Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit of competency involves accurately weighing and packaging product so that it will arrive at its destination at the appropriate temperature. Product may be fresh, frozen or live but not fed during this process.

Licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements may apply to this unit. Therefore it will be necessary to check with the relevant state or territory regulators for current licensing, legislative or regulatory requirements before undertaking this unit.

Application of the unit 

This unit will has application for personnel at seafood cooperatives and other businesses where product is accepted, weighed and packed for distribution.

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 and maintained.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Receive product

1.1. Workplace is cleaned before commencement.

1.2. Product to be received is checked before weighing against the specification  for the species and is visually inspected for any signs of spoilage, defects and parasites, and defective product is identified, set aside and appropriate person notified.

1.3. Accepted product is weighed, allowing for drainage of liquid from fresh product, and weight recorded.

1.4. Identification and traceability of product is checked and recorded.

1.5. The temperature of fresh and frozen product is checked and recorded, and action taken, if necessary, to maintain temperature at level required to meet food regulations or to sustain live product.

2. Prepare product for distribution

2.1. Product is prepared, if necessary, according to customer specifications.

2.2. Damaged and defective product is set aside for disposal by appropriate person.

2.3. Product is packaged according to customer specifications, ensuring that the requirements of the transport company and relevant food regulations are met.

2.4. Product packaging is checked to ensure the product temperature remains at the required level until product is received by customer, taking full account of possible delays that may occur.

2.5. Appropriate product packaging is applied to live product, if necessary, to ensure that product remains alive during distribution.

2.6. The wellbeing of product accepted as live is maintained  to ensure that it will remain alive until received by customer.

2.7. Product is labelled according to relevant food regulations, ensuring that original identification of the product can be easily established.

3. Distribute product

3.1. Product is taken to or collected by transport company and appropriate dispatch forms  are completed and filed.

3.2. Temperature of fresh and frozen product before final dispatch is measured and recorded to ensure compliance with food regulations.

3.3. Water quality and temperature of live produce is measured and recorded.

3.4. Customer is notified of the time and place of product delivery and advised of consignment number or other means of identifying product.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• assessing seafood quality
• communicating orally to give and receive information
• handling of fresh and live seafood
• identifying species
• using a calculator.

Literacy skills used for :

• identifying and tracing product
• preparing basic invoices
• reading basic order forms
• reading enterprise procedures
• reading outline of specifications.

Numeracy skills used for :

• calculating extensions of weight and price to give an accurate price of product
• calculating total of invoice
• reading a thermometer
• weighing product.

Required knowledge 

• common defects, diseases, parasites and spoilage pattern for species
• features of seafood species and product types
• food regulations and enterprise procedures for:

• temperature control
• hygienic handling and preparation of seafood
• personal and workplace hygiene

• safe procedures for manual handling and load shifting.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

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:

• arrange for distribution by road, ship, rail or air
• assess quality of product against a company specification, when received at the enterprise
• comply with required food regulations and enterprise procedures
• label product
• safely and hygienically handle and package product
• weigh product and record details.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:

• common seafood defects, diseases and parasites
• degree of freshness and spoilage pattern for the species
• how to use a calculator
• recognising dying seafood intended to be distributed alive
• seafood or other aquatic species and product types.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment. It should cover fresh, frozen or live fish, crustaceans and molluscs or other aquatic products, with a minimum of two (2) species from each group.

Resources may include:

• calculator
• fish tubs
• fresh, frozen and live seafood product, including at least two (2) species of fish, crustaceans and molluscs
• ice, live seafood storage tanks and packaging material
• sample invoices
• sample workplace specifications
• scales
• thermometer or temperature recording devices.

Method of assessment 

The following assessment methods are suggested:

• demonstration of handling and repackaging
• written or oral questions.

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:

• biosecurity, translocation and quarantine
• business or workplace operations, policies and practices
• correct marketing names and labelling
• 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
• OHS hazard identification, risk assessment and control.

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 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
• 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.

ESD principles  may include:

• applying animal welfare ethics and procedures
• controlling effluents, chemical residues, contaminants, wastes and pollution
• 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.

PPE  may include:

• gloves, mitts or gauntlets, and protective hand and arm covering
• protective hair, beard and boot covers
• insulated protective clothing for freezers or chillers and refrigeration units
• non-slip and waterproof boots (gumboots) or other safety footwear
• protective eyewear, glasses and face mask
• uniforms, overalls or protective clothing (e.g. mesh and waterproof aprons).

Specification  may include:

• fresh, frozen and live seafood
• product form, such as whole, head on gill gutted (HOGG), fillet and peeled
• quality assessment against company specifications
• size, weight and grade
• species, such as fish, crustaceans and molluscs, and other invertebrate.

Maintained  may include:

• animal welfare is considered in selecting light, cover or substrate, species composition and stocking densities
• basic water quality factors and temperature are measured and maintained during holding
• equipment is cleaned and maintained in operating order during holding period
• water quality and flow adjusted to suit requirement of species.

Forms  may include:

• consignment notes
• invoices
• records of temperature/water quality readings
• statements.

Unit sector 

Storage

Co-requisite units 

Competency field