Unit of competency

Modification History

Application

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to set up, operate, adjust and shut down spin and/or air chilling equipment used to wash and chill poultry carcases.

This unit applies to individuals who apply basic operating principles to the operation and monitoring of washing and chilling equipment and processes in a poultry production environment.

All work must be carried out to comply with workplace procedures, in accordance with State/Territory food safety, work health and safety, and environmental codes, regulations, legislation and standards that apply to the workplace.

No occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Pre-requisite Unit

Nil

Unit Sector

Poultry Processing (P)

Elements and Performance Criteria

Foundation Skills

This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential for performance in this unit of competency but are not explicit in the performance criteria.

Unit Mapping Information

Links

Companion Volumes, including Implementation Guides, are available at VETNet: - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=5e2e56b7-698f-4822-84bb-25adbb8443a7

Assessment requirements

Modification History

Performance Evidence

An individual demonstrating competency must satisfy all the elements and performance criteria in this unit. There must be evidence that the individual has demonstrated at least one entire washing and chilling process, including:

• confirming availability of materials and equipment
• selecting, fitting and using appropriate personal protective equipment
• conducting pre-start checks on machinery used for a washing and chilling process
• starting, operating, monitoring and adjusting washing and chilling process equipment to achieve required quality outcomes
• taking corrective action in response to typical faults and inconsistencies
• completing workplace records in required format
• applying safe work practices and identified work health and safety hazards and controls
• safely shutting down equipment
• applying food safety procedures to work practices.

Knowledge Evidence

An individual must be able to demonstrate the knowledge required to perform the tasks outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit. This includes knowledge of:

• purpose and basic principles of the chilling process, including the purpose of both washing and chilling as it affects bacterial load
• basic operating principles and parameters of equipment, such as main equipment components, status and purpose of guards, equipment operating capacities and applications, and the purpose and location of sensors and related feedback instrumentation
• corrective action required where operation is outside specified operating parameters, such as specifications for temperature range of washers and chillers
• typical equipment faults and related causes, including signs and symptoms of faulty equipment and early warning signs of potential problems
• services required for the washing and chilling process and action to take if services are not available
• the effect of each stage on the quality of end product, including the relationship between immersion time, water temperature, and agitation on the amount of water absorbed by the carcase and on washing efficiency
• the flow of the chilling process and the effect of outputs on downstream processes
• quality characteristics to be achieved by the chilling process
• quality requirements of carcases and materials and effect of variation on chilling process performance
• methods used to monitor the chilling process, such as inspecting, measuring and testing as required by the process
• inspection or test points (control points) in the chilling process and the related procedures and recording requirements, including procedures for measuring deep muscle temperature
• contamination and food safety risks associated with the chilling process and related control measures
• work health and safety hazards and controls relevant to poultry washing and chilling, including the limitations of protective clothing and equipment relevant to the work process
• requirements of different shutdowns as appropriate to the chilling process and workplace production requirements, including emergency and routine shutdowns and procedures to follow in the event of a power outage
• requirements for recording and reporting production and performance information
• workplace cleaning and sanitation procedures
• environmental issues and controls relevant to the chilling process, including waste and rework collection, handling and recycling procedures related to the process.

Assessment Conditions

Assessment of skills must take place under the following conditions:

• physical conditions:

• a poultry production workplace or an environment that accurately represents workplace conditions

• resources, equipment and materials:

• personal protective clothing and equipment
• washing and chilling and conveying process, related equipment and services
• carcases to be washed and chilled
• cleaning materials and equipment
• workplace information recording system

• specifications:

• work procedures, including advice on safe work practices, food safety, cleaning, quality and environmental requirements
• information on equipment capacity, control points and operating parameters
• production schedule/batch instructions
• recording requirements and procedures.

Assessors of this unit must satisfy the requirements for assessors in applicable vocational education and training legislation, frameworks and/or standards.

Links

Companion Volumes, including Implementation Guides, are available at VETNet: - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=5e2e56b7-698f-4822-84bb-25adbb8443a7