Assessor Resource

SFIAQUA308C
Maintain water quality and environmental monitoring

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: March 2024


All enterprise or workplace procedures and activities are carried out according to relevant government regulations, licensing and other compliance requirements, including occupational health and safety (OHS) guidelines, food safety and hygiene regulations and procedures, and ecologically sustainable development (ESD) principles.

Equipment operation, maintenance, repairs and calibrations are undertaken in a safe manner that conforms to manufacturer instructions. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is selected, checked, used and maintained.

This unit of competency involves monitoring water quality and environmental parameters, and using this information for the maintenance of appropriate conditions for cultured or held stock. It covers interpreting instructions, appropriately using equipment, data entry and analysis and conveying information. Skills to supervise staff undertaking various activities are covered by RTE3704A Coordinate worksite activities.

Licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements may apply to this unit. Therefore it will be necessary to check with the relevant state or territory regulators for current licensing, legislative or regulatory requirements before undertaking this unit.

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 evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit

Assessment must confirm the ability to:

correctly use advanced water quality tests and monitoring equipment in carrying out the aquaculture operation's quality and environmental monitoring program and to supervise staff carrying out basic water quality testing and monitoring.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:

advanced water quality tests and water sampling

operation, maintenance and calibration of monitoring equipment

preservation of samples

submission of samples for external analyses.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment. It should reflect the range of monitoring equipment and tests typically used on aquaculture farms or holding/display facilities in the local region and it should involve supervision of staff carrying out basic water quality tests and monitoring.

Resources may include:

cameras

culture or holding structure and medium

monitoring equipment

on-site scenario or case study

research reference material

staff to supervise

water quality tests.

Method of assessment

The following assessment methods are suggested:

project work related to on-site scenario or based on a case study

research assignment

role play

written or oral short-answer testing.

Guidance information for assessment

This unit may be assessed holistically with other units within a qualification.


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

communicating with senior personnel on monitoring schedule, and staff on responsibilities

communicating ideas on possible improvements

maintaining and repairing monitoring equipment

operating monitoring equipment

recognising normal/abnormal stock behaviour and environmental conditions

reporting orally and in writing on monitoring activities to senior personnel

supervising staff.

Literacy skills used for:

reading and interpreting monitoring schedules

recording monitoring information.

Numeracy skills used for:

calculating volumes, and measuring mass and volume

drawing calibration curves

reading monitoring machines or test kits.

Required knowledge

biology and chemistry of water bodies

correct collection and submission of samples for external analyses

monitoring equipment calibration and operating methods

monitoring equipment maintenance and advanced repairs

monitoring equipment options and limitations

OHS and ESD principles

options for mechanisation or automation of process or activity, including the use of specialised contract services

water quality tests to be undertaken.

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.

Cultured or held stock may include:

adults, broodstock (ready to breed), seedstock or stockers, eggs and sperm, fertilised eggs, larvae, post-larvae, seed, spat, hatchlings, yearlings, juveniles, fry, fingerlings, yearlings, smolt, sporophytes, seedlings and tissue cultures

finfish, crustaceans, molluscs, aquatic reptiles, amphibians, polychaete and oligochaete worms, plankton, micro-algae, seaweed, aquatic plants, live rock, sponges and other aquatic invertebrates

for human consumption (seafood), stockers for other farms, stockers for conservation or recreational fishing, display or companion animals (ornamentals), and other products, including pearls, skins, shells, eggs, chemicals and pigments

wild caught, hatchery or nursery reared.

Relevant government regulations, licensing and other compliance requirements may include:

biodiversity and genetically modified organisms

biosecurity, translocation and quarantine

business or workplace operations, policies and practices

correct marketing names and labelling

environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control

food safety/Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), hygiene and temperature control along chain of custody, and Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) Export Control (Fish) orders

health and welfare of aquatic animals

maritime operations, safety at sea and pollution control

OHS hazard identification, risk assessment and control.

OHS guidelines may include:

appropriate workplace provision of first aid kits and fire extinguishers

codes of practice, regulations and/or guidance notes which may apply in a jurisdiction or industry sector

enterprise-specific OHS procedures, policies or standards

hazard and risk assessment of workplace, maintenance activities and control measures

induction or training of staff, contractors and visitors in relevant OHS procedures and/or requirements to allow them to carry out their duties in a safe manner

OHS training register

safe lifting, carrying and handling techniques, including manual handling, and the handling and storage of hazardous substances

safe systems and procedures for outdoor work, including protection from solar radiation, fall protection, confined space entry and the protection of people in the workplace

systems and procedures for the safe maintenance of property, machinery and equipment, including hydraulics and exposed moving parts

the appropriate use, maintenance and storage of PPE.

Food safety and hygiene regulations and procedures may include:

Australian Shellfish Sanitation program

equipment design, use, cleaning and maintenance

exporting requirements, including AQIS Export Control (Fish) orders

HACCP, food safety program, and other risk minimisation and quality assurance systems

location, construction and servicing of seafood premises

people, product and place hygiene and sanitation requirements

Primary Products Standard and the Australian Seafood Standard (voluntary)

product labelling, tracing and recall

receipt, storage and transportation of food, including seafood and aquatic products

requirements set out in Australian and New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) Food Standards Code and state and territory food regulations

temperature and contamination control along chain of custody.

ESD principles may include:

applying animal welfare ethics and procedures

control of effluents, chemical residues, contaminants, wastes and pollution

improving energy efficiency

increasing use of renewable, recyclable and recoverable resources

minimising noise, dust, light or odour emissions

preventing live cultured or held organisms from escaping into environment

reducing emissions of greenhouse gases

reducing energy use

reducing use of non-renewable resources

undertaking environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control.

PPE may include:

buoyancy vest or personal floatation device (PFD)

hard hat or protective head covering

hearing protection (e.g. ear plugs and ear muffs)

non-slip and waterproof boots (gumboots) or other safety footwear

personal locator beacon or Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)

protective outdoor clothing for tropical conditions

safety harness

sun protection (e.g. sun hat, sunscreen and sunglasses)

uniforms, overalls or protective clothing (e.g. mesh and waterproof aprons)

waterproof clothing (e.g. wet weather gear and waders).

Stock behaviour may include:

aggressive or cannibalistic

colour changes

feeding

piping, darting, flashing or whirling movement

predator avoidance

reproduction or courtship

schooling or individuals

swimming (finfish), crawling (crustaceans or gastropods) or gaping (bivalves).

Routine water quality and environmental parameters may include:

alkalinity

ammonia

dissolved oxygen

hardness

major organisms in surrounding environment

nitrate

nitrite

pH

salinity and conductivity

temperature

tides, water flow and wave action

turbidity (secchi disc and transparency)

weather, rain and wind.

Non-routine water quality parameters may include:

bacterial (e.g. E. coli and faecal coliforms)

biological oxygen demand (BOD)

carbon dioxide, methane and hydrogen sulphide gas

changes in native land-based and/or aquatic life around the farm, including macro-invertebrates and macrophytes

chlorophyll and algal species identification and counts

clay content of soil, types of sediments

contaminants/chemicals, including pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals

density and types of fouling organisms

density and types of natural feeds

dissolved or suspended solids or wastes

ozone

phosphorus (total and orthophosphate)

presence of severe weather conditions (e.g. king tides, extreme temperatures and fluctuations)

redox potential

soil or sediment pH

toxic micro-algae.

Non-routine environmental parameters may include:

changes in native land-based and/or aquatic life around the farm, including macro-invertebrates and macrophytes

predators, pests, pathogens, fouling organisms and natural foods

presence of severe weather conditions (e.g. king tide)

on-farm and external chemicals

sediment and debris levels

toxic micro-algae

wastes and contaminants.

Equipment may include:

advanced chemical tests

electronic machines and specialised machinery, such as spectrophotometer and chlorinometer

flow injection auto analysers

micropipettes

probes, grabs, nets, dredges, traps, cages, plankton nets and water sample bottles

refractometer

soil analysis kits

still and video cameras, remote controlled cameras or vehicles.

Repairs and calibrations may include:

adjustment of probes or other settings for calibration

replacement of electronic parts, covers and probes.

Samples may include:

culture or holding equipment

pests, predators or fouling organisms

sediments or soils

stock

vegetation (land and aquatic)

water

weather station/meteorological data.

External analysis may include:

contaminants, such as heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals

feeds

pathology

proximate analysis of culture or other organisms

trace elements and mineral content of waters/soils.

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
Monitoring schedule is read or heard, and confirmed with senior personnel. 
Stock behaviour, routine water quality and environmental parameters to be monitored are identified. 
Non-routine water quality and environmental parameters to be measured are identified. 
Equipment requirements for water quality and environmental monitoring are determined, checked for availability and serviceability, and readied for use. 
Repairs and calibrations are made. 
Options for mechanisation or automation of process or activity are determined, including the use of specialised contract services. 
Staff undertaking routine monitoring are briefed on responsibilities according to monitoring schedule. 
Monitoring and sampling tests are undertaken. 
Samples for external analysis are preserved, packaged and sent to laboratory according to laboratory requirements. 
Specific and general observations are made. 
Clean up of work area, including repairs and storage of equipment, is supervised and condition report prepared. 
Relevant monitoring data, observations or information are recorded legibly and accurately, and any out of range or unusual records are checked. 
Compliance and other required reports are prepared and conveyed to senior personnel advising of the effectiveness of monitoring, and recommendations made for improvements. 
Feedback is given or sought on effectiveness of the monitoring operations. 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

SFIAQUA308C - Maintain water quality and environmental monitoring
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:

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Date:


Assessment Record Sheet

SFIAQUA308C - Maintain water quality and environmental monitoring

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: