Required skills

Required skills include

applying the required quality control procedures

providing quality products and services to customers consistent with the job role

resolving simple customer requirements

minimising waste and rework

contributing to improvements in productivity and quality through teamwork and commitment to personal work standards

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes

concepts of metrology

continuous improvement and waste minimisation principles

enterprise procedures associated with the candidates regular technical duties

layout of the enterprise divisions and laboratory

lines of communication

organisational structure of the enterprise

products and services provided by the enterprise

quality requirements of the candidates job role and functions

recording reporting and document control requirements

relevant health safety and environment requirements

role of internal and external audits

role of laboratory services to the enterprise and customers

scheduling of tests and procedures to meet customer requirements

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 and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Assessors should ensure that candidates can

apply the required quality control principles and procedures to their work

contribute to improvements in productivity and quality

maintain their personal commitment to quality objectives

Context of and specific resources for assessment

This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or simulated workplace environment

This unit of competency may be assessed with

MSLA Communicate with other people

MSL913001A Communicate with other people

technical units of competency dealing with sampling and testing

Resources may include

enterprise quality manual and procedures

standard operating procedures SOPs

Method of assessment

The following assessment methods are suggested

review of quality control data collected by the candidate

review of quality improvements suggested by the candidate

feedback from supervisors and peers

oral or written questions about quality concepts and enterprise procedures

flow charts or diagrams prepared by the candidate to describe work flows and workplace layout alternatively the candidate could explain existing charts or diagrams

In all cases practical assessment should be supported by questions to assess underpinning knowledge and those aspects of competency which are difficult to assess directly

Where applicable reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity age gender demographics and disability

Access must be provided to appropriate learning andor assessment support when required

The language literacy and numeracy demands of assessment should not be greater than those required to undertake the unit of competency in a work like environment

This competency in practice

Industry representatives have provided the case studies below to illustrate the practical application of this unit of competency and show its relevance in a workplace setting

Manufacturing

Laboratory assistants must have a good working knowledge of quality control procedures and how they contribute to the achievement of enterprise quality objectives An assistant was measuring the moisture content of coke by a standard method The SOP for this test stated that the limits for moisture should be between and by weight The assistant obtained a result of The assistant had followed the SOP correctly and performed the determination in triplicate and had confidence in the precision of the result The assistant recognised and reported the nonconformance to the laboratory supervisor The production manager took corrective action and modified the drying process to reduce the moisture content and provide a product which met the customers requirements

Biomedical

A laboratory assistant working in the pathology department of a rural hospital was responsible for serum lithium estimations by flame photometry When asked by the office staff when the lithium results would be ready the assistant replied that the testing schedule of the laboratory meant that the test would not be done until the following week and asked why the office staff needed to know The answer was that an outpatient clinic was being held and the results were needed for a consultation Although samples were often taken a week before the clinic was to be held the assistant realised that results were not always ready for the clinic because of the testing schedule of the laboratory The assistant reported the situation to the laboratory supervisor The supervisor rescheduled lithium testing to match the clinic times so that results would always be ready for the clinic consultation This pleased the clinic staff the patient did not waste a visit the office staff no longer got irate phone calls and the quality of service was improved overall

Food processing

A fruit processing company produced many tonnes of solid vegetable waste annually This was dumped as landfill at considerable cost and the local council was concerned that the method of disposal was not sustainable The laboratory assistants at the company were included in a quality improvement team to investigate the problem The team concentrated on alternative production methods to minimise waste yields and additional production methods that would enable the waste to be profitably utilised They identified four potential uses of the waste a source of pectin alcohol and sugar and conversion of raw fruit peel to glazed peel

A costbenefit analysis was performed in consultation with supporting industries including a local winery to assess the merits of these value adding activities The outcome was that the amount of waste produced by the company was significantly reduced with much of the waste channelled into marketable products with full cost recovery After some initial doubts the laboratory personnel realised that they were able to make useful contributions to the project As a result they became part of an ongoing investigation of waste minimisation and value adding practices

Codes of practice

Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements

Quality control procedures

Concepts of metrology

Sustainable energy principles and work practices

Reporting

Quality improvement opportunities

Occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental management requirements