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Elements and Performance Criteria

  1. Clean work preparation areas
  2. Clean, maintain and store equipment
  3. Monitor stocks of materials and equipment
  4. Maintain a safe work environment

Range Statement

This field allows for different work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included.

Standards, codes, procedures and/or workplace requirements

Standards, codes, procedures and/or workplace requirements include the latest version of one or more of:

Australian and international standards, guidelines and codes covering WHS; laboratory design and construction; occupational protective equipment; labelling of workplace substances; storage, handling and transport of dangerous goods; environmental management; physical containment levels and facility types

industry specific codes, regulations and guidelines, such as Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) Codes of Practice, Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) Export Control (Orders) Regulations and Import Guidelines, gene technology regulations, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Guidelines, and animal welfare

Typical equipment

Typical equipment includes, but is not limited to, one or more of:

balances; glassware; plastic ware; glass, plastic and quartz cuvettes, pipettes, burettes and volumetric glassware

blending, mixing and separating equipment, such as sieves and centrifuges

autoclaves, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, ovens, hotplates, mantles, burners and muffle furnaces, microwave ovens, ultrasonic cleaners, incubators and water baths, and gas cylinders

fume hoods, biohazard containers and biological safety cabinets

microtomes and tissue processors, cell counters and staining machines

colorimeters/spectrometers and polarimeters, light and fluorescence microscopes

thermometers, thermohygrographs, hydrometers, conductivity meters and pH meters and ion-selective electrodes, noise meters, melting point apparatus, viscometers and instrument chart recorders

steel ruler/tapes and spirit levels, shovels, scoops, plates, rods, cylinder moulds and buckets

rifflers and splitters and mixers, compaction rammers and soil classification equipment, penetrometers, force measuring equipment and tensiometers, and hardness testing equipment

animal cages

vehicles

Typical materials

Typical materials include, but are not limited to, one or more of:

consumable items, such as syringes, pipette tips and weigh boats

PPE

distilled water, reagents, chemicals, disinfectants, detergents, agar media and plates

equipment spares, such as fuses, bulbs and batteries

oils/lubricants, fuels, industrial gases and cryogenics, such as dry ice and liquid nitrogen

paper and stationery

reference samples and standards

Cleaning requirements

Cleaning requirements include one or more of:

decontamination and/or disinfection

hygiene monitoring

minimising environmental impacts

operation of automatic cleaning apparatus, such as pipette washers, ultrasonic cleaners and dishwashers

sterilisation and disposal of wastes using boiling, high pressure air or steam, microwaves, chemicals, gas, filtration, ultraviolet radiation and autoclaving

use of specialised techniques, such as chromic acid baths and soaking in hypochlorite

Preparation areas

Preparation areas include one or more of:

benches

fume cupboards

sheds

sinks

Agents for cleaning

Agents for cleaning include one or more of:

cleaning solutions

decontaminants

organic solvents

Spillages

Spillages include one or more of:

chemicals

radioactive materials

biologically active materials

Waste

Waste includes, but is not limited to, one or more of:

broken glass and sharps

disposable PPE

spent reagents, spent or excess samples and test pieces, solvents and batteries

used containers, boxes, bags and palettes, plastic and metals

microorganisms

Stock records

Stock records include one or more of:

calibration and maintenance history

data sheets

handbooks, warranty documents, catalogues, manuals and material safety data sheets (MSDS)

records of usage, loans and breakages

Maintenance issues

Maintenance issues include, but are not limited to, one or more of:

hygiene issues, prevention of contamination, cleaning, recycling and waste disposal

checking materials and equipment are fit for purpose, equipment malfunction, and checking serviceability before storage

potential hazards, incidents and emergencies, spillages, leakages, breakages and contamination

stock requirements and shortages, and storage constraints

Hazards

Hazards include, but are not limited to, one or more of:

sharps, broken glassware and hand tools

aerosols from broken centrifuge tubes and pipetting

microbiological organisms and agents associated with soil, air, water, blood and blood products, and human or animal tissue and fluids

chemicals, such as acids, heavy metals, pesticides and hydrocarbons

sources of ignition, flammable liquids and gases

cryogenic agents, such as dry ice and liquid nitrogen

electric shock

fluids under pressure, such as steam and industrial gas cylinders

crushing, entanglement and cuts associated with moving machinery or falling objects

manual handling, working at heights and working in confined spaces

occupational overuse syndrome, slips, trips and falls

pedestrian and vehicular traffic

solar radiation, dust and noise

Established safe work practices

Established safe work practices include, but are not limited to, one or more of:

applying containment procedures through the use of appropriate equipment, such as biohazard containers, laminar flow cabinets, Class I, II and III biohazard cabinets, and Class PCII, PCIII, and PCIV physical containment facilities

ensuring access to service shut-off points

following established manual handling procedures for tasks involving manual handling

handling and storage of all hazardous materials and equipment in accordance with labelling, MSDS and manufacturer instructions

identifying and reporting operating problems or equipment malfunctions

labelling of samples, reagents, aliquoted samples and hazardous materials

recognising and observing hazard warnings and safety signs

reporting to appropriate personnel of abnormal emissions, discharges and airborne contaminants, such as noise, light, solids, liquids, water/wastewater, gases, smoke, vapour, fumes, odours and particulates

use of PPE, such as hard hats, hearing protection, gloves, safety glasses, goggles, face guards, coveralls, gown, body suits, respirators and safety boots

WHS and environmental management requirements

WHS and environmental management requirements include:

· complying with WHS and environmental management requirements at all times, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation. These requirements must not be compromised at any time

· applying standard precautions relating to the potentially hazardous nature of samples

accessing and applying current industry understanding of infection control issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and State and Territory Departments of Health, where relevant

Performance Evidence

Evidence of competence in this unit must satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria, and include demonstration of:

following workplace procedures, relevant codes and guidelines when maintaining the laboratory/field workplace

applying information contained in material safety data sheets (MSDS) for materials handled regularly during the performance of maintenance tasks

working safely and minimising exposure of hazards to self, others and the laboratory

safely cleaning work preparation areas and equipment using appropriate cleaning agents, equipment and techniques

safely removing spillages and disposing of wastes

safely storing equipment and materials using workplace procedures, relevant codes and guidelines

monitoring and reporting stock levels and the condition of laboratory materials and equipment

keeping accurate, up-to-date records

reporting potential hazards and maintenance issues using workplace procedures.