Knowledge needed to achieve the performance criteria

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

Definition and purpose of portable and wheeled fire extinguishers.

Purpose of pictographs.

Purpose and range of the Australian colour-coding system for wheeled and portable fire extinguishers.

Purpose of hose reels, delivery lay flat fire hoses, fire blankets and smoke alarms (battery-operated).

Purpose and types of fire hydrant system components.

Purpose and type of fire pump sets.

Purpose and types of automatic fire suppression systems

Purpose and type of detection and alarm systems.

Purpose and types of hinged and non-hinged smoke and fire doors.

Awareness of other types of non-battery powered smoke alarms.

Specific skills needed to achieve the performance criteria

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

use effective and appropriate questioning/listening techniques

recognise, analyse and identify portable fire equipment products and fixed automatic fire systems equipment

apply language, literacy and numeracy skills to:

communicate with others in a clear and concise manner in both written and verbal modes

read, understand and comply with work instructions/specifications

read, understand and record measurements.

Other units of competency that could be assessed with this unit

Competency in this unit underpins competency in other aspects of servicing fire protection equipment. This unit of competency is a prerequisite for the following technical fire protection units in the PRM04 Asset Maintenance Training Package:

PRMPFES09B Service portable fire extinguishers and fire blankets in the field

PRMPFES10B Inspect, test and replace fire hose reels in the field

PRMPFES11B Install portable fire extinguishers, fire blankets and battery powered smoke alarms

PRMPFES14C Service portable fire extinguishers in the workshop

PRMPFES15B Service delivery lay flat fire hoses in the workshop

PRMPFES16B Inspect and service delivery lay flat fire hoses and nozzles in the field

PRMPFES19B Install and service portable foam liquid proportioning equipment

PRMPFES20B Service wheeled fire extinguishers in the field

PRMPFES21C Service wheeled fire extinguishers in the workshop

PRMPFES37A Inspect and maintain fire hydrants

PRMPFES38A Inspect and maintain portable fire monitors.

This unit could be assessed on its own or in combination with other competencies relevant to the job function, for example:

PRMPFES05B Use portable fire fighting equipment

PRMPFES06C Prepare for installation and servicing operations.

Resources required to assess this unit

The candidate and the assessor should have access to the appropriate documentation and resources normally utilised in the workplace. This includes access to:

an actual or simulated work environment

product examples or clear photographs/drawings of relevant products

assessment documentation

training and assessment record book.

Gaining evidence to assess this unit

For valid and reliable assessment of this unit, the competency should be demonstrated over a period of time and be observed by the assessor (or assessment team working together to conduct the assessment). The competency is to be demonstrated in a range of situations, which may include customer/workplace interruptions and involvement in related activities normally experienced in the workplace.

Assessment of underpinning knowledge is best obtained by either oral questioning or a written assessment. (In both assessment methods the questions should be identical in context.)

Evidence of competency is based on the candidate's ability to identify and explain the purpose of each item described in the range statement.

Assessment may be conducted in any environment that conforms to the basic principles of assessment (flexible, fair, etc).

Performance and assessment of this unit must be carried out within the relevant requirements of the following legislative and industry framework:

building Acts/regulations/codes

Australian Standards identified as relevant

environmental regulations

manufacturers' specifications

organisational requirements, including OHS policies and procedures

OHS legislation, codes and regulations.

Key competency levels

There are a number of processes learnt throughout work and daily life that are required in all jobs. They are fundamental processes and generally transferable to other work environments. Some of these work processes are covered by the key competencies listed below. Information provided to each question highlights how these processes are applied in this unit of competency.

The number in brackets indicates the level to which the key competency should be demonstrated.

Refer to Evidence Guide

The range statement links the required knowledge and organisational and technical requirements to the workplace context. It describes any contextual variables that will be used or encountered when applying the competency in work situations. It allows for different work practices and work and knowledge requirements as well as for differences between organisations and workplaces. The following variables may be present for this particular unit.

Portable fire extinguisher types include:

stored pressure

rechargeable/non-rechargeable

reversible

cartridge operated.

Wheeled fire extinguisher types include:

stored pressure

cartridge

reversible.

Extinguishants may include:

water

foam

wet chemical

powder

CO2

vaporising liquid.

Expellants may include:

CO2

nitrogen

dry air.

Hose reel types may include:

wall-mounted

swing-hinged

vehicle-mounted.

Delivery lay flat fire hoses may include:

percolating/non-percolating

low, medium and high classes

a range of different hose diameters.

Delivery lay flat fire hose couplings may include:

BIC

STORZ

threaded.

Fire hydrant system components may include:

internal hydrant valve (points, landing valves, outlets)

external hydrant valve

hydrant valves that are incorporated in a fire cabinet

pressure reducing valve (ratio valve)

water supply system (tanks, pump sets)

fire brigade booster connections

reticulating pipe work.

Fire blanket containers may include:

plastic/vinyl covers

metal tubes.

Battery-operated smoke alarms may include:

ionisation

photoelectric.

Fire doors may include:

1 hour or 2 hour fire rated assemblies

self-closing or sliding

automatic closing.

Smoke doors may include:

solid core or fire resistance rated

self-closing or sliding

automatic closing.

Fire pump sets may include dedicated pump set driven by electric or diesel or a combination of both motors that supply fire systems such as hydrants and sprinklers.

Automatic fire suppression systems may include:

automatic sprinkler systems

pre-engineered fire suppression systems

gaseous fire suppression systems.

Automatic detection and alarm systems may include:

automatic detection systems

automatic evacuation and warning intercommunion systems.

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