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

Assessment must be carried out in a manner that recognises the cultural and literacy requirements of the assessee and is appropriate to the work performed. Competence in this unit must be achieved in accordance with food safety standards and regulations.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of ability to:

prepare equipment and materials for media preparation

prepare media according to workplace requirements

maintain sterilisation standards

identify and act on out-of-standard results

conduct housekeeping and dispose of waste according to workplace standards

complete documentation.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must occur in a real or simulated workplace where the assessee has access to:

personal protective clothing and equipment as required

work procedures, including advice on company practices, safe work practices, food safety, quality and environmental requirements

instructions, information, specifications and schedules as required

equipment, services and corresponding information as required

products and materials as required

internal and external customers and suppliers as required

cleaning procedures, materials and equipment as required

documentation and recording requirements and procedures.

Method of assessment

This unit should be assessed together with other units of competency relevant to the function or work role.

Guidance information for assessment

To ensure consistency in one's performance, competence should be demonstrated on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities, and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.

Required skills

Note: The following required skills should be applied as appropriate to the equipment and processes that are used in the particular winery or workplace.

Ability to:

Access workplace information to identify culture media requirements

Select, fit and use appropriate personal protection clothing and/or equipment

Confirm equipment status and condition. This may include recognising and rejecting contaminated or faulty glassware and equipment

Confirm supply of necessary materials, equipment and services. This may include recognising and rejecting out-of-specification materials

Liaise with other work areas

Set up and start up equipment as required

Operate equipment according to workplace procedures

Monitor the process and equipment operation to identify out-of-specification results or non-compliance. This may include:

the handling and combining of materials

the utilisation of aseptic techniques

Make culture media to specification

Take corrective action and/or report out-of-specification results, anomalies or non-compliance

Report and/or record corrective action according to workplace procedures

Complete workplace information, which may include labelling

Store dry and prepared culture media according to workplace procedures. This may include consideration of:

light

temperature

shelf-life

contamination

Sort, collect, treat, recycle or dispose of waste

Shut down equipment in response to an emergency situation

Shut down equipment in response to routine shutdown requirements. This may include removing consumables

Maintain work area to meet housekeeping standards. This will include maintenance of aseptic environment

Record workplace information

Clean and store equipment

Clean and sanitise equipment according to enterprise procedures

Identify, rectify or report environmental non-compliance according to enterprise procedures

Use oral communication skills/language to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation, including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification and seeking advice from supervisor

Work cooperatively within a culturally diverse workforce

Required knowledge

Note: The following required knowledge should be applied as appropriate to the equipment and processes that are used in the particular winery or workplace.

Knowledge of:

Purpose and features of culture media

Affect of inappropriate storage on culture media quality and performance

Emergency and troubleshooting procedures for a range of operational problems

Affect of process stages on results and/or outcomes

Process specifications, procedures and operating parameters

Services required

Common causes of inaccuracies or contamination, and preventive or corrective action required

Occupational health and safety (OHS) hazards and controls

Lock-out and tag-out procedures as required

Procedures and responsibility for reporting problems

Shutdown sequence as required

Environmental issues and controls

Cleaning and sanitising requirements of equipment and work area

Recording requirements and procedures

Aseptic requirements and techniques

Cleaning and sanitising procedures where relevant

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Policies and procedures

Work is carried out in accordance with workplace procedures, licensing requirements and legislative requirements

Workplace information

Workplace information may include:

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

specifications

production schedules

instructions

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

work notes

manufacturer instructions

verbal direction from laboratory manager, supervisor or senior operator

Culture media

Culture media may include:

agars and broths required for the analyses and techniques performed by the microbiology laboratory

Equipment

Equipment may include:

hot plate/stirrer

autoclave

analytical balance

pH meter

measuring cylinders

volumetric flasks and glassware

media storage vessels

McCartney bottles

test tubes

pipettes

filtration apparatus

Materials

Materials may include:

dehydrated commercial preparations

juices

additives

Petri dishes

cotton wool

aluminium foil

sterilisation indicators

filters

Equipment status

Confirming equipment status involves:

checking that hygiene and sanitation standards, safety standards, pre-start requirements are met and that equipment is operational

checking the operation and/or calibration of measuring instrumentation

Services

Services may include:

water

power

steam

gases

Information systems

Information systems may be:

print or screen based