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

The meat industry has specific and clear requirements for evidence. A minimum of three forms of evidence is required to demonstrate competency in the meat industry. This is specifically designed to provide evidence that covers the demonstration in the workplace of all aspects of competency over time.

These requirements are in addition to the requirements for valid, current, authentic and sufficient evidence.

Three forms of evidence means three different kinds of evidence - not three pieces of the same kind. In practice it will mean that most of the unit is covered twice. This increases the legitimacy of the evidence.

All assessment must be conducted against Australian meat industry standards and regulations.

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

Competency must be demonstrated over time under typical operating conditions.

Context of, and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must occur in the workplace under normal enterprise or production conditions or in a simulated environment.

Resources may include:

charts and diagrams for cuts

specifications for primal cuts.

Method of assessment

Recommended methods of assessment are:

quiz of underpinning knowledge

simulation

workplace demonstration of competency for the assessor

workplace referee or third-party report of performance over time.

Assessment practices should take into account any relevant language or cultural issues related to Aboriginality, gender or language backgrounds other than English. Language and literacy demands of the assessment task should not be higher than those of the work role.

Guidance information for assessment

A current list of resources for this Unit of Competency is available from MINTRAC www.mintrac.com.au or telephone 1800 817 462.

Required skills

Ability to:

demonstrate safe manual-handling techniques

identify contaminated product and take the appropriate corrective action according to workplace requirements

apply relevant communication skills

work effectively as an individual and as part of a team

apply relevant regulatory requirements

take action to improve own work performance as a result of self-evaluation, feedback from others, or in response to changed work practices or technology

Required knowledge

hygiene and Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) requirements for breaking carcases

quality requirements for breaking carcases

principles of contamination in regard to primary cuts

sequence for breaking carcases

relevant regulatory requirements

acceptable cutting lines to produce primary cuts to workplace requirements

primary cut specifications for beef, sheep and one other species

major anatomical structures of the carcase of each species

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.

Primal cuts may:

differ according to:

customer specifications

end use

species

workplace specifications

include:

beef (e.g. rump, round or knuckle, silverside or outside, topside or inside, loin, shin, chuck, blade or clod, rib set, brisket and flank)

deer (e.g. leg, rump, loin, shoulder and forequarters)

goat (e.g. leg, shortloin, ribloin, chump, forequarters and breast)

kangaroo (e.g. leg, tail butt, loin and shoulder)

pigs (e.g. leg, rump, loin, foreloin, forequarters and belly or spring)

sheep (e.g. leg, shortloin, ribloin, chump, forequarters and breast)

veal (e.g. leg, loin, forequarters and shoulder).

Species must include beef, sheep and one of the following:

crocodile

deer

emu

game meat

goat

kangaroo

pig.

Workplace requirements may include:

ability to perform the task to production requirements

enterprise-specific procedures

hygiene and sanitation requirements

OH&S requirements

Quality Assurance (QA) requirements

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

work instructions.

Cutting lines

must be learnt by breaking carcases

may be assessed using charts and diagrams.

Assessing or quality indicators may include:

age of meat

amount of fat

colour and texture of fat

colour of meat

conformation

estimated shelf life

hygiene and sanitation requirements

maturity of animal at slaughter

presence of blemishes

sex

texture of meat

weight.

Cut specifications may be defined by:

customer specifications

industry standards.

Communication may include:

applying mathematical skills to workplace requirements

communicating and working with people from a range of cultural, social and ethnic backgrounds

listening and understanding, and speaking clearly and directly

reading and interpreting workplace-related documentation

using communications technology.

Hygienerequirements may include:

clean work wear each shift or day

cleanliness of work area

hand washing

head covering

personal hygiene

sterilisation of equipment.

OH&S requirements may include:

enterprise OH&S policies, procedures and programs

OH&S legal requirements

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which may include:

coats and aprons

ear plugs or muffs

eye and facial protection

head-wear

lifting assistance

protective boot covers

protective hand and arm covering

protective head and hair covering

uniforms

waterproof clothing

work, safety or waterproof footwear

requirements set out in standards and codes of practice.

Regulatory requirements may include:

Export Control Act

hygiene and sanitation requirements

relevant Australian standards

requirements set out in AS 4696:2007 Australian Standard for Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption

federal, state and territory regulations regarding meat processing.