Required skills

Ability to

access workplace information to identify mixingblending requirements

select fit and use personal protective clothing andor equipment

confirm supply of necessary materials and services

conduct prestart checks such as inspecting equipment condition to identify any signs of wear selecting appropriate settings andor related parameters cancelling isolation or lockouts as required confirming that equipment is clean and correctly configured for processing requirements positioning sensors and controls correctly ensuring any scheduled maintenance has been carried out and confirming that all safety guards are in place and operational

addload materials in correct quantities and sequence such as monitoring automatic ingredient addition andor manual addition

start monitor and adjust mixing or blending process equipment to achieve required outcomesincluding monitoring flow ratesquantity time or temperature and mixblending settings

monitorcontrol points and conduct inspections as required to confirm process remains within specification

monitor supply and flow of ingredients and additives to and from the mixing or blending process

pace mixingblending to meet production requirements

take corrective action in response to outofspecification results

respond to andor report equipment failure within level of responsibility

locate emergency stop functions on equipment

follow isolation and lock out or tag out procedures as required to take process and related equipment offline in preparation for cleaning andor maintenance within level of responsibility

complete workplace records as required

demonstrate batch or product changeovers

maintain work area to meet housekeeping standards

use process control systems according to enterprise procedures

collect samples and conduct tests according to enterprise procedures

label and store premixes andor mixes according to enterprise procedures

conduct routine maintenance according to enterprise procedures

clean and sanitise equipment according to enterprise procedures

use oral communication skillslanguage competence to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation including questioning active listening asking for clarification and seeking advice from supervisor

work cooperatively within a culturally diverse workforce

Required knowledge

Knowledge of

purpose and basic principles of preparing mixes and blends including the characteristics and basic function of ingredients and additives used method and sequence of ingredient addition required to achieve required blend characteristics and where relevant the purpose of conditioning maturation or holding stages required prior to further processing of the mix

basic understanding of specific gravity and bulk density as appropriate for ingredients used

basic operating principles of mixingblending equipment including main equipment components status and purpose of guards equipment operating capacities and applications the purpose and location of sensors and related feedback instrumentation and awareness of calibration schedules for scales and related weighingmeasuring equipment

services required and action to take if services are not available

the flow of the mixing process and the effect of mix preparation on downstream processes

procedures for requisitioning receiving and returning ingredients from stores

ingredient handling requirements and shelflife or coding

quality characteristics required of ingredients and additives and their effect on mixing process performance including methods used to condition or prepare ingredients prior to addition

methods used to monitor the blending or mixing process including inspecting measuring and testing as required by the process

inspection or test points control points in the process and the related procedures and recording requirements such as

flow rates

ingredientadditive addition sequence

timestemperatures and agitator speeds

required characteristics of blend such as viscosity appearance and temperature

required attributes of the mixed or blended output such as chemical texture and flavour profiles as required

the effect of the mixing or blending parameters such as temperature and length of mix time on mixing outcome

contamination and food safety risks associated with the process and related control measures including product compatibility and cross contamination risks and associated cleaning requirements as well as common allergens used in mixes prepared

operating requirements and parameters and corrective action required where operation is outside specified operating parameters

typical equipment faults and related causes including signs and symptoms of faulty equipment and early warning signs of potential problems

common causes of variation and corrective action required

occupational health and safety OHS hazards and controls

requirements of different shutdowns as appropriate to the blending or mixing process and workplace production requirements including emergency and routine shutdowns and procedures to follow in the event of a power outage

product or process changeover procedures and responsibilities

isolation lock out and tag out procedures and responsibilities

procedures and responsibility for reporting production and performance information

environmental issues and controls relevant to the mixing or blending process including waste or rework collection and handling procedures related to the process

basic operating principles of process control where relevant including the relationship between control panels and systems and the physical equipment

characteristics of solutions suspensions and emulsions where relevant

sampling and testing associated with process monitoring and control where relevant

product labelling and storage requirements where relevant

routine maintenance procedures where relevant

cleaning and sanitation procedures where relevant

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

Assessment must be carried out in a manner that recognises the cultural and literacy requirements of the assessee and is appropriate to the work performed Competence in this unit must be achieved in accordance with food safety standards and regulations

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

Evidence of ability to

prepare premixes for mixing or blending

conduct prestart checks on machinery used for mixing or blending

start operate monitor and adjust process equipment to achieve required quality outcomes

take corrective action in response to typical faults and inconsistencies

complete workplace records as required

apply safe work practices and identify OHS hazards and controls

safely shut down equipment

apply food safety procedures

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must occur in a real or simulated workplace where the assessee has access to

personal protective clothing and equipment

work procedures including advice on safe work practices food safety quality and environmental requirements stock flow systems production schedules batchrecipe instructions

information on equipment capacity and operating parameters

production schedulebatchrecipe instructions

specifications control points and processing parameters

mixingblending process equipment services and related storage facilities as required

ingredients and additives required for the mixingblending process

sampling schedules and test procedures and equipment as required

cleaning procedures materials and equipment as required

Method of assessment

This unit should be assessed together with core units and other units of competency relevant to the function or work role Examples could be

FDFOPA Clean equipment in place

FDFOP2003A Clean equipment in place

FDFOPA Clean and sanitise equipment

FDFOP2004A Clean and sanitise equipment

FDFOPA Conduct routine maintenance

FDFOP2011A Conduct routine maintenance

FDFOPA Apply sampling procedures

FDFOP2013A Apply sampling procedures

FDFOPA Operate a process control interface

FDFOP2030A Operate a process control interface

PMLTESTB Perform basic tests

PMLTEST300B Perform basic tests.

Guidance information for assessment

To ensure consistency in ones performance competency should be demonstrated on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances cases and responsibilities and where possible over a number of assessment activities

Policies and procedures

Legislative requirements

Workplace information

Mixing or blending equipment

Mixes

Processes

Ingredient addition

Operation of equipment and processes

Shutdown procedures

Services