Application
This unit is applicable to those working in the companion animal industry sector where it may be necessary to transport companion animals. Transportation may be required to and from pet shops, boarding kennels and catteries or companion animal training, groomer and breeding establishments, mobile animal facilities, client residences or veterinary practices. 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. |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Plan the capture and restraint of companion animals | 1.1. Animals are identified and risks are assessed in accordance with organisational policies and procedures. 1.2. Appropriate capture techniques and equipment are selected and prepared for use. 1.3. Transport housing is prepared as appropriate. |
2. Capture animals | 2.1. Animals are captured in a safe and humane manner and in accordance with occupational health and safety (OHS) and emergency procedures. 2.2. Animals are handled correctly and monitored carefully for stress or injury. 2.3. Animals are placed in transport housing and housing is secured correctly. |
3. Prepare animals for movement | 3.1. Advice is provided to client on appropriate transport and relocation procedures. 3.2. Documentation is completed, as required, in accordance with legislative and organisational requirements. |
Required Skills
|
Required skills |
complete relevant work-related documents employ safe, humane and environmentally responsible organisational systems and procedures when capturing, restraining and handling animals implement organisation policies, procedures and requirements identify transport containers appropriate to animals' requirements maintain tools, equipment and transport containers in accordance with manufacturers' specifications maintain the highest standards of hygiene and infection control at all times to reduce the risk of infection and cross-infection literacy skills to read and follow organisation policies and procedures, including OHS procedures and other organisational policies and procedures; 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 and consulting with supervisors numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record routine workplace measures interpersonal skills to work with others and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities problem-solving skills to use available resources and prioritise daily tasks use safe manual handling techniques and/or equipment. |
Required knowledge |
appropriate relocation procedures for a range of animals behaviour and physiology of typical companion animals dietary requirements before, during and after transport general maintenance and cleaning of animal transport housing, capture and restraint equipment organisation policies, procedures and requirements, including OHS and emergency procedures principles of animal welfare and ethics relevant recordkeeping systems relevant OHS and animal welfare legislative requirements and codes of practice, including transportation of companion animals safe and humane animal capture, handling and restraint techniques and procedures for a range of animals safe work practices species compatibility transport housing requirements workplace hygiene standards, disinfectants, cleaning agents, cleaning techniques and cleaning equipment and materials. |
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: handle animals in a safe, humane and ethical manner at all times select and use appropriate techniques and equipment to capture and restrain a range of companion animals prepare correct type of transport container comply with relevant legislation, regulations and codes of practice, including animal welfare, OHS and transport of companion animals build relationships and communicate effectively with clients in respect to animals' transportation and initial settling in requirements maintain records and documentation. The skills and knowledge required to capture, handle and transport companion 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 most appropriately be assessed in a companion animal workplace or in a situation that reproduces normal work conditions. Workplaces can include pet shops, boarding kennels and catteries, companion animal training, grooming and/or breeding establishments and mobile animal facilities. There must be access to a range of companion animal breeds and species as well as 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 and where possible, 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 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. | |
Companion animals may include: | aquaria, reptiles and amphibians birds dogs and cats invertebrates (e.g. stick insects, spiders and beetles) small animals (e.g. rabbits, rodents, ferrets and guinea pigs). |
Risks in capture, handling and transport of animals may include | aggressive animal behaviour escape of animals and subsequent threat to safety of humans and other animals potential injuries to humans during capture, handling and transport processes potential stress and injury to animals during capture and transport. |
Capture techniques and equipment may include: | equipment: chemical controls (e.g. sedatives) hoods or other sight restriction devices leads, collars and halters lassoes, ropes, chains, catching poles, nets and harnesses traps visual barriers techniques and devices used to: entice or attract animals herd stock separate animals. |
Transport housing may include: | bags, cages, pouches, padded containers containers suitable for holding water climate controlled containers trailers or other stock vehicle transfer or crush equipment. |
Transport housing preparation factors may include: | animals' metabolic and other health features challenges involved in loading captured animal into transport location of capture and distance to destination risk of injury to animal within transport container size, age, health status and number of animals to be transported. |
Safe and humane manner considerations may include: | allocating sufficient time to the process appropriate use of restraints for animals considering animals' welfare at all times correct use of personal protective equipment observing if the animal is becoming distressed. |
OHS risks when handling animals may include: | animal bites, envenomation, kicks, scratches and crush injuries biological hazardous waste and sharps disposal handling of chemicals and medicines gas leakage inhalation of aerosol particles intraocular contamination manual handling, including carrying, lifting and shifting needle pricks and cuts from other sharps release of infective agents (animal and human) slippery or uneven work surfaces zoonoses. |
Emergency procedures may relate to: | potential escape of an animal injury to target animals, other animals, staff and potentially the public. |
Indicators of stress may include: | aggressive behaviour inappetence subdued behaviour trembling vocalisation. |
Relocation procedure considerations may include: | future dietary requirements housing at destination immediate food and water requirements on arrival indicators of travel stress and other health emergencies introduction process to people and other animals. |
Sectors
Unit sector | Companion animal services |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. |
Licensing Information
Not applicable.