Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to pack and label meat products, using automatic packaging and labelling equipment.
This unit is applicable to workers in smallgoods plants, meat wholesale enterprises, and meat retail establishments who set up packaging units, accurately identify products and package products to meet customer orders.
This unit must be delivered using Australian meat industry standards and regulations.
All work undertaken should comply with workplace requirements, regulatory requirements and hygiene standards.
This unit applies to individuals who work under general supervision, exercise limited autonomy and have some responsibility for their own actions.
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. Set up packaging unit for operation | 1.1 Implement workplace start-up procedures ensuring compliance with workplace health and safety, and hygiene requirements 1.2 Load consumables to specifications 1.3 Select equipment settings according to packaging instructions 1.4 Identify and report faults in equipment either verbally or in writing according to workplace requirements. |
2. Set weight controls | 2.1 Set weight controls to production requirements ensuring bagged product is check-weighed to verify machine set up 2.2 Adjust controls to achieve production specifications |
3. Operate packaging process | 3.1 Package product to workplace requirements ensuring process is operated according to workplace health and safety, workplace and hygiene requirements, and manufacturer's specifications 3.2 Check packs for damage 3.3 Seal and code to packing requirements |
4. Describe packaged product | 4.1 Measure packaged product according to workplace requirements 4.2 Label packaged product according to workplace requirements 4.3 Package product according to workplace health and safety and hygiene requirements |
Evidence of Performance
The candidate must be observed packing and labelling meat products, using relevant equipment. Evidence must demonstrate the candidate’s consistency of performance over time at production speed.
The candidate must:
assemble the packaging unit
check safety features are in place
check the unit to ensure cleanliness and working order
accurately enter information in labelling equipment
set weight controls
load product according to specifications
operate packaging equipment to package products according to manufacturer's specifications, workplace, health and safety, hygiene and sanitation requirements
adjust equipment settings according to packaging instructions or schedules
complete packaging and labelling records accurately
package product to customer specifications
identify and report faults in equipment
apply relevant communication and mathematical skills
apply relevant regulatory requirements
use estimation and manual scales to check-weigh product
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must demonstrate a basic factual, technical and procedural knowledge of:
methods of recording production
regulatory requirements related to packaging
features of the packaging unit including parts, safety features, start-up and shut-down procedures, possible faults and adjustments
production schedule for automatic packaging and labelling equipment
relevant regulatory requirements
Assessment Conditions
Competency must be demonstrated using automated packaging equipment under conditions similar to the speed of production and within the parameters of the role and responsibilities.
Assessment must occur in the workplace under normal enterprise or production conditions or in a simulated environment.
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 current standards for RTOs.
Foundation Skills
Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.