SFIAQUA211C
Undertake routine maintenance of water supply and disposal systems and structures

This unit of competency involves carrying out routine maintenance and minor repairs on a water supply and disposal system or structures and its various components. No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Application

This unit covers closed and semi-enclosed systems only (i.e. not open water). It does not include activities associated with electrical systems or supply.

All enterprise or workplace procedures and activities are carried out according to relevant government regulations, licensing and other compliance requirements, including occupational health and safety (OHS) guidelines, food safety and hygiene regulations and procedures, and ecologically sustainable development (ESD) principles.

Equipment operation, maintenance, repairs and calibrations are undertaken in a safe manner that conforms to manufacturer instructions. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is selected, checked, used and maintained.


Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Prepare for work

1.1. Instructions on required maintenance and repairs are taken and understood.

1.2. Basic tools/equipment and spare parts are collected, assessed as serviceable, and taken to site.

1.3. Identified tasks are reviewed at the work site against instructions, prioritised and, if necessary, clarified with the supervisor.

2. Undertake maintenance and repairs

2.1. Water supply or disposal system or structure is shut down or controlled, as instructed, and an alternative supply or disposal system enabled before beginning maintenance and repairs.

2.2. Mechanical equipment is serviced, under supervision, according to manufacturer guidelines.

2.3. Water supply or disposal system or structure is kept free of impediments and worn or damaged parts or areas are replaced or repaired, as instructed, using repair techniques appropriate for the task.

3. Follow up maintenance and repair activities

3.1. Water supply or disposal system or structure is returned to working order according to enterprise procedures.

3.2. Critical flow rates are measured and recorded.

3.3. Waste is disposed of appropriately.

3.4. Water supply and disposal system or structure are visually inspected for non-standard operation and observations reported.

4. Finalise and review maintenance and repair activities

4.1. Clean up of work area, including repairs and storage of equipment, is supervised, and condition report prepared.

4.2. Relevant maintenance and repair data is recorded legibly and accurately, and any out of range or unusual records are checked.

4.3. Compliance and other required reports are prepared and conveyed to senior personnel advising of the effectiveness of maintenance and repair, and recommendations made for improvements.

4.4. Feedback on own work performance is sought from supervisor and opportunities to improve identified.

Required Skills

Required skills

applying repair techniques appropriate for the maintenance and repairs being undertaken

communicating ideas on possible improvements

communicating with supervisor on routine maintenance matters

following electrical safety procedures and standards when carrying out repairs

providing oral reports to supervisor on maintenance and repair tasks

using hand and power tools safely for maintenance and repair tasks.

Literacy skills used for:

interpreting flow meters and gauges

interpreting maintenance schedules

interpreting manufacturer operation and service manuals.

Numeracy skills used for:

calculating volume and flow rate

measuring length and depth.

Required knowledge

basic design principles and components of specific water supply and disposal systems or structures

consequences of disabled water supply and disposal systems or structures

ESD principles

enterprise OHS procedures for working on site

enterprise procedures for undertaking maintenance and repairs and reporting non-standard operations

general maintenance requirements for specific water supply and disposal systems or structures and their components

general operating principles of specific types of pumps and treatment structures

local council or government requirements for water supply and disposal systems or structures

operation and maintenance of automatic or mechanised equipment

techniques appropriate for the maintenance and repairs being undertaken.

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

Critical aspects for assessment evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit

Assessment must confirm the ability to:

maintain and repair water supply and disposal systems and structures, including safely shutting down and restarting water supply and disposal systems and structures with minimal stress or damage to stock.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:

general maintenance requirements for specific water supply and disposal systems or structures

safe work practices

techniques appropriate for the maintenance and repairs being undertaken.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment, maintaining and making minor repairs to pumps, aerators and filters typically used in aquaculture enterprises in the region.

Resources may include:

hand and power tools and parts relevant to the water supply and disposal system or structure

maintenance schedule and enterprise procedures

manufacturer operation and service manuals

water supply and disposal system or structure.

Method of assessment

The following assessment methods are suggested:

demonstration

practical exercises

project work

written or oral short-answer testing.

Guidance information for assessment

This unit may be assessed holistically with other units within a qualification.


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.

Relevant government regulations, licensing and other compliance requirements may include:

biodiversity and genetically modified organisms

biosecurity, translocation and quarantine

business or workplace operations, policies and practices

environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control

food safety/Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), hygiene and temperature control along chain of custody, and Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) Export Control (Fish) orders

health and welfare of aquatic animals

Indigenous land rights and cultural activities, including fishing by traditional methods

maritime operations, safety at sea and pollution control

OHS hazard identification, risk assessment and control.

OHS guidelines may include:

appropriate workplace provision of first aid kits and fire extinguishers

codes of practice, regulations and/or guidance notes which may apply in a jurisdiction or industry sector

enterprise-specific OHS procedures, policies or standards

hazard and risk assessment of workplace, maintenance activities and control measures

induction or training of staff, contractors and visitors in relevant OHS procedures and/or requirements to allow them to carry out their duties in a safe manner

OHS training register

safe lifting, carrying and handling techniques, including manual handling, and the handling and storage of hazardous substances

safe systems and procedures for outdoor work, including protection from solar radiation, fall protection, confined space entry and the protection of people in the workplace

systems and procedures for the safe maintenance of property, machinery and equipment, including hydraulics and exposed moving parts

the appropriate use, maintenance and storage of PPE.

ESD principles may include:

applying animal welfare ethics and procedures

control of effluents, chemical residues, contaminants, wastes and pollution

control of weeds, pests, predators and diseases, and stock health maintenance

improving energy efficiency

increasing use of renewable, recyclable and recoverable resources

minimising noise, dust, light or odour emissions

preventing live cultured or held organisms from escaping into environment

reducing emissions of greenhouse gases

reducing energy use

reducing use of non-renewable resources

undertaking environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control

undertaking facility quarantine, biosecurity and translocation of livestock and genetic material

using and recycling of water, and maintaining water quality.

Food safety and hygiene regulations and procedures may include:

Australian Shellfish Sanitation program

equipment design, use, cleaning and maintenance

exporting requirements, including AQIS Export Control (Fish) orders

HACCP, food safety program, and other risk minimisation and quality assurance systems

location, construction and servicing of seafood premises

people, product and place hygiene and sanitation requirements

Primary Products Standard and the Australian Seafood Standard (voluntary)

product labelling, tracing and recall

receipt, storage and transportation of food, including seafood and aquatic products

requirements set out in Australian and New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) Food Standards Code and state and territory food regulations

temperature and contamination control along chain of custody.

PPE may include:

buoyancy vest or personal floatation device (PFD)

hard hat or protective head covering

hearing protection (e.g. ear plugs and ear muffs)

non-slip and waterproof boots (gumboots) or other safety footwear

personal locator beacon or Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)

protective eyewear, glasses and face mask

protective outdoor clothing for tropical conditions

respirator or face mask

safety harness

sun protection (e.g. sun hat, sunscreen and sunglasses)

uniforms or overalls

waterproof clothing (e.g. wet weather gear and waders).

Instructions may include:

council and government regulations

maintenance schedules

manufacturer guidelines for maintenance

repair logs

verbal instructions.

Basic tools/equipment may include:

cleaning rags

concrete

fibreglass and tools

glue, primer and sandpaper

oil and/or grease gun

plugs or repair patches

safety equipment (e.g. goggles, mask or breathing equipment)

screwdrivers, spanners or socket set, stilson, hack saw and heat guns

silicone or similar sealant

spade, shovel, pick and crowbar

thread/plumber's tape.

Spare parts may include:

concrete

fibreglass webbing, gels and hardeners

fittings (e.g. joints, valves, mark boards, barrel unions and reducers)

pipe lengths

pipe saddles or clamps

protection strips

sand and gravel.

Water supply and disposal system or structure may include:

channels, canals or trenches (e.g. earthen, concrete or plastic-lined)

depth gauges

float switches and solenoids

flow control devices (e.g. taps, valves, float valves, monks, dykes, weirs and gates)

flow meters and pressure gauges

header tank

hoses

intake structure support screens

non-return mechanisms

pipes (e.g. metal, PVC, rubber, concrete or polyethylene/polypropylene), pressure or sewage rating

pumps, bores and windmills

roaded banks

sediment dams

settlement tanks

sieves, filters, outlet screens or other mechanical, chemical or biological treatment structures

siphons, including reducing diameter pipes

spill ways/outlets

sprays

storage dams or reservoirs

sumps.

Mechanical equipment may include:

aerator

filtration plant, including mechanical, chemical and biological

gravity flow system

ozonators

pumps:

airlift

axial

centrifugal

current/tide activated

dosing

fire

hydraulic ram

magnetic drive

piston

pressure

regenerative turbine

screw or helical drive

self-priming or non-priming

sludge or surge

submersible

venturi

windmills

pumps powered by:

battery

cable

diesel or petrol

electricity (single or 3-phase)

hydraulics

solar

wind

ultraviolet (UV) filter.

Impediments may include:

dead plant or animal matter

fouling species

plant or weed growth

sediment and debris.

Worn or damaged parts or areas may include:

chemical and biological filters

depth gauges

fittings, such as joints, valves and boards

flow control devices (e.g. taps, valves, float valves, monks, dykes, weirs and gates)

pipes

pumps and mechanical components

sides or bottoms of earthen, concrete, fibreglass or plastic-lined supply and disposal systems or structures

treatment structures and mechanical components (e.g. sieves, filters and aerators).

Repair techniques may include:

applying plugs or patches

fibreglassing

fitting joints, valves and boards

laying and joining pipes (with or without glue or other fixatives)

metal welding

mixing, pouring and curing concrete

plastic welding

working and shaping earth.

Waste may include:

dead plant or animal matter

sludge

structure and site debris

worn and damaged parts or tools.

Relevant maintenance and repair data may include:

critical flow rates

inventory of spare parts

general observations on condition of systems

result of maintenance and repair.


Sectors

Unit sector

Aquaculture operations


Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.


Licensing Information

Refer to Unit Descriptor