AHCWOL311
Perform shed duties


Application

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to perform shed duties covering the board and table and to provide mentoring to less experienced staff.

All work must be carried out to comply with workplace procedures, work health and safety, animal welfare and biosecurity legislation and codes, and sustainability practices.

This unit applies to individuals who work under broad direction and take responsibility for their own work including limited responsibility for the work of others.

No occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements are known to apply to this unit at the time of publication.


Elements and Performance Criteria

Element

Performance criteria

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Perform board duties

1.1 Remove stained wool, black wool, and contamination on the shearing board

1.2 Pick up belly wool and remove stained wool

1.3 Remove crutch wool and reposition the hind leg if necessary

1.4 Pick up fleece and throw or park and retrieve later if wool table is not clear

1.5 Monitor removal of wool and maintenance of the board and provide extra support when needed

1.6 Provide mentoring and demonstration of work skills to inexperienced board staff as required

1.7 Apply safe work practices at all times and use available safety equipment

1.8 Comply with enterprise animal welfare and biosecurity policies and procedures

2. Prepare wool

2.1 Sweep up locks and keep board and table locks separate where directed

2.2 Remove shanks and jowls if directed and place in correct bin

2.3 Remove pizzle stain from bellies and placed in stains line

2.4 Remove brisket wool if directed by the wool classer

2.5 Sweep crutchings clear of the board, remove stain and dags and place in correct bins

2.6 Carry lambs wool and prematurely shorn wools to the wool table using boards or paddles if required

2.7 Provide mentoring and support in wool handling to inexperienced staff as part of the work team role

3. Skirt fleeces

3.1 Seek information on wool classer requirements for mob

3.2 Remove fribs and sweats and place in appropriate bins

3.3 Remove short crutch wool and wiggings and place with locks

3.4 Remove wool carrying clumpy vegetable matter if directed by the wool classer

3.5 Seek feedback on accuracy of skirting and fleece to skirtings ratio

3.6 Remove fleece wool which is defective or lacks uniformity if directed by the wool classer

4. Maintain wool flow and minimise contamination risk

4.1 Sweep the immediate shearing area after each sheep is shorn

4.2 Sweep shearing boards, wool room, and area beneath the wool table as regularly as necessary during the shearing operation

4.3 Keep the shearing boards and the wool room free of potential contamination

4.4 Remove waste and place appropriately in full consideration of environmental implications

4.5 Minimise the risk of mixing wool between lines through regular sweeping and maintenance of bins, other containers and the wool area

4.6 Complete all tasks and cover contingencies through a professional, team-based approach

5. Carry out tasks to support the shearing operation

5.1 Observe the rate of shearing and estimate the frequency of refilling the catching pens and for mob cutout

5.2 Keep different mobs of sheep separate

5.3 Implement directions from the wool classer and provide feedback on sheep supply and wool flow

5.4 Empty all butts and bins and press wool

5.5 Store bales as directed

5.6 Sweep wool working area clean

5.7 Store equipment at the end of shearing

5.8 Wash board down and disinfect after shearing cutout

Evidence of Performance

The candidate must be assessed on their ability to integrate and apply the performance requirements of this unit in a workplace setting. Performance must be demonstrated consistently over time and in a suitable range of contexts.

The candidate must provide evidence that they can:

remove fleeces and sweep boards before the next sheep is dragged for shearing

pick up and throw fleeces safely

remove non-fleece wools from the board and place in correct bins

identify and accurately remove stain

use correct technique for skirting and rolling fleece

sweep floors and remove contamination

work rapidly within specified timeframes

interpret verbal and visual communication signals within the wool shed given by the supervisor, the wool classer and the shearers

monitor sheep supply in pens and fill as necessary

monitor wool flow and the wool working area to ensure risk of mixing between lines is minimised

provide mentoring to less experienced staff

deal with contingencies by supporting other staff in tasks as required

observe and report on adverse environmental impacts

apply work health and safety requirements in the context of own work

apply enterprise animal welfare policies in the context of own work


Evidence of Knowledge

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:

maintenance and hygiene requirements of shearing sheds, boards and catching pens

types of contamination and their sources

properties of the parts of a fleece

principles of moving and penning animals

shearing requirements

shearing shed and board layouts

environmental codes of practice with regard to shearing

relevant work health and safety and animal welfare legislation, codes of practice and enterprise requirements that apply to wool harvesting and pressing


Assessment Conditions

Competency is to be assessed in the work place or workplace and simulated environments that accurately reflect performance in a real workplace setting.

Assessors must satisfy current standards for RTOs.


Foundation Skills

Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.


Range Statement


Sectors

Wool (WOL)