Required skills

Required skills include

performing setup preuse checks and shutdown procedures

performing calibration checks of basic equipment using standard procedures

obtaining readings of the required accuracy and precision

identifying noncompliant equipment from specifications andor previous checks

recognising nonstandard behaviour of instruments

assisting with maintaining equipment in working order by performing basic maintenance tasks

following all relevant occupational health and safety OHS requirements

following enterprise recording and reporting procedures

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes

operational principles and methods for equipment use

basic sources of error in equipment operation and their control

role and importance of correct calibration

basic equipment maintenance procedures

enterprise communication and reporting procedures

relevant OHS and environment 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

perform setup preuse checks and shutdown procedures

perform calibration checks of basic equipment using standard procedures

obtain readings of the required accuracy and precision

recognise nonstandard behaviour of instruments

assist with maintaining equipment in working order by performing basic maintenance tasks

follow all relevant OHS requirements

follow enterprise recording and reporting procedures

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 Perform basic tests

MSL973001A Perform basic tests.

Resources may include

standard laboratory equipped with appropriate equipment and reference materials

enterprise procedures and standard methods equipment manuals

calibration check standards and procedures

maintenance procedures

Method of assessment

The following assessment methods are suggested

review of the quality of test dataresults achieved by the candidate over time

inspection of records and workplace documentation completed by the candidate

feedback from peers and supervisors

observation of the candidate performing calibration checks and basic maintenance tasks

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 to show its relevance in a workplace setting

Manufacturing and construction materials testing

Laboratory assistants perform calibration checks and operate a range of laboratory equipment to ensure the quality of products For example the labelling on fertilisers specifies the total percentage of nitrogen N or Nt the total percentage of phosphorus P or Pt in all forms and the total percentage of potassium K A fertiliser contains N P and K During the manufacture of fertiliser an assistant in a quality control laboratory measures the concentration of nitrogen phosphorus and potassium using standard analytical methods to ensure that the final products are within prescribed specifications The assistant must pay particular attention to the equipment calibration check If the equipment is out of calibration no amount of testing skill will result in accurate results Selling out of specification fertiliser could result in a product recall or claims from users against the manufacturer

Biomedical and environmental services

Laboratory assistants are quite often involved in routine collections and culturing of cells Bacterial cells are often cultured and grown to large populations in order to provide material from which to extract biological materials A quick method of determining when the cell growth has yielded enough cells is to determine the absorbance of the cell culture by measuring absorbance at nm An absorbance of to will give a good cell harvest This method relies on the assistant being able to perform calibration checks on an ultravioletvisible UVVIS spectrometer

Food and beverage processing

A laboratory assistant in the quality control laboratory of a fruit canning company is required to perform calibration checks and maintain and operate a range of equipment including a pH meter Canned pears for example are routinely checked for pH to ensure safe heat processing While checking the calibration of the pH meter with the standard buffer solutions the laboratory assistant found that stable pH readings could not be obtained On closer inspection it was found that the pH probe was damaged This was reported to the supervisor The probe was replaced and the meter was rechecked for calibration in readiness for routine testing

Construction Materials Testing

A laboratory assistant has been allocated the task of performing inhouse calibration checks on the laboratorys equipment Heshe has previously prepared a wall chart for the year that shows when the required calibration checks fall due in accordance with the NATA Field Application Document FAD for construction materials testing The assistant consults the wall chart and notes that this months calibration checks include checking the

ice points of the liquidinglass thermometers

working sieves against the reference set

compaction hammers for compliance with specifications

repeatability of the balances

A full calibration of one of the laboratorys nuclear density gauges is also required Heshe then telephones the local calibration authority to book the nuclear gauge in for calibration and prepares to perform the other inhouse checks

Codes of practice

Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements

Typical equipment and instruments

Occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental management requirements