Application
This unit is applicable to those working in animal control and regulation industry sectors where it is necessary to impound animals. In addition to legal and ethical responsibilities, all units of competency in the ACM10 Animal Care and Management Training Package have the requirement for animals to be handled gently and calmly. The individual is required to exhibit appropriate care for animals so that stress and discomfort is minimised. Note: This unit does not involve the use of firearms, chemical or drugs in the process of seizing an animal. |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Assess the situation | 1.1. Situation is assessed to determine risk to self, bystanders, the public and target animal. 1.2. Safety of self, bystanders, the public and target animal is always maintained. 1.3. Organisational policies and procedures and legislative requirements are followed at all times. |
2. Seize animal | 2.1. Appropriate equipment for seizure is selected. 2.2. Action is taken to reduce risk/hazard in seizing the animal. 2.3. Animal is seized using correct and humane animal handling techniques. 2.4. Safe work practices and occupational health and safety (OHS) requirements are followed in seizing animal. 2.5. Animal is assessed for injuries and health issues and basic first aid is applied to animal and/or self as required. 2.6. Organisational policies and procedures and legislative requirements are followed. |
3. Transport animal | 3.1. Mode of transport is selected and prepared, and destination is determined appropriate to animal's requirements. 3.2. Restraints are prepared and maintained. 3.3. Animal is loaded and restrained humanely in accordance with organisational policies and procedures and legislative requirements. 3.4. Animal is transported to destination. 3.5. Animal is removed from transport restraints and unloaded safely and correctly at destination. 3.6. Animal is housed and fed at destination as required by legislative requirements. 3.7. Safe work practices and OHS requirements are followed in restraining and transporting animal. 3.8. Organisational policies and procedures and legislative requirements are followed. 3.9. Appropriate records are kept and entered into relevant management systems as required. |
Required Skills
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Required skills |
apply basic first aid apply safe work practices on a daily basis assess a situation and determine an appropriate plan for the seizure and transport of animals employ safe, humane and environmentally responsible organisational systems and procedures when working with and handling animals, including loading and unloading animals for transportation maintain the highest standards of hygiene and infection control at all times to reduce the risk of infection and cross-infection read and interpret relevant legislation use animal seizure and restraint techniques literacy skills to read and follow organisational policies and procedures, including OHS, infection control and waste management; follow sequenced written instructions; record accurately and legibly information collected; and select and apply procedures to a range of defined tasks oral communication skills/language to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation, including questioning techniques, active listening, asking for clarification from third party and reporting to supervisor numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record routine workplace measures risk management skills, including identifying risks, consulting with stakeholders, modifying and reviewing processes and documenting changes interpersonal skills to communicate, relate, negotiate and mediate with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders from a range of social and cultural backgrounds problem-solving skills to use available resources and prioritise daily tasks use safe manual handling techniques and/or equipment use safe waste handling and disposal procedures. |
Required knowledge |
animal behaviour, temperament and body language animal's interpretation of human body language when it is being approached awareness of diseases and zoonoses basic first aid methods and techniques equipment, methods and strategies for seizing, restraining and transporting animals safely and humanely OHS hazards organisational policies and procedures principles of animal welfare and ethics recognition of animal stress and comfort relevant legislation and codes of practice relating to the seizure, restraint and transportation of animals. |
Evidence Required
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 | The evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit. Assessors should ensure that candidates can: assess a situation to determine an appropriate plan for seizure and transport of animals minimise risks to animals, self, bystanders and the public handle and restrain animals in a safe and humane manner seize animals using equipment appropriate to the animal and the task assess animals for injury and/or health issues apply basic first aid as required load, transport and unload animals using safe work practices access and use management systems to keep and maintain accurate records. The skills and knowledge required to assess and impound animals must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment of this unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in an animal control and regulation workplace or in a situation that reproduces normal work conditions. There must be access to the appropriate equipment and/or resources to enable one to demonstrate competence. |
Method of assessment | To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated, to industry defined standards, on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities and over a number of assessment activities. The assessment strategy must include practical skills assessment. Suggested strategies for this unit are: written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge observed, documented and first-hand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions case study analysis third-party evidence workplace documentation portfolio. This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role. |
Guidance information for assessment | Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds). |
Range Statement
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. | |
Assessing the situation may include: | the consideration of: members of the public and their safety safety of self and team members safety and welfare of the animal to be seized environment: open space public facility residential property roads circumstances: an aggressive animal crowded place time of day provision for backup if required type, size and number of animals to be seized health and wellbeing of animals to be seized making a decision, in consultation with supervisor, veterinarian or others, as to whether the animal should be destroyed during the seizure process. |
The purpose of seizing an animal may include: | an animal may be seized: to ensure safety to the community or to the animal itself (e.g. due to an animal's aggressive behaviour) for legislative reasons: animal wandering at large attacks breach of seizure orders. |
Equipment may include: | bribes (e.g. food) bridles and headstalls catch poles cages collars and leads halters and harnesses nets ropes shackles snake bags protective clothing including gloves traps. Firearms, chemicals or drugs should not be used as part of this unit of competency. |
Safe work practices may include: | use of personal protective clothing and equipment appropriate to the type of animal protocols: animal hazard management and identification animal handling (e.g. lifting and securing) seizure and transportation. |
OHS risks when working with animals may include: | animal bites, envenomation, kicks, scratches and crush injuries biological hazardous waste inhalation of aerosol particles intraocular contamination manual handling, including carrying, lifting and shifting moving parts of machinery or equipment release of infective agents (animal and human) slippery or uneven work surfaces zoonoses. |
Possible destinations may include: | pounds return to owner shelters RSPCA veterinary clinic for veterinary care and assistance wildlife carer. |
Types of restraintsdo not include: | firearms, chemicals or drugs as part of this unit of competency. |
Sectors
Unit sector | Animal control and regulation |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. |
Licensing Information
Not applicable.