Work must be carried out in compliance with the regulations and workplace requirements pertaining to the processing of mail and parcels.

Work is performed under some supervision generally within a team environment. It involves the application of workplace procedures and regulatory requirements to the processing of parcels and letters as part of work activities in the postal and allied industries.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1Prepare to process parcels and mail manually

1.1 Individual and work team priorities and responsibilities are identified and confirmed

1.2 All OH&S and environment protection procedures and requirements for the workplace are identified, accessed and applied

1.3 The availability of parcels and mail to be processed is identified and confirmed

1.4 The appropriate sort plan is identified, accessed and applied

1.5 Parcels and mail to be processed are transferred to processing point

1.6 Labels for identifying the destination of mail are created and affixed to trays

2Process parcels and mail manually

2.1 Internal operating procedures and standards are applied to the manual processing of parcels and mail

2.2 Parcels and mail are processed accurately and correctly in compliance with priority for processing

2.3 Parcels and mail are handled safely to minimise risk of injury to people and damage to parcels

2.4 Parcels and mail that are incorrectly classified and non-conforming items are identified, separated and re-processed

2.5 Parcels and mail are sorted to their correct destination and placed in appropriate mail container for distribution

3Complete process for parcels and mail

3.1 Parcel and mail containers/bag racks are cleared down, sealed and labelled

3.2 Parcel and mail containers are weighed and labelled to ensure compliance with workplace procedures

3.3 Information required to complete records of parcels and mail processed is provided and recorded

3.4 Parcels and mail are transferred to next processing point using appropriate shifting equipment, and labels are scanned as required

3.5 Excess equipment is removed and work area prepared for next activity/shift

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

This describes the essential knowledge and skills and their level required for this unit.

Required knowledge:

Australian and international codes and regulations relevant to mail operations

Relevant OH&S and environmental protection procedures and guidelines

Workplace procedures and policies for the processing of parcels and letters

Focus of operation of work systems, equipment, management and site operating systems for the processing of parcels and letters

Problems that may occur when processing parcels and letters and appropriate action that can be taken to resolve/avoid the problems

Requirements of parcels processing systems, operations and relevant equipment

Safety and security hazards that may occur during the processing of parcels and letters and ways of controlling the risks involved

Relevant personal protective equipment and procedures for its use

Site layout

Required skills:

Communicate effectively with others when processing parcels and letters

Read and interpret instructions, procedures and labels relevant to the processing of parcels and letters

Complete documentation related to the processing of parcels and letters

Work collaboratively with others when processing parcels and letters

Adapt appropriately to cultural differences in the workplace, including modes of behaviour and interactions with others

Promptly report and/or rectify any identified problems that may occur when processing parcels and letters in accordance with regulatory requirements and workplace procedures

Implement contingency plans for unplanned events that may occur when processing parcels and letters

Plan own work including predicting consequences and identifying improvements

Interpret and apply relevant agreements, codes of practice or other legislative requirements

Apply precautions and required action to minimise, control or eliminate hazards that may exist during work activities

Modify activities depending on differing operational contingencies, risk situations and environments

Work systematically with required attention to detail without injury to self or others, or damage to goods or equipment

Operate and adapt to differences in equipment in accordance with standard operating procedures

Select and use required personal protective equipment conforming to industry and OH&S standards

Identify, select and use relevant equipment, processes and procedures when processing parcels and letters

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required knowledge and skills, the range statement and the assessment guidelines for this Training Package.

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 and performance criteria of this unit and include demonstration of applying:

the underpinning knowledge and skills

relevant legislation and workplace procedures

other relevant aspects of the range statement

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Performance is demonstrated consistently over a period of time and in a suitable range of contexts

Resources for assessment include:

a range of relevant exercises, case studies and/or other simulated practical and knowledge assessment, and/or

access to an appropriate range of relevant operational situations in the workplace

In both real and simulated environments, access is required to:

relevant and appropriate materials and equipment, and

applicable documentation including workplace procedures, regulations, codes of practice and operation manuals

Method of assessment

Assessment of this unit must be undertaken by a registered training organisation

As a minimum, assessment of knowledge must be conducted through appropriate written/oral tests

Practical assessment must occur:

through activities in an appropriately simulated environment at the registered training organisation, and/or

in an appropriate range of situations in the workplace

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance.

Work may be conducted:

in a range of work environments

by day or night

Workplaces may comprise

large, medium or small worksites

Facilities may be:

within an airport environment

Customers may be

external (including international) or internal

Hazards may include:

vehicular traffic and pedestrians

dust and vapours

hazardous or dangerous materials

humidity, air temperature

lighting conditions

machinery/equipment moving parts

noise

Weighing devices may be:

mechanical

automated

weighbridge

Work priorities may be communicated through:

briefings

noticeboards

announcements

Equipment may include:

pipe wheelers

bag rack

scanners

tipping belt

knife

pallet jack/maverick

powered lifters

bags

scales

labels

forklift

sorting frames

carousel

bins

strings

stillages

unit load devices (ULDs) and wheeled unit load devices (WULDs)

ULD stands and lifters (dollies)

vertical sorting frames (VSFs) and vertical sorting divisions (VSDs)

flute tubs

ergonomic chairs

bags

spectrum

ULD tipper

conveyor belts

strapping machine

plastic and cardboard trays

barcode sorter (BCS)

parcel machines

TMS

label printer

optical character reader (OCR)

letter mail labelling machine (LMLM)

letter indexing desks (LIDS)

flat multi-line optical character reader (FSM)

scissor jacks

kingfishers

tray tipper

Personal protective equipment may include:

gloves

safety headwear and footwear

safety glasses

two-way radios

protective clothing

high visibility clothing

Communication in the work area may include:

phone

fax

email

electronic data transfer (EDI)

RF systems

radio

oral, aural or signed communications

Depending on the type of organisation concerned and the local terminology used, workplace procedures may include:

company procedures

enterprise procedures

organisational procedures

established procedures

Information/documents may include:

workplace policies, operating procedures and practices

Management Operating System (MOS)

Management Information System (MIS)

sorting system information including:

postcode book, national sort plan and state sort plan

postal guide

international postcode directory

label charts

quality assurance procedures

induction documentation

competency standards and training materials

job specifications and procedures

award, enterprise bargaining agreement or other industrial arrangements

manufacturers specifications

codes of practice, including national standards for manual handling and the industry safety code

supplier and or/client instructions

HAZCHEM chart/material safety data sheets

safety observation feedback program

emergency procedures

Applicable regulations and legislation may include:

relevant codes and regulations pertaining to mail operations

Australian and international regulations and codes of practice for the handling and transport of dangerous goods and hazardous substances

relevant state/territory OH&S and environmental protection legislation

workplace relations regulations

workers compensation regulations

equal opportunity, equal employment opportunity and affirmative action legislation

This unit contains employability skills.