Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to operate a decontamination unit for carcases at a meat processing establishment.
This unit is applicable to workers operating or monitoring the operation of a decontamination unit, including hot water, steam or acid wash units.
All work should be carried out to comply with workplace and hygiene requirements.
This unit applies to individuals who work under general supervision, exercise limited autonomy and have some accountability for their own work.
No occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements are known to apply to this unit at the time of publication.
This unit must be delivered and assessed in the context of Australian meat processing standards and regulations.
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. Operate or monitor decontamination unit | 1.1 Operate or monitor decontamination unit according to the workplace and/or manufacturer requirements 1.2 Undertake all start-up procedures according to workplace and/or manufacturer requirements 1.3 Operate or monitor decontamination unit safely according to workplace health and safety requirements 1.4 Monitor temperature or solution concentrations according to workplace and regulatory requirements |
Evidence of Performance
The candidate must operate a decontamination unit for carcases coming off the slaughter floor.
The candidate must:
operate equipment safely
monitor a decontamination unit's operation
report equipment faults to supervisor
use communication skills relevant to work instructions
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must demonstrate a basic factual, technical and procedural knowledge of:
function of the decontamination unit
requirements for monitoring and what corrective action is to be taken if the unit does not function properly
workplace and/or manufacturer operating requirements
Assessment Conditions
Assessment must be completed in a registered processing plant.
Competency must be demonstrated at normal plant throughput and over a period of time.
As a minimum, the following three forms of assessment must be used:
quiz of underpinning knowledge
workplace demonstration
workplace referee or third-party report of performance over time
Assessors must satisfy the current standards for RTOs.
Foundation Skills
Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.