Application
The unit involves assessing wood chips in a forest products factory setting The skills and knowledge required for competent workplace performance are to be used within the scope of the person's job and authority |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Prepare for assessment | 1.1. Applicable Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), environmental, legislative and organisational requirements relevant to assessing wood chips are identified and followed 1.2. Work order is reviewed and checked with appropriate personnel 1.3. Type and quantity of wood chips for assessment are obtained 1.4. Equipment is selected appropriate to work requirements and checked for operational effectiveness in line with manufacturer's recommendations 1.5. Testing processes are selected and planned in line with site procedures and environmental requirements 1.6. Communication with others is established and maintained in line with OHS requirements |
2. Collect and assess samples | 2.1. Material being chipped is inspected for contaminants 2.2. Chip production, transport and storage processes are examined for potential sources of contamination 2.3. Chips are visually assessed at production, transport and storage locations in line with site procedures 2.4. Potential problems with chip characteristics and contamination are reported in line with site procedures and environmental requirements 2.5. Chip samples are collected from designated locations and kept free from mixing and contamination 2.6. Sampling records are completed in line with site procedures |
3. Test wood chips and report outcomes | 3.1. Chip specifications are identified from production schedules and order requirements 3.2. Chips are tested for moisture content, size distribution, shape and contamination 3.3. Chip samples are stored and test reports completed in line with site requirements 3.4. Test results are communicated to production personnel to facilitate process control or changes 3.5. Test sampling is modified in response to new problems and production changes 3.6. Testing process and equipment faults are recorded and reported to the appropriate personnel |
Required Skills
This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit |
Required skills |
Technical skills sufficient to use and maintain relevant tools, machinery and equipment; efficiently and safely assess wood chips Communication skills and interpersonal techniques sufficient to interact appropriately with colleagues and others in the workplace Literacy skills sufficient to accurately record and report workplace information, and maintain documentation Numeracy skills sufficient to estimate, measure and calculate time required to complete a task Problem solving skills sufficient to identify problems and equipment faults and demonstrate appropriate response procedures |
Required knowledge |
Applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation, regulations, standards, codes of practice and established safe practices relevant to the full range of processes for assessing wood chips Environmental protection requirements, including the safe disposal of waste material, minimising carbon emissions and the cleaning of plant, tools and equipment Organisational and site standards, requirements, policies and procedures for assessing wood chips Environmental risks and hazards Sampling and testing techniques Characteristics of wood chips Visual assessment techniques Storage systems and labelling Established communication channels and protocols Problem identification and resolution strategies and common fault finding techniques Types of tools and equipment and procedures for their safe use, operation and maintenance Appropriate mathematical procedures for estimating and measuring, including calculating time to complete tasks Procedures for recording and reporting workplace information |
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 | A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to provide evidence that they can safely and efficiently assess wood chips within organisational requirements |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to, and satisfy, all of the requirements of the elements of this unit and include demonstration of: following applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislative and regulatory requirements and codes of practice relevant to assessing wood chips following organisational policies and procedures relevant to assessing wood chips assessing wood chips in line with the work order and within prescribed organisational requirements testing wood chips for contamination and moisture content reporting on outcomes of testing |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Competency is to be assessed in the workplace or realistically simulated workplace Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints Assessment of required knowledge, other than confirmatory questions, will usually be conducted in an off-site context Assessment is to follow relevant regulatory or Australian Standards requirements The following resources should be made available: workplace location or simulated workplace materials and equipment relevant to undertaking work applicable to this unit specifications and work instructions |
Method of assessment | Assessment must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the FPI11 Training Package Assessment methods must confirm consistency and accuracy of performance (over time and in a range of workplace relevant contexts) together with application of required knowledge Assessment must be by direct observation of tasks, with questioning on required knowledge and it must also reinforce the integration of employability skills Assessment methods must confirm the ability to access and correctly interpret and apply the required knowledge Assessment may be applied under project-related conditions (real or simulated) and require evidence of process Assessment must confirm a reasonable inference that competency is able not only to be satisfied under the particular circumstance, but is able to be transferred to other circumstances Assessment may be in conjunction with assessment of other units of competency The assessment environment should not disadvantage the candidate Assessment practices should take into account any relevant language or cultural issues related to Aboriginality, gender or language backgrounds other than English Where the participant has a disability, reasonable adjustment may be applied during assessment Language and literacy demands of the assessment task should not be higher than those of the work role |
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. | |
OHS requirements: | are to be in line with applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation and regulations, and organisational safety policies and procedures, and may include: personal protective equipment and clothing safety equipment first aid equipment fire fighting equipment hazard and risk control fatigue management elimination of hazardous materials and substances safe forest practices including required actions relating to forest fire manual handling including shifting, lifting and carrying machine isolation and guarding |
Environmental requirements may include: | legislation organisational policies and procedures workplace practices |
Legislative requirements: | are to be in line with applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation, regulations, certification requirements and codes of practice and may include: award and enterprise agreements industrial relations Australian Standards confidentiality and privacy OHS the environment equal opportunity anti-discrimination relevant industry codes of practice duty of care |
Organisational requirements may include: | legal organisational and site guidelines policies and procedures relating to own role and responsibility quality assurance procedural manuals quality and continuous improvement processes and standards OHS, emergency and evacuation procedures ethical standards recording and reporting requirements equipment use and maintenance and storage requirements environmental management requirements (waste minimisation and disposal, recycling and re-use guidelines) |
Work order is to include: | instructions for the sampling and testing of wood chips and may also include: instructions for the environmental monitoring of work and procedures environmental care requirements relevant to the work |
Appropriate personnel may include: | supervisors suppliers clients colleagues managers |
Wood chips | are the output product as a result of converting wood into chip material which is then used to produce other products |
Assessment is to include: | the inspection of wood chips to determine: size distribution shape finish quality contamination faults |
Equipment may include: | moisture meters basic testing equipment |
Communication may include: | verbal and non-verbal language constructive feedback active listening questioning to clarify and confirm understanding use of positive, confident and cooperative language use of language and concepts appropriate to individual social and cultural differences control of tone of voice body language |
Contaminants may include: | disease infestation rot paint plastic bark charcoal rock metal |
Chip characteristics are to include: | moisture content size shape species |
Sampling | is the selection of small lots of wood chips from various points of the stockpile or other designated locations |
Designated location may include: | stock piles production points transport methods from transfer systems |
Testing is to include: | the most appropriate approach taken to: ascertain the cause of a problem improve a current methodology |
Moisture content | is the amount of moisture maintained in wood chips after processing to avoid cracking and deforming in Australia generally ranges between 10% in warmer, more humid climates to 14% in cooler climates |
Records and reports may include: | sampling and testing results quantities produced condition changes production difficulties storage locations quality outcomes hazards incidents equipment malfunctions and may be: manual using a computer-based system or other appropriate organisational communication system |
Sectors
Unit sector | No sector assigned |
Competency Field
Sawmilling and Processing |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills |
Licensing Information
Refer to Unit Descriptor