• MSL933001A - Maintain the laboratory_field workplace fit for purpose

Unit of Competency Mapping – Information for Teachers/Assessors – Information for Learners

MSL933001A Mapping and Delivery Guide
Maintain the laboratory_field workplace fit for purpose

Version 1.0
Issue Date: March 2024


Qualification -
Unit of Competency MSL933001A - Maintain the laboratory_field workplace fit for purpose
Description This unit of competency covers the general cleaning of work surfaces, cleaning and storage of equipment and the monitoring of laboratory stocks under direct supervision.
Employability Skills This unit contains employability skills.
Learning Outcomes and Application This unit of competency is applicable to laboratory assistants and instrument operators working in all industry sectors.This unit of competency forms a major part of the work of laboratory assistants. They work in accordance with work instructions and standard operating procedures which incorporate all relevant aspects of occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation and the codes, guidelines, regulations and Australian standards applying to environmental hazards and dangerous goods.Industry representatives have provided case studies to illustrate the practical application of this unit of competency and to show its relevance in a workplace setting. These are found at the end of this unit of competency under the section 'This competency in practice'.
Duration and Setting X weeks, nominally xx hours, delivered in a classroom/online/blended learning setting.
Prerequisites/co-requisites
Competency Field
Development and validation strategy and guide for assessors and learners Student Learning Resources Handouts
Activities
Slides
PPT
Assessment 1 Assessment 2 Assessment 3 Assessment 4
Elements of Competency Performance Criteria              
Element: Clean work preparation areas
  • Clean preparation areas using appropriate cleaning agents and equipment according to enterprise procedures
  • Remove spillages, if they occur, using appropriate agents, personal protective equipment and enterprise procedures
  • Collect and segregate wastes in accordance with enterprise procedures, relevant codes and regulations
       
Element: Clean and store equipment
  • Collect used equipment, inspect for faults and, where necessary, remove from service
  • Use appropriate agents, apparatus and techniques to clean equipment
  • Store clean equipment in the designated locations and manner
       
Element: Monitor stocks of materials and equipment
  • Perform stock checks and maintain records of usage as directed
  • Store labelled stocks for safe and efficient retrieval
  • Inform appropriate personnel of impending stock shortages to maintain continuity of supply
       
Element: Maintain a safe work environment
  • Use established safe work practices and personal protective equipment to ensure personal safety and that of other personnel
  • Report potential hazards and/or maintenance issues in own work area to designated personnel
  • Minimise the generation of wastes and environmental impacts
  • Dispose of wastes in accordance with enterprise procedures, relevant codes and regulations
       


Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

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:

follow enterprise procedures, relevant codes and guidelines when maintaining the laboratory/field workplace

work safely and minimise exposure of hazards to self, others and the laboratory

keep accurate up-to-date records and report potential hazards and maintenance issues.

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:

MSL943002A Participate in laboratory/field workplace safety.

Resources may include:

access to work preparation areas, stocks, materials and equipment

cleaning, decontamination and/or disinfection agents and equipment

personal protective equipment

stock order firms, labels and records/forms.

Method of assessment

The following assessment methods are suggested:

observation of the candidate's techniques for cleaning and/or removal of spillages and waste disposal

review of stock records completed by the candidate

feedback from supervisors and peers

questioning to assess underpinning knowledge of regulations and procedures where direct observation is difficult (such as dealing with hazards) and choice of materials and equipment.

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 and/or 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

On receipt of a bulk container of cleaning or sanitising agent, a laboratory assistant always attached to the container a description of its method of use. The assistant also attached a list of the surfaces, apparatus, utensils and machines that could be safely treated with that chemical agent as outlined in the company's quality manual. This practice reduced the likelihood of misuse of the chemical, wastage, damage to equipment and inadequate cleaning and sanitation.

Biomedical and environmental

Laboratory assistants and technical officers routinely examine fluids for micro-organisms using a microscope. They examine fluids, such as urine, seawater, chlorinated pool water, water from catchment areas and bottled water. To maintain microscopes in working order, they thoroughly clean the stage, oculars and each objective after use and sometimes between samples. The 100X objective requires particular care since this is the oil immersion objective. The oil is slightly acidic and will slowly corrode the objective if it is not cleaned thoroughly and regularly. After using the 100X objective they also take care not to drag the other objectives through the oil.

Food processing

A laboratory assistant regularly uses standard pH solutions to calibrate the laboratory's pH meters. The assistant is aware from the label that the shelf life of these solutions after opening is two months and records the opening and disposal dates on the container. The assistant is also aware that the shelf life of unopened buffer solutions is twelve months from the date of manufacture and monitors this by noting the production date on the bottle. Requests for stock replacement take into account the normal rate of use of these buffer solutions so that unopened bottles have not reached their expiry date before use.


Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assignment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)


Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

Required skills

Required skills include:

safely cleaning work preparation areas and equipment using appropriate cleaning agents, equipment and techniques

safely removing spillages and disposing of wastes

minimising the exposure to hazards of self, others and the laboratory

safely storing equipment and materials using enterprise procedures, relevant codes and guidelines

monitoring and reporting stock levels and the condition of laboratory materials and equipment

keeping accurate, up-to-date records

reporting potential hazards and maintenance issues using enterprise procedures

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes:

enterprise procedures for the cleaning of work preparation areas, materials and equipment

storage requirements for specific materials and equipment

enterprise procedures for minimisation and disposal of waste

enterprise procedures for monitoring of laboratory stocks

information contained in material safety data sheets (MSDS) for materials handled regularly during the performance of maintenance tasks

relevant health, safety and environment requirements

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.

Codes of practice

Where reference is made to industry codes of practice, and/or Australian/international standards, it is expected the latest version will be used

Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements

Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements may include:

Australian and international standards such as:

AS 1678 Emergency procedure guide - Transport

AS 1940-2004 Storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids

AS 2252 Biological safety cabinets

AS 3780-2008 The storage and handling of corrosive substances

AS 4332-2004 The storage and handling of gases in cylinders

AS ISO 17025-2005 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories

AS/NZS 1269 Set:2005 Occupational noise management set

AS/NZS 1337 Eye protection

AS/NZS 2161 Set:2008 Occupational protective gloves set

AS/NZS 2210:1994 Occupational protective footwear

AS/NZS 2243 Set:2006 Safety in laboratories set

AS/NZS 2243.8:2006 Safety in laboratories - Fume cupboards

AS/NZS 2865 Set:2005 Safe working in a confined space set

AS/NZS 2982.1:1997 Laboratory design and construction - General requirements

AS/NZS 4187:2003 Cleaning, disinfecting and sterilising reusable medical and surgical instruments and equipment, and maintenance of associated environments in health care facilities

AS/NZS 4452:1997 The storage and handling of toxic substances

AS/NZS 4501 Set:2008 Occupational clothing set

AS/NZS ISO 14000 Set:2005 Environmental management standards set

animal welfare legislation and codes of practice

Australian code of good manufacturing practice for medicinal products (GMP)

Australian Dangerous Goods Code

Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) Export Control (Orders) Regulations 1982

Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) Import Guidelines

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) Codes of Practice

enterprise or standard operating procedures (SOPs)

equipment manuals and warranties, supplier catalogues and handbooks

gene technology regulations

guide to physical containment levels and facility types

HB 9-1994 Occupational personal protection

material safety data sheets (MSDS)

National Code of Practice for the labelling of workplace substances (NOHSC:2012 (1994))

national environment protection measures

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Guidelines

national measurement regulations and guidelines

occupational health and safety (OHS) national standards and codes of practice

principles of good laboratory practice (GLP)

Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1009

Equipment, material procedures and facilities

Equipment, material procedures and facilities may include:

animal cages

autoclaves

balances

blenders, centrifuges and separating equipment

brushes

cell counters and staining machines

colorimeters/spectrometers and polarimeters

compaction rammers and soil classification equipment

conductivity meters and pH meters

dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, ovens, microwave ovens, incubators and water baths

disintegration apparatus, thermometers and incubators

fume hoods, biohazard containers and biological safety cabinets

gas cylinders

glassware, plastic ware; glass, plastic and quartz cuvettes

hotplates, mantles, burners and muffle furnaces

instrument chart recorders, penetrometers, force measuring equipment and tensiometers

light and fluorescence microscopes

melting point apparatus, viscometers and hardness testing equipment

microtomes and tissue processors

mixing and separating equipment such as centrifuges, rifflers and splitters and mixers

noise meters and blasting meters

optical microscopes

pipettes, burettes and volumetric glassware

shovels, scoops, plates, rods, cylinder moulds and buckets

steel ruler/tapes and spirit levels

thermometers, thermohygrographs, instrument chart recorders, hydrometers, pH meters and ion-selective electrodes

ultrasonic cleaners

vehicles

Typical materials

Typical materials may include:

consumable items, such as syringes, pipette tips, weigh boats

disposable clothing and personal protective equipment

distilled water, reagents, chemicals, disinfectants, detergents, agar media and plates

equipment spares, such as fuses, bulbs and batteries

oils/lubricants, fuels, industrial gases and cryogenics, such as dry ice and liquid nitrogen

paper and stationery

reference samples and standards

Maintenance

Maintenance may include:

checking serviceability before storage

cleaning

prevention of contamination

storing

Cleaning requirements

Cleaning requirements may include:

decontamination and/or disinfection

hygiene monitoring

minimising environmental impacts

operation of automatic cleaning apparatus, such as pipette washer, ultrasonic cleaners and dishwashers

sterilisation and disposal of wastes using boiling, high pressure air or steam, microwaves, chemicals, gas, filtration, ultraviolet radiation and autoclaving

use of specialised techniques, such as chromic acid baths and soaking in hypochlorite

Preparation areas

Preparation areas may include:

benches

fume cupboards

sheds

sinks

Agents for cleaning

Agents for cleaning may include:

cleaning solutions

decontaminants

organic solvents

Spillages

Spillages may include:

chemicals

radioactive materials

biologically active materials

Wastes

Wastes may include:

broken glass

batteries

disposable personal protective equipment

excess test samples

micro-organisms

plastic and metals

sharps

solvents

spent reagents

spent samples and test pieces

used containers, boxes, bags and palettes

Stock records

Stock records may include:

calibration and maintenance history

data sheets

handbooks, warranty documents, catalogues, manuals and MSDS

records of usage, loans and breakages

Communication

Communication could involve other people, such as:

laboratory, production, administration and cleaning staff

internal/external contractors

emergency personnel

Maintenance issues

Maintenance issues could involve:

checking materials and equipment are fit for purpose

equipment malfunction

hygiene issues

potential hazards, incidents and emergencies

recycling and waste disposal

spillages, leakages, breakages and contamination

stock requirements and shortages

Hazards

Hazards may include:

aerosols from broken centrifuge tubes and pipetting

chemicals, such as acids, heavy metals, pesticides and hydrocarbons

crushing, entanglement and cuts associated with moving machinery or falling objects

cryogenics, such as dry ice and liquid nitrogen

electric shock

fluids under pressure, such as steam and industrial gas cylinders

manual handling, working at heights and working in confined spaces

microbiological organisms and agents associated with soil, air, water, blood and blood products, and human or animal tissue and fluids

occupational overuse syndrome, slips, trips and falls

pedestrian and vehicular traffic

sharps, broken glassware and hand tools

solar radiation, dust and noise

sources of ignition, flammable liquids and gases

Established safe work practices

Established safe work practices may include:

applying containment procedures through the use of appropriate equipment, such as biohazard containers, laminar flow cabinets, Class I, II and III biohazard cabinets and Class PCII, PCIII, and PCIV physical containment facilities

ensuring access to service shut-off points

following established manual handling procedures for tasks involving manual handling

handling and storage of all hazardous materials and equipment in accordance with labelling, MSDS and manufacturer's instructions

identifying and reporting operating problems or equipment malfunctions

labelling of samples, reagents, aliquoted samples and hazardous materials

recognising and observing hazard warnings and safety signs

reporting to appropriate personnel of abnormal emissions, discharges and airborne contaminants, such as noise, light, solids, liquids, water/waste water, gases, smoke, vapour, fumes, odour and particulates

use of MSDS

use of personal protective equipment, such as hard hats, hearing protection, gloves, safety glasses, goggles, face guards, coveralls, gown, body suits, respirators and safety boots

Occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental management requirements

OHS and environmental management requirements:

all operations must comply with enterprise OHS and environmental management requirements, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation - these requirements must not be compromised at any time

all operations assume the potentially hazardous nature of samples and require standard precautions to be applied

where relevant, users should access and apply current industry understanding of infection control issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and State and Territory Departments of Health

Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Clean preparation areas using appropriate cleaning agents and equipment according to enterprise procedures 
Remove spillages, if they occur, using appropriate agents, personal protective equipment and enterprise procedures 
Collect and segregate wastes in accordance with enterprise procedures, relevant codes and regulations 
Collect used equipment, inspect for faults and, where necessary, remove from service 
Use appropriate agents, apparatus and techniques to clean equipment 
Store clean equipment in the designated locations and manner 
Perform stock checks and maintain records of usage as directed 
Store labelled stocks for safe and efficient retrieval 
Inform appropriate personnel of impending stock shortages to maintain continuity of supply 
Use established safe work practices and personal protective equipment to ensure personal safety and that of other personnel 
Report potential hazards and/or maintenance issues in own work area to designated personnel 
Minimise the generation of wastes and environmental impacts 
Dispose of wastes in accordance with enterprise procedures, relevant codes and regulations 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

MSL933001A - Maintain the laboratory_field workplace fit for purpose
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:


Assessment Record Sheet

MSL933001A - Maintain the laboratory_field workplace fit for purpose

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

Date: