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

Assessment must be carried out in a manner that recognises the cultural and literacy requirements of the assessee and is appropriate to the work performed. Competence in this unit must be achieved in accordance with food safety standards and regulations.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of ability to:

shut down equipment and prepare for cleaning

prepare and use chemicals according to safe work requirements

clean equipment to meet work standards

monitor cleaning and report or address any non-compliances

flush equipment and dispose of waste according to environmental guidelines

complete required documentation

apply safe work practices and identify OHS hazards and controls

apply food safety procedures.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must occur in a real or simulated workplace where the assessee has access to:

cleaning procedures and related advice on equipment operation, including advice on safe work practices and environmental requirements

personal protective clothing and equipment

equipment to be cleaned, and related CIP system

chemicals and/or automated chemical addition system

services as required

MSDS where appropriate

cleaning schedule or advice and related standard operating procedures

housekeeping standards and procedures

advice on environmental management issues relevant to work responsibilities

workplace information recording systems, requirements and procedures

sampling and testing schedules and procedures as relevant to cleaning requirements in the workplace.

Method of assessment

This unit should be assessed together with core units and other units of competency relevant to the function or work role. Examples could be:

FDFOP2011A Conduct routine maintenance

FDFOP2013A Apply sampling procedures

MSL973001A Perform basic tests.

Guidance information for assessment

To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities, and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.

Required skills

Ability to:

access workplace information, such as the cleaning schedule to identify cleaning requirements

select, fit and use personal protective clothing and/or equipment

confirm supply of necessary materials and services

handle and prepare cleaning and sanitation agents safely, including following correct handling and preparation procedures and use of appropriate protective clothing and equipment as required

schedule cleaning and/or liaise with related work areas to take equipment and area off-line with minimal disruption to production

prepare equipment and area for cleaning, such as rendering equipment safe to clean, removing obstacles and unnecessary equipment, correctly positioning equipment (e.g. valves, pipes, vents and taps), selecting appropriate cleaning cycle, removing waste and/or dismantling equipment

clean equipment according to cleaning process cycle and procedures, such as starting up and operating the CIP process in both automatic and manual modes

monitor the process and equipment operation to maintain the cleaning process within the required parameters

locate emergency stop functions on equipment

return plant to operating order

return area to working order

take corrective action in response to out-of-specification results

advise affected work areas of cleaning schedule and progress

maintain and store chemicals and related equipment as required

carry out relevant checks and inspections to confirm effectiveness of cleaning

sort, collect, treat, recycle or dispose of waste

record cleaning information

maintain work area to meet housekeeping standards

conduct routine maintenance according to enterprise procedures

take samples and conduct tests according to enterprise procedures

use oral communication skills/language competence to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation, including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification and seeking advice from supervisor

work cooperatively within a culturally diverse workforce

Required knowledge

Knowledge of:

purpose and basic principles of CIP, including the use and functions of caustic and acid solutions, and cleaning sequence and stages as required in the workplace

purpose and use of cleaning equipment and chemicals used

terminology relating to the chemical solutions used

safe work procedures, including appropriate signage of cleaning activities and safe handling and storage of cleaners and sanitisers used

purpose and limitations of protective clothing and equipment

cleaning and sanitation requirements, including different levels of cleaning requirements depending on the reason for cleaning

characteristics of cleaning and sanitising chemicals used, including basic composition as well as compatibility of chemicals with types of equipment

methods used to render equipment safe to clean, including the status and purpose of equipment guards, relevant lock out/tagout and isolation procedures

equipment settings required for cleaning and for operating respectively

basic operating principles of process control where relevant, including the relationship between control panels and systems and the physical equipment

inspection points for cleaning and sanitation

consequences of contamination of process flows by cleaning solutions and related safeguards

types of waste generated by both the production and the cleaning process and related collection, treatment and disposal requirements

environmental consequences of incorrect cleaning waste disposal procedures

requirements to liaise/advise related work areas

reporting and recording systems

routine maintenance procedures where relevant

sampling methods and test procedures where relevant

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.

Policies and procedures

Work is carried out in accordance with company policies and procedures, regulatory and licensing requirements, legislative requirements, and industrial awards and agreements. When applied to the pharmaceutical industry, relevant Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) codes apply and reference to food safety is replaced by GMP

Workplace information

Workplace information may include:

standard operating procedures (SOPs)

specifications

production cleaning schedules and instructions

signs and symbols

materials safety data sheets (MSDS)

manufacturers' advice

standard forms and reports

Dosing of cleaning chemicals

Dosing of cleaning chemicals may be:

automatically controlled or manually dosed

Services

Services may include:

power

water

Steam

compressed and instrumentation air

Testing

Where tests are conducted as part of operation, a typical requirement is measurement of pH

Monitoring the process

Monitoring the process is dependent on the nature of equipment. Examples of monitoring include:

chemical strength

cycle time

temperatures

time

storage tank levels

condensate quality

Operation and monitoring of equipment and processes

Operation and monitoring of equipment and processes typically requires the use of control panels and systems