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Elements and Performance Criteria

  1. Perform serviceability checks
  2. Conduct routine maintenance safely
  3. Perform calibration/qualification checks
  4. Arrange instrument servicing where appropriate

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, national and international standards, guidelines and codes covering competence of testing and calibration laboratories; laboratory design and construction; quality management; laboratory safety; occupational protective equipment; labelling of workplace substances; storage, handling and transport of dangerous goods; environmental management and physical containment levels and facility types

national work health and safety (WHS) standards and codes of practice, national measurement regulations and guidelines, and national environment protection measures

industry specific codes, regulations and guidelines, such as Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) Codes of Practice; National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Guidelines, good laboratory practice (GLP) and Australian code of good manufacturing practice for medicinal products (GMP)

workplace documents, such as standard operating procedures (SOPs); quality management; equipment manuals and warranties; supplier catalogues and handbooks; calibration and maintenance schedules; material safety data sheets (MSDS) and safety procedures; material, production and product specifications; production and laboratory schedules; workplace recording and reporting procedures; and waste minimisation and safe disposal procedures

Laboratory instruments and equipment

Laboratory instruments and equipment include, but are not limited to, one or more of:

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

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, staining machines, cell analysers and cell counters

colorimeters/spectrometers and polarimeters, light and fluorescence microscopes, refractometers, chromatographic equipment and electrochemical equipment

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, disintegration apparatus, penetrometers and hardness testing equipment

pressure gauges, torque testers, load cells, strain gauges and tensiometers

motors, pumps and generators

Basic repairs

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

replacement of reagents and consumables, such as fuses; lamps; hoses and belts; and replacement or top-up of oils, lubricants or coolants

connecting gas supplies

cleaning and/or replacement of cells, torches and burners

maintaining syringes/injection equipment

basic electrical checks involving simple digital multimeters

changing injection port ferrules, optimising nebulisers and realigning of components

cleaning and/or changing detectors (for gas liquid and liquid chromatographs)

installation, conditioning and removal of columns for gas chromatographs (packed and capillary) and liquid chromatographs (columns and guard columns)

appropriate storage of columns and other equipment not currently in use

Calibration status/qualification checks

Calibration status/qualification checks include, but are not limited to, one or more of:

matching cells (for dual beam instruments)

checks for monochromator wavelength and photometric accuracy

checks for baseline flatness and stray light

checks on electrode performance

checking sensitivity

injection/use of standard mixtures

comparison with manufacturer specifications/chromatogram

use of standard masses and solutions

use of calibrated thermometers and glassware to assess instrument/component performance

Hazards

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

electric shock

chemicals, such as acids and cleaning agents

fluids under pressure, such as steam and industrial gases

sharps, such as broken glassware

sources of heat, such as burners, ovens and furnaces

manual handling of heavy equipment

crushing, entanglement and cuts associated with moving machinery

Safety procedures

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

ensuring access to service shut-off points

following appropriate manual handling procedures

regular cleaning of equipment and work areas

machinery guards

signage, barriers and service isolation tags

lockout and tag-out procedures

use of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as hearing protection, gloves, safety glasses, coveralls and safety boots

handling and storing hazardous materials and equipment in accordance with labels, MSDS, manufacturer instructions, and workplace procedures and regulations

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:

checking the serviceability of at least three (3) laboratory/field instruments or items of equipment and performing routine maintenance, such as cleaning, replacement of consumables and minor components, and correct storage

conducting calibration status/qualification checks for at least two (2) instruments or equipment

obtaining instrument/equipment readings with the required accuracy and precision

following workplace data recording and reporting procedures

determining whether an item of equipment/instrument is in correct working order

recognising the need for specialist servicing and/or repairs

performing basic troubleshooting to locate and rectify basic faults

performing basic repairs consistent with warranty and service agreements

following all relevant work health and safety (WHS) requirements.

Knowledge Evidence

Must provide evidence that demonstrates knowledge of:

role and importance of regular calibration checks and maintenance of instruments and equipment, and maintenance schedules and procedures

function of key components of the instrument or equipment operating principles, details of the pre-use, calibration and safety checks, and operating procedures for the items used

sources of uncertainty in instrument or equipment operation and their control

common sources of faults in the instruments or equipment used and details of their repair

basic equipment cleaning, maintenance and storage procedures for items of equipment used

workplace procedures for recording data and reporting results, communicating with service agents and suppliers and ordering stocks

relevant hazards, WHS and environmental management, and control measures.