The range of variables relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that will affect performance.
Where reference is made to industry Codes of Practice, and/or Australian/international standards, it is expected the latest version will be used.
This unit of competence describes the work conducted by laboratory operators or technicians conducting sampling and testing at construction, mining or drilling sites.
Operations are performed in accordance with laboratory and/or enterprise procedures, and appropriate legislative requirements. These procedures and requirements may include or have been prepared from:
industry Codes of Practice
environmental legislation and regulations
standard operating procedures (SOPs)
equipment manuals
equipment start-up, operation and shutdown procedures
calibration and maintenance schedules
quality manuals
enterprise recording and reporting procedures
production and laboratory schedules
material, production and product specifications.
Site hazards may include:
solar radiation, dust and noise
manual handling of heavy materials and equipment
working in/on trenches, confined spaces, wet and uneven surfaces, heights, slopes
vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
Safety procedures may include:
location of site services before investigations commence
use of material safety data sheets (MSDSs)
use of personal protective equipment, such as hard hat, hearing protection, sunscreen, gloves, masks, goggles, coveralls, safety boots
handling, and storage of (hazardous) materials and equipment in accordance with labels, MSDS, manufacturer's instructions, enterprise procedures and regulations
regular cleaning of equipment and vehicles
machinery guards
signage, barriers, flashing lights, traffic control.
Tools and equipment may include:
hand tools, including shovels, crowbars, scoops, spanners, wrenches, tape measure
consumables, including sample bags, labels, sample tubes, wax
documentation, including maps, plans, worksheets
field test equipment, including DCP, SPT, shear vane, pocket penetrometer, water level indicator
safety clothing and equipment, including helmet, boots, gloves, earmuffs, glasses
excavation equipment, including hand and power augers.
Typical skills may include:
working safely with equipment and around earthmoving plant
driving safely on- and off-road
working safely in field conditions
setting up and maintaining tools and equipment
using tools and equipment to perform basic sampling techniques
using tools and equipment to perform basic in-situ testing techniques
cleaning equipment before leaving site in compliance with environmental authority requirements
reading site plans and operating GPS equipment to locate sampling positions
identification of soil, rock and fill materials
observing and recording information on testing and sampling
making basic measurements of plan location and depth
handling and storing samples appropriately.
Typical problems include:
caving of the excavation
drilling difficulties
not knowing the requirements of the design engineer
not understanding the nature of the item being designed (for example, retaining wall, piled structure, earthworks)
sample loss during retrieval
knowing when to stop a hole, or what and when to test and sample
misidentification of samples and sampling locations
equipment breakdown and breakage
environmental problems and issues, including site access, inclement weather, traffic, wildlife, vegetation, construction activities.
Health, safety and environment
All operations to which this unit applies are subject to stringent health, safety and environmental (HSE) requirements, which may be imposed through State or Federal legislation, and these must not be compromised at any time. Where there is an apparent conflict between performance criteria and HSE requirements, the HSE requirements take precedence.
All operations assume the potential hazardous nature of samples and require standard precautions to be applied. Users should access and apply current industry understanding of infection control issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council and State and Territory Departments of Health. All operations are performed in accordance with standard operating procedures.