Application
This unit of competency specifies the outcomes required to clean areas where food is dispatched, handled, inspected, packaged, prepared, processed, received, stored and transported. The unit covers assessing the extent of the cleaning task and selecting required cleaning equipment, chemicals and methods.
The unit supports cleaners who work alone or in teams. It applies in a range of commercial and residential work sites, including food courts and commercial or industrial food-processing kitchens or plants.
No licensing, legislative, regulatory, or certification requirements apply to this unit of competency at the time of endorsement.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the range of conditions. | ||
1. | Plan and prepare to clean food-handling areas. | 1.1. | Work site hazards, including cross-contamination, are assessed and risks controlled according to company, legislative, and health and safety requirements. |
1.2. | Requirements of food-safety program applicable to the area are accessed, interpreted and applied to planning. | ||
1.3. | Surfaces and soil types are identified by observation, and cleaning techniques and cleaningchemicals required for task are selected and prepared. | ||
1.4. | Equipment is | ||
1.5. | Personal protective equipment (PPE) is sourced according to manufacturer specifications, and health and safety and company requirements. | ||
1.6. | Consumables are obtained to meet anticipated usage patterns according to company requirements. | ||
1.7. | Signs and barricades are selected and installed according to health and safety, and company requirements. | ||
2. | Replenish consumables and remove waste. | 2.1. | Consumables are replenished according to client and company requirements. |
2.2. | Rubbish bins are emptied, cleaned and sanitised according to specified requirements, and new replacement bin liners are inserted. | ||
2.3. | Collected soil and waste are disposed of according to client and company specifications, and legislative, environmental, and health and safety requirements. | ||
3. | Clean food-handling surfaces. | 3.1. | Loose dirt and debris are removed from food-handling surfaces prior to applying cleaning treatment. |
3.2. | Physical movement around food-handling areas is conducted according to food-safety program. | ||
3.3. | Chemicals are applied to surfaces and allowed to dwell according to manufacturer specifications and company requirements. | ||
3.4. | Surfaces are thoroughly rinsed and allowed to dry according to company requirements. | ||
3.5. | Practices inconsistent with food-safety program are reported according to company requirements. | ||
4. | Sanitise food-handling surfaces. | 4.1. | Chemical sanitisers or heat are applied to food-handling surfaces according to job requirements. |
4.2. | Surfaces are thoroughly rinsed and allowed to dry according to company requirements. | ||
5. | Clean, safety check and store equipment. | 5.1. | Signs and barricades are removed according to health and safety, and company requirements. |
5.2. | Equipment and PPE are cleaned, safety checked and stored according to manufacturer specifications and environmental, health and safety, and company requirements. | ||
5.3. | Unused chemicals are stored or disposed of according to manufacturer specifications, and health and safety and company requirements. | ||
Evidence of Performance
A person demonstrating competency in this unit must satisfy the requirements of the elements, performance criteria, foundation skills and range of conditions of this unit.
The person must also clean three of the following different food-handling areas:
commercial food-preparation area
commercial food-processing area
food court
food storage area
refrigeration area
public food-handling area
residential food-handling area.
In doing the above work, the person must:
identify and control site hazards, including contamination hazards, before commencing cleaning, and take steps to prevent identified hazards
identify type of surfaces and soil present in the work area
select cleaning equipment required for the task
fit and use personal protective equipment (PPE) as required by work tasks to meet food business requirements
maintain housekeeping standards in food-handling area and dispose of waste to meet food-handling requirements
maintain personal hygiene to ensure that food safety is not compromised
replenish two different types of consumables.
Evidence of Knowledge
A person demonstrating competency in this unit must demonstrate knowledge of:
methods for cleaning food-handling areas, including the use of microfibre products
methods for cleaning surfaces in food-handling areas
cleaning and sanitation requirements of food-handling areas, including:
required chemicals, equipment and cleaning methods
personal hygiene practices, including:
clothing and footwear requirements associated with working and moving in and between food-handling and non food-handling areas
washing hands before entering food-handling areas
key requirements of legislation, regulations, codes of practice and industry advisory standards relating to cleaning food-handling areas, including Food Safety Standard 3.2.2, Clause 17:3
processes for safely handling and disposing of waste, including:
chemicals past their expiry date
obsolete equipment
disposal of packaging
sweeping detritus
used containers
used or contaminated PPE
used or unused chemicals
processes for recording and reporting health conditions and illness as required by workplace food-safety procedures
purpose and operation of food-safety program as it applies to cleaning food-handling areas, including specifications for:
how hazards can be controlled
how controls are monitored
corrective actions required if conditions are not met
information to be recorded and procedures to be signed off
key requirements of legislation and regulations relating to work in food-handling areas
responsibilities for any person visiting or working in food-handling areas
minimum procedures to ensure person does not:
contaminate food
have unnecessary contact with ready-to-eat food
spit, smoke or use tobacco or similar in food-handling areas
range of potential contamination hazards in food-handling areas, including:
chemical contamination of food caused by cleaning and sanitation chemicals
microbiological contamination of food resulting from cross-contamination when moving into and between food-handling areas
physical contamination of food caused by metal, glass, plastic and cloths used in the cleaning process
routes of entry and potential symptoms of exposure to chemicals
types and application of different signs and barricades to be installed prior to cleaning, including:
physical barricades and restraints erected to restrict access to site
signs complying with legislative requirements and Australian standards warning of danger or adverse conditions, including:
cleaning in progress
hazardous chemicals in use or present in work area.
Assessment Conditions
The following must be present and available to learners during assessment activities:
equipment:
as listed in the range of conditions
PPE as listed in the range of conditions
materials:
cleaning chemicals as listed in the range of conditions
consumables as listed in the range of conditions
specifications:
Food Safety Standard 3.2.2, Clause 17:3
food-safety program
work instructions and schedules
physical conditions:
work site with food-handling areas
relationships with team members and supervisor:
work may be conducted alone or as part of a team.
Timeframe:
as specified by the task.
Assessor requirements
As a minimum, assessors must satisfy the assessor requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) current at the time of assessment.
Foundation Skills
This section describes the language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills essential to performance in this unit but not explicit in the performance criteria. | |
Skill | Performance feature |
Learning skills to: | source and apply requirements of different food-safety programs to different food-handling environments. |
Numeracy skills to: | perform calculations required for diluting and mixing chemicals as specified on product labels. |
Oral communication skills to: | ask questions to clarify job requirements. |
Reading skills to: | interpret manufacturer instructions when using equipment and preparing chemicals read and interpret directions and safety instructions, including: chemical labels safety data sheets (SDS). |
Writing skills to: | document and report faults in equipment to manufacturer and other personnel. |
Range Statement
This section specifies work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. | |
Hazards that must be assessed include: | biological and environmental contaminants chemical exposure via absorption, ingestion and inhalation chemical reactivity dust and fibre particulates electrical environmental allergens explosions fatigue fire manual handling noise poor ventilation slips, trips and falls sharps. |
Health and safety requirements must include: | access to communication devices when working alone compliance with Safe Work Australia regulations and guidelines electrical equipment test and tag compliance emergency response procedures environmental controls hazard signs and barricades health and safety induction and refresher training manual handling techniques processes for safely dispensing chemicals risk assessment procedures, including: hazardous chemicals register hierarchy of control job safety analyses (JSA) for low-risk situations safe work method statements (SWMS) for high-risk situations incident reporting SDS selection and use of required PPE storage and maintenance of equipment according to manufacturer specifications use of first aid according to SDS information. |
Surfaces must include at least five of the following: | ceramics and porcelain chrome concrete floors and walls fridge and freezer seals glass laminate metal paint plastic stainless steel stone terracotta vinyl. |
Soil types must include at least three of the following: | baked-on food and grease dust food and drink stains food and drink residue grease and oil litter mould rust tannin stains. |
Cleaning chemicals must include at least one of the following: | acid cleaners alkaline cleaners low environmental impact chemicals neutral cleaners solvent cleaners. |
Equipment must include at least five of the following: | brooms brushes and dustpan buckets cleaning trolleys cloths disposable wipes doodle bugs hoses and nozzles mops sharps disposal units scourers scrapers scrubbing and polishing machines scrubbing brushes tongs squeegees. |
Personal protective equipment must include at least two of the following: | disposable respirators eye protection gloves hair nets safety shoes tongs. |
Consumables must include | air fresheners bin liners disposable gloves paper hand towels liquid hand-soap. |
Sectors
Cleaning operations