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.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Determine critical operating requirements

1.1. Enterprise-specific processing and/or operating procedures are identified to determine critical operating requirements.

1.2. Allowable deviations from critical requirements are calculated and incorporated into production plans.

2. Establish and maintain relationships between key processes

2.1. Key processing data, such as yield and throughput, is gathered, analysed and applied to ensure the process is optimised.

2.2. Corrective actions for deviations outside allowable parameters are determined and communicated to relevant personnel.

2.3. Circumstances in which emergency procedures should be initiated are determined and communicated to relevant personnel.

2.4. Process data is gathered and analysed to ensure conformance with specifications.

3. Monitor processing operations to achieve set requirements or product specifications

3.1. Methods to monitor the process are established to ensure compliance with product specifications.

3.2. Control points for processing operations are monitored to confirm product specifications or to identify variations.

3.3. Causes of operational variations are identified and remedial action implemented, as required.

3.4. Emergency procedures are implemented in a timely manner in response to evidence of contamination or risk to physical safety.

Required skills

applying lock-out and tag-out procedures

changing over equipment, as required, for changes to batch, line and/or process

communicating technical requirements to staff

communicating with work teams and management

determining market expectations of finished product, including quality and timing

determining the requirements for the cooling and warming, cleaning and handling of containers required for the process

developing and implementing corrective actions in response to out-of-specification results or non-compliance, including procedures to segregate damaged or suspect stocks

developing and implementing set-up, start-up and shutdown routines and safety checks for plant and equipment that are part of the production process

evaluating human resource requirements

interpreting specifications and operating parameters

making effective use of print or screen-based information systems

monitoring process and equipment operation to identify out-of-specification results or non-compliance

monitoring supply and flow of materials to and from the process

planning to:

determine the requirements for the cleaning and/or sanitising of equipment

develop schedules

identify routine maintenance requirements

shutting down equipment in response to an emergency situation

sorting, collecting, treating, disposing and/or recycling of wastes.

Literacy skills used for:

compiling reports

completing complex forms

interpreting technical documents or publications

preparing detailed procedures

reading and interpreting food standards

reading production information.

Numeracy skills used for:

calculating production data

calculating volumes, flows, pressures and/or temperatures

estimating production times

reading and analysing process control data.

Required knowledge

corrective actions allowable within the requirements of the enterprise food safety plan and any relevant regulations

process monitoring methodology to ensure product compliance with specifications

product specifications and customer requirements

production and processing systems consistent with the scale of the enterprise and the species involved.

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:

manage a production unit to satisfy the needs of volume and quality of outputs against product specifications, as well as satisfying the needs of the enterprise OHS policies and the requirements of food safety regulations.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:

requirements of the food safety plan

enterprise OHS policy and procedures

process parameters, including safe working practices, food safety and environmental requirements

causes of product contamination and/or cross-contamination

significance of, and methods for, controlling contamination within the process

production scheduling, batch/recipe instructions, specifications and identifying process control points

equipment operational parameters

process control instrumentation

sampling and test schedules

cleaning and sanitation schedules

routine preventative maintenance requirements

documentation, recording and reporting requirements.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Worksites used for assessment must comply with relevant legislation, industry standards and/or practices. Equipment used should be representative of that used in the workplace. Procedures and documentation used should be those which would be used typically in the workplace. Compliance with statutory OHS, food safety, export/import inspection, hygiene and/or environmental requirements relevant to the seafood industry should be emphasised.

Resources may include:

cleaning and sanitation schedules

enterprise work procedures/instructions workplace documentation and material safety data sheets (MSDS)

equipment representative of that used in the workplace

process documentation

specifications, control points and processing parameters

storage space for production output

sufficient raw material to facilitate realistic assessment.

Method of assessment

The following assessment methods are suggested:

project (work or scenario based)

workplace documentation

written or oral questions.

Guidance information for assessment

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

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:

ESD principles, environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control

food safety, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), hygiene and temperature control along chain of custody

imports quarantine and inspection, and importing approved arrangements for Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS), Australian Customs Service (ACS) and Biosecurity Australia (BA)

land, buildings and vehicles:

buildings and structures design and appearance, constructions and additions

poaching, trespass and theft

road laws for use of motor vehicles, bikes, trucks and other transport equipment

soil and water management

use of chemicals and biological agents

use of firearms and powerheads

use of utilities, including water, natural gas, electricity and sewage

water or land lease, tenure or ownership and use

business or workplace operations, policies and practices:

commercial law, including fair trading and trade practices

consumer law

corporate law, including registration, licensing and financial reporting

disability policies and practices

equal opportunity, anti-discrimination and sexual harassment

industrial relations and awards, individual employment contracts and share of catch agreements

jurisdictional variations

superannuation

taxation

trade practices

warnings and dismissals

worker's compensation

OHS hazard identification, risk assessment and control

product quality assurance:

correct naming and labelling (e.g. country of origin, Australian Fish Names Standard and eco-labelling)

correct quantities, sizes and other customer requirements

third-party certification (e.g. Australian Grown and ISO 14001:2004 Environmental management systems).

OHS guidelines may include:

appropriate workplace provision of first aid kits and fire extinguishers

clean, uncluttered, hygienic workplace

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 and 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.

Food safety and hygiene regulations and procedures may include:

Australian Shellfish Sanitation program

display, packaging and sale of food, including seafood and aquatic products

equipment design, use, cleaning and maintenance

exporting requirements, including AQIS Export Control (Fish) orders

handling and disposal of condemned or recalled seafood products

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)

processing, further processing and preparation of food, including seafood and aquatic products

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.

ESD principles may include:

controlling the use and recycling of water, and managing water quality and quantity

increasing use of renewable, recyclable and recoverable resources

managing environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control

managing imported products quarantine and inspection, facility biosecurity, translocation of livestock and genetic material, and health certification

managing stock health and welfare, especially for handling, holding, transport and slaughter

managing, controlling and treating effluents, chemical residues, contaminants, wastes and pollution

minimising noise, dust, light or odour emissions

planning environmental and resource efficiency improvements

preventing genetically modified organisms and live cultured or held organisms from escaping into environment

reducing emissions of greenhouse gases

reducing use of non-renewable resources

reducing energy use and introducing alternative energy sources.

PPE may include:

uniforms, overalls or protective clothing (e.g. mesh and waterproof aprons)

insulated protective clothing for freezers or chillers and refrigeration units

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

hard hat or protective head covering

protective hair, beard and boot covers

gloves, mitts or gauntlets, and protective hand and arm covering

protective eyewear, glasses and face mask

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

respirator or face mask.

Critical operating requirements may include:

capacity of plant and equipment

food safety plan

product specifications

temperature controlled stock

test and sampling requirements

time and temperature and other critical process requirements, such as power, steam, water, compressed and/or instrumentation air

workplace recording.

Allowable deviations may include:

equipment capability

product specifications

time and temperature tolerance.

Corrective actions may include:

food safety plan

product specifications

reporting requirements for out-of-temperature stocks.

Conformance with specifications may include:

conformance to industry standards, OHS procedures and the requirements of the food safety plan

equipment status and condition monitoring

requirements for measurement of temperature over time.

Remedial actions may involve:

food safety plan

product specifications

reporting requirements for out-of-temperature stocks.

Emergency procedures may include:

following OHS policies and guidelines

plant shutdown procedures both routine and non-routine

start-up procedures.

Unit sector

Seafood processing

This unit contains employability skills