This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to operate a single unit operation/plant item/item of equipment. It is for items of equipment/plant items/unit operations which are not otherwise covered in this Training Package and may be organisation specific.

This unit of competency applies to a person who has the responsibility for undertaking the routine operation of an individual unit of equipment or a plant item. Typically the person will be an ‘outside’ or ‘field’ operator; however, the unit may also be applied to ‘panel’ or ‘control room’ operators.

The operator will be required to operate to organisation requirements, resolve routine problems in accordance with procedures and meet quality standards and other workplace requirements.

This unit of competency applies to an individual working alone or as part of a team/work group and working in liaison with other shift team members and the control room operator, as appropriate.

This unit of competency requires a detailed knowledge about the item being operated and some knowledge about related items and processes.

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

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and demonstrate the ability to:

confirm personal work requirements for shift

identify hazards and apply relevant hazard controls

monitor equipment operation and product quality

recognise situations requiring action and take the appropriate action

apply known solutions to routine problems

communicate effectively with team/work group and supervisors.

Evidence must be provided that demonstrates knowledge of:

hazards that may arise in the job/work environment

principles of operation of equipment/plant:

impact of type and duty

potential effects of variations in raw materials and equipment operation in relation to quality of product

factors which may affect product quality or production output and appropriate remedies

reasons for checking process control panels and reporting readings which do not conform to the work instructions.

The unit should be assessed holistically and the judgement of competence shall be based on a holistic assessment of the evidence.

The collection of performance evidence:

should occur over a range of situations which include typical disruptions to normal, smooth operations of an operating plant

will typically include a supervisor/third-party report or other evidence, focusing on consistent performance and problem recognition and solving. A supervisor/third-party report must be prepared by someone who has a direct, relevant, current relationship with the person being assessed and who is in a position to form a judgement on workplace performance relevant to the unit of competency

will typically include the use of an appropriate industrial item of equipment requiring demonstration of operation, start-up and shutdown procedures and responding to problems

may use industry-based simulation for all or part of the unit particularly where safety, lack of opportunity or significant cost is an issue.

Assessment should occur in operational workplace situations. Where this is not possible, or where personal safety or environmental damage are limiting factors, assessment must occur in a sufficiently rigorous simulated environment reflecting realistic operational workplace conditions. This must cover all aspects of workplace performance, including environment, task skills, task management skills, contingency management skills and job role environment skills.

Assessment in a simulated environment should use evidence collected from one or more of:

walk-throughs

pilot plant operation

demonstration of skills

industry based case studies/scenarios

‘what ifs’.

Knowledge evidence may be collected concurrently with performance evidence (provided a record is kept) or through an independent process, such as workbooks, written assessments or interviews (provided a record is kept).

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.

Conditions for assessment must include access to all tools, equipment, materials and documentation required, including relevant workplace procedures, product and manufacturing specifications associated with this unit.

The regulatory framework will be reflected in workplace policies and procedures and is not required to be independently assessed.

Foundation skills are integral to competent performance of the unit and should not be assessed separately.

As a minimum, assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015 assessor requirements.

This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance.

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

Operations