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Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Prepare for treating timber
   • Review work order and where required check with appropriate personnel.
   • Select appropriate personal protective equipment and check for operational effectiveness.
   • Obtain chemicals and type and quantity of timber for treatment from storage.
   • Plan treating cycles in line with work order.
2. Use equipment to treat timber
   • Complete pre start-up equipment checks to ensure operational effectiveness.
   • Identify water requirements and check to ensure treatment process requirements are met.
   • Test moisture content of timber in line with organisational procedures.
   • Check, adjust and maintain strength of preservative solution at specified strength and volume.
   • Bring treating plant to full operating condition and regularly check operating parameters to ensure optimum output.
   • Load timber into treatment vessel and complete treatment cycles.
   • Brand treated timber in line with organisational procedures.
   • Safely handle treated timber and transfer to storage area.
3. Complete operator maintenance
   • Follow organisational safety procedures to lock out equipment.
   • Check all treatment mechanisms for effective condition.
   • Keep machine clear of dust and debris in line with organisational safety procedures.
   • Store chemicals in line with organisational safety procedures and report on stock levels.
   • Record and report timber treating process and equipment faults to appropriate personnel.

Range Statement

Not Applicable

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Performance Evidence

A person demonstrating competency in this unit must satisfy all of the elements, performance criteria and foundation skills of this unit. If a specific volume or frequency is not stated below, then evidence must be provided that the following requirements have been performed on at least one occasion:

complete chemical timber treatment processes in line with an individual work orders prescribing different timber types selected from the following list:

native timber species

imported timber species

dressed timber, stress and non-stress graded timber

in-the-rough timber

sleepers

logs, rounded poles

beams, laminated beams

across the above jobs, check, adjust and maintain the strength and volume types of preservative solutions including:

water-borne solutions

oil-based solutions

solvent-based solutions

at the completion of each of the above jobs, complete operator maintenance, store chemicals and report on stock levels.

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Knowledge Evidence

A person competent in this unit must be able to demonstrate knowledge of:

environmental protection practices for chemically treating timber:

reducing water and energy use

water management strategies

cleaning plant, tools and equipment

disposing of hazardous substances

storage layout and categories for:

raw materials

storing finished boards

chemicals and preservative solutions

purpose of treating timber

characteristics of timber types, effects of the treatment process and appropriate range of temperatures

properties, at a basic level of understanding, of chemicals used to treat timber and their purpose:

water-borne, oil and solvent based preservative solutions with chemical treatments including:

creosote and modified creosote-based

copper chrome arsenate salts (CCA)

compounds of boron and fluoride salts

alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ)

light organic solvent-borne preservative (LOSP)

micronised copper azole (MCA or Tanalith E)

personal safety risks associated with handling and using chemicals and methods used to minimise these

methods used to safely store chemicals

typical work flow processes and techniques for chemically treating timber:

full cell

modified cell

empty cell

immersion

rueping

double vacuum

dip diffusion

vat and sprays

methods used to brand treated timber and range of industry and organisation markings:

burning

hammer impressions

ink

tags

purpose, features and operation of equipment used to chemically treat timber including from the following list:

treatment cylinders

working tanks

mix tanks

concentrate storage tanks

effluent tanks

vacuum pump and seals

organisational procedures specific to chemically treating timber:

workplace health and safety with particular emphasis on equipment lock out, use of personal protective equipment and handling hazardous substances

communication reporting lines

recording and reporting chemical stock levels, processes and equipment faults.

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