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Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Separate wools with characteristics outside the uniformity requirements of the Code of Practice.
   • Make assessment of sheep breed and wool type
   • Separate wools into different lines based on fibre diameter, length and strength, colour and character and handle and style
   • Check staple formation and tip
   • Separate pigmented wool and wool which includes medulated fibres
2. Separate wool showing faults that impact on processing or fabric quality.
   • Separate wool for dogginess that will impact on fabric quality
   • Separate cotted wool that will require extra processing
   • Identify and remove skin pieces
   • Check wool for dermatitis and kept separate
   • Identify and separate wool based on the level and type of vegetable matter contamination where it requires different processing
   • Identify mobs with high pigmented fibre risk and keep their wool completely separate from low risk wool
   • Identify wool from sheep with shedding characteristics and keep completely separate from non-shedding white woolled sheep, record risk of exposure to shedding breeds on the classer's report
   • Keep fleeces containing pigmented fibre in a white woolled flock separate
   • Keep wool containing stain separate
3. Recognise impurities of greasy wool and their effect on processing and yield.
   • Examine wool for natural impurities
   • Identify applied impurities and assess their effect on processing
   • Identify acquired impurities and assess their effect on processing and yield of clean fibre

Range Statement

Preparation must include wool from Fine/Superfine Merino, Medium/Strong Merino and Crossbred wool clips.

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Performance Evidence

The candidate must be assessed on their ability to integrate and apply the performance requirements of this unit in a workplace setting. Performance must be demonstrated consistently over time and in a suitable range of contexts.

The candidate must provide evidence that they can:

assess key wool characteristics

identify and separate wool faults

identify and separate wool with impurities

separate wool that does not meet Code of Practice requirements for uniform, predictable low risk lines of wool

identify and separate wool from shedding sheep breeds

identify and separate wools with a high pigmented fibre risk

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Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:

characteristics of the breeds of sheep

inherent wool characteristics - diameter, length and strength, colour, yield, VM type, curvature, and comfort factor and explain how these characteristics impact on processing and final wool product

features of impurities in wool and explain their impact on processing and yield of clean fibre after processing

types and sources of contamination and explain their impact on processing and final wool product

features of the main wool faults and explain their impacts on processing

techniques used to measure wool characteristics

processing methods - woollen and worsted, stages of processing

wool growth, skin and fibre biology, and discuss the effect of genetics and environment on fibre characteristics

requirements for handling shedding and pigmented fibres

relevant aspects of the Code of Practice for the Preparation of Australian Wool Clips and other relevant quality standards that related to preparing wool.

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