The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

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

The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills

Competency must be demonstrated in relation to identifying environmental conditions and strategies to control pests as part of this unit

The worker must collaborate effectively with householders and community members in order to gain their support and approval for the strategies that have been identified and agreed to

Consistency in performance should consider the worker's ability to be able to monitor environmental (physical) conditions to determine if they might be attributing to any problems and needs to occur more than once and over a period of time

Access and equity considerations:

All workers in the health industry should be aware of access and equity issues in relation to their own area of work

All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment

In recognition of particular health issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities

Context of and specific resources for assessment:

This unit is best assessed on the job

Assessment of competency may be through practical demonstration in the work environment or in an approved simulated work environment

Access required to:

a phone/ fax (to assess competency in networking - to obtain information and advice on various strategies)

books and resources if required

simulation of realistic work place setting

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential knowledge:

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

This includes knowledge of:

Basic knowledge of the diseases highlighted/ accentuated by different pests and rodents

Different pests at different stages of their lifecycle

How to set mosquito traps if necessary

The links between pests, rodents and disease transmission

Understanding of the living and breeding places of different pests and rodents, and the environmental conditions which encourage them to live and breed

Understanding of what pests and rodents are

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

This includes the ability to:

Apply problem solving skills in identifying environmental (physical) conditions that may be attributing to pest problems in the household or community if relevant

Basic reading skills may be required in relation to obtaining information from books or other resources which are not in the worker's first language

Collaborate effectively with householders and community members in order to gain their support and approval for the strategies that have been identified and agreed to

Effectively network and communicate with the employing organisation, householders, community members, key people and outside agencies

Identify environmental conditions and strategies to control pests

Use phone/ fax

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any 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.

Pests and rodents that could potentially pose a risk to people's health may include:

Cockroaches

Mosquitoes

Flies

Rats/ mice

Signs of pest and rodent problems may include:

Illness:

signs of pest related illnesses, e.g. Outbreaks of Ross River Fever, etc.

Flies and mosquitoes:

annoying

easy to see

mosquito bites

Rats and mice:

rat and mice droppings

rat and mice holes

running, chewing and/or scratching noises

teeth marks and damage from chewing

sometimes there is a noticeable smell of vermin in the house

chewed through packets of dry food

Cockroaches:

a sweet sickly smell

lots of little black droppings

dead cockroaches

empty egg cases

chewed labels, paper and plastic

Monitored as part of job role may refer to:

Receiving reports of pest problems from householders/ community members

Observing signs of pest problems as part of daily activities

Setting mosquito traps to monitor mosquito numbers if relevant

Environmental (physical) conditions attributing to problems may include:

Pools of water lying under leaking taps

Rubbish lying around the yard or community that could potentially become a breeding ground for mosquito, flies, etc.

Houses with broken or non existent fly wire screens and doors

Toilet vents that are not fly proofed

Bins without tight fitting lids to keep flies out

Septic tanks that are not sealed, or lids broken

Toilets that are blocked or broken

Grass/ reeds growing around and in sewage lagoons

Overflowing drains

Dead animals and faeces lying around

Dirty kitchen and food preparation surfaces

Dirty cupboards

Household rubbish that is not properly disposed of

Cracks or crevices in walls or ceilings

Ascertain nature and extent of problems could refer to:

Clarifying how long the problem has been occurring, or how long it has been noticed as occurring

Clarifying whether or not environmental (physical) conditions have been attributing to problems

Location of harborages refers to:

Places where pests and/ or rodents are living and breeding, e.g. cracks and crevices, kitchen cupboards, cool dark and damp places, holes in walls, insulation, ceilings, between and under floor boards, etc.

Reported may be:

Verbal in either first language or English

Written in either first language or English ie: notes, checklists, etc.

Information may be sought by:

Making inquiries by phone/ fax

Networking with key people or outside agencies

Books and resources

Strategies refers to:

Environmental (physical), e.g. preventing opportunities for pests and rodents to live and breed by reducing access to their living and breeding places (harborages), or to the environmental conditions which encourage them to live and breed; adopting hygiene measures to control problems where necessary

Chemical, e.g. using pesticides or other chemicals to eliminate pests and rodents

Biological, e.g. introducing the natural enemy of the pest/ rodent in order to control and reduce their numbers

Environmental (physical) strategies advantages/ disadvantages may include:

Advantages may include:

in most but not all cases it is simple easy and cost effective

reduces potential living and breeding places for pests and/ or rodents

prevents the possibility of disease transmission

community control

Disadvantages/ obstacles may include:

remote issues, e.g. if septic tank lid is broken it may take some time for replacement to be sent out to some remote areas

Chemical strategies advantages/ disadvantages may include:

Advantages may include:

modern pesticides are generally very effective

it is a quick method and the results are usually quick, e.g. pests are killed within a short time

Disadvantages/ obstacles may include:

if pesticides are not used correctly they can seriously affect the health of the pesticide operator, other people nearby or household/ community pets

in some instances, pesticides used incorrectly may even kill the pesticide operator, other people nearby or household/ community pets

pesticides used incorrectly or applied wrongly may be washed into rivers, or the soil

pesticides can enter the food chain

pesticides can kill other non target species

Biological strategies advantages/disadvantages may include:

Advantages may include:

natural way to control pests, no chemicals used

Disadvantages/ obstacles may include:

the natural enemy introduced in an effort to control the pest/ rodent may multiply and become more of a problem than the original pest/ rodent

Key people and outside agencies may refer to:

Entomologists

Environmental health officers

Other specialists/ experts ie: pest control operators

Poisons branch

Relevant state/territory health services

Organisation may include:

Community council

Community clinic

Other employer bodies/ agencies

Relevant others may include:

Aboriginal health workers

Other Indigenous environmental health workers

Elders

Options are assessed in accordance with job role may refer to:

Does the community/ householder approve and support options

Does funding exist to address specific problems

A work plan may include:

Providing information and support to householders/ community members in relation to environmental (physical) conditions that may have been identified

Making inquiries, referring, or ordering in supplies to address environmental control strategies if needed e.g. fly wire, plaster for sealing cracks or crevices, parts for broken toilets, etc.

Making inquiries referring, or ordering in supplies in relation to chemical control strategies, e.g. obtaining information on how pesticides enter pests/ rodents, and the most appropriate pesticide to use for the task required

Making inquiries, referring, or ordering in supplies in relation to biological control methods if appropriate

Referrals may be by:

Verbal or written correspondence e.g. fax, letter, email

Photos of the problem/issue

Video recording the problem issue