy metal, etc). Given the hazardous nature of the waste, the laboratory assistant must use appropriate safety equipment at all times and ensure the safe disposal of all hazardous material. The assistant must work efficiently as these procedures are activated upon arrival of a road tanker and when the hazardous waste has been verified and judged acceptable for treatment at the plant by the laboratory supervisor. The laboratory assistant also liaises with the truck driver, or the referring client, should the samples (and/or subsequent tests) not comply with enterprise conditions for receiving the hazardous waste.

Construction materials testing and mineral assay

A laboratory assistant has received a consignment of disturbed soil samples from a client for classification testing. A test request and field logs have been sent by mail. Each sample is bagged and labelled, with the label showing the name of the client, project, date and sampling location, and a field description of the material. The laboratory policy is that samples weighing more than 20 kg must be bagged so that the individual bags do not exceed this limit and labelled as bag 1 of ..., bag 2 of ..., etc. The assistant checks to ensure all component bags of such samples are present. He/she is careful to handle the samples using safe manual handling techniques. The assistant arranges the samples in order of location and reconciles them with the test request and logs. Two samples have been shown on the request but have not been received. The assistant emails the technician who despatched them and subsequently is advised that they were overlooked during despatch and will be forwarded as soon as possible.

The assistant compares the samples with the field descriptions and finds that they match. Samples that are not designated for testing immediately are set aside in the laboratory store. The remainder are placed in trays for drying in the 50ÂșC oven. The tray numbers are carefully written on the respective worksheets. When the samples have dried and cooled they are split out sufficiently for sieve analysis and plasticity testing, making allowance for the maximum particle size of each sample. The assistant is careful to avoid raising dust during the process.

Biomedical

A laboratory assistant has just started a shift in specimen reception and puts on a coat and gloves before touching any samples. There is a pile of samples and forms in the sample box. In some cases, the samples and forms are enclosed in a plastic bag. In other cases, they are seemingly unconnected. The assistant notices that one of the samples has a bloodstained label. She/he quickly examines the samples, isolates the leaking sample in a lockable plastic bag and places the related request form in the bag's separate compartment. The assistant then disposes of her/his dirty gloves. The assistant now logs all samples into the computer, placing to one side a sample and request form that is inadequately labelled. She/he makes a note to call the referring doctor as soon as possible. The assistant places the haematology samples in the colour-coded tray and calls the laboratory for their pickup. She/he then calls the doctor of the patient whose sample is inadequately labelled. She/he records the missing date of birth on the request form, and then barcode/labels tubes for the samples' testing. Within 30 minutes, she/he has cleared the first rush of samples. She/he takes the time to carefully empty the bin of wastes.


Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assingnment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)


Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

Required skills

Required skills include:

receipt and logging in of samples

checking of samples for history and acceptable transport conditions

preparing and sub-sampling of samples

labelling samples accurately and completely

using standard precautions when dealing with potentially hazardous materials

applying knowledge of the relationship between specific sample preparation and associated tests

clarifying specific client requirements with appropriate personnel promptly

labelling and storing samples in a way which maintains sample integrity and traceability

disposing of samples following required procedures

maintaining equipment and the workspace

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes:

enterprise procedures for the receipt, documentation, distribution and storage of samples

potentially hazardous and unstable nature of samples

requirement of specified sample types for specific tests

importance of maintaining effective customer relations

sample storage and transport requirements

relevant health, safety and environment requirements

Specific industry

Additional knowledge requirements may apply for different industry sectors. For example:Biomedical laboratories:

potentially infective nature of all biological materials

nature of unstable solutions, such as anti-coagulated whole blood

non-conformance of clotted samples for procedures, such as routine haematological tests

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 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 14000 Set:2005 Environmental management standards set

Australia Post Guides

Australian Dangerous Goods Code

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) Codes of Practice

enterprise operating procedures for preparing samples

enterprise quality manuals

gene technology regulations

International Air Transport Association (IATA) Regulations

material safety data sheets (MSDS)

occupational health and safety (OHS) national standards and codes of practice

procedure sheets for physical and chemical separation

procedure sheets indicating how samples and sub-samples are to be labelled, processed, distributed, flagged for urgent testing or for other non-routine requirements, including referral to external laboratories

procedure sheets indicating transport and storage requirements

safety manuals describing personal protective equipment requirements, control of hazardous wastes, containment and cleanup of spillages, and disposal and recycling of wastes

Samples received

Samples received may include:

gas or air samples

liquid samples, such as water and waste water, stormwater, sludges and complex mixtures and sewage

solid samples, such as soils and sediments, rocks/minerals, concrete, quarry or mining products

solid wastes, such as hazardous, non-hazardous, domestic, commercial, industrial, mining and agricultural

biological specimens such as tissue and blood

raw materials, start, middle, end of production run samples and final products

Hazards

Hazards may include:

biohazards, such as micro-organisms and agents associated with soil, air, water, blood and blood products, and human or animal tissue and fluids

dust and noise

chemicals, such as acids and hydrocarbons

aerosols

sharps and broken glassware

manual handling of heavy sample bags and containers

crushing, entanglement and cuts associated with moving machinery

Safe work practices

Safe work practices may include:

use of MSDS

use of personal protective equipment, such as hard hats, hearing protection, gloves, safety glasses, goggles, face guards, coveralls, gowns, body suits, respirators and safety boots

use of biohazard containers and laminar flow cabinets

correct labelling of reagents and hazardous materials

handling, and storing hazardous materials and equipment in accordance with labels, MSDS, manufacturer's instructions, and enterprise procedures and regulations

regular cleaning and/or decontamination of equipment and work areas

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

Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Record date (and time of arrival, if required) of samples at enterprise 
Check and match samples with request forms before they are accepted 
Enter samples into the laboratory information management system (LIMS) 
Apply required document tracking mechanisms 
Process 'urgent' test requests according to enterprise requirements 
Ensure security and traceability of all information, laboratory data and records 
Report to referring client when samples and request forms do not comply with enterprise requirements 
Refer to supervisor for instruction where 'return to source' is inappropriate or not possible 
Maintain confidentiality of all client/enterprise data and information 
Ensure that information provided to customers is accurate, relevant and authorised for release 
Deal with customers politely and efficiently and in accordance with enterprise procedures 
Perform physical separation of the samples, as required 
Prepare the required number of sub-samples 
Perform chemical separation of the samples as required 
Place samples in appropriate transport media, if appropriate 
Monitor and control sample conditions before, during and after processing 
Group samples requiring similar testing requirements 
Distribute samples to work stations maintaining sample integrity 
Distribute request forms for data entry or filing in accordance with enterprise procedures 
Check that samples and relevant request forms have been received by laboratory personnel 
Apply safe work practices to ensure personal safety and that of other laboratory personnel 
Use appropriate protective equipment to ensure personal safety when sampling, processing, transferring or disposing of samples 
Report all accidents and spillages to supervisor 
Clean up splashes and spillages immediately using appropriate techniques and precautions 
Minimise the generation of wastes and environmental impacts 
Ensure the safe disposal of hazardous materials and other laboratory wastes 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

MSL953001A - Receive and prepare samples for testing
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:


Assessment Record Sheet

MSL953001A - Receive and prepare samples for testing

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

Date: