Unit of competency

Modification History

Application

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to set up, operate, adjust and shut down a separation process.

This unit applies to individuals who work under general supervision and exercise limited autonomy in a food processing environment. It typically applies to the production worker responsible for applying basic operating principles to the operation and monitoring of a separation process and associated equipment.

All work must be carried out to comply with workplace procedures, in accordance with State/Territory work health and safety, and food safety 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

Operational (OPR)

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=78b15323-cd38-483e-aad7-1159b570a5c4

Assessment requirements

Modification History

Performance Evidence

An individual demonstrating competency in this unit must satisfy all of the elements and performance criteria of this unit.

There must be evidence that the individual has operated a separation process on at least one occasion, including:

• accessing workplace information to identify separation processing requirements
• selecting, fitting and using personal protective clothing and/or equipment
• confirming supply of necessary materials and services
• conducting pre-start checks, including:

• inspecting equipment condition to identify any signs of wear
• confirming that the correct bowl is fitted
• selecting appropriate settings and/or related parameters
• cancelling isolation or lock-outs as required
• confirming that equipment is clean and correctly configured for processing requirements
• positioning sensors and controls correctly
• ensuring any scheduled maintenance has been carried out
• confirming that all safety guards are in place and operational

• starting, operating, monitoring and adjusting separation process equipment to achieve required outcomes, including monitoring control points and conducting inspections as required to confirm process remains within specification, including:

• separation speed
• solids in in-feed and out-feed streams (this is typically done by in-line refractometers, Baume tests and spin tests)
• flow rates
• time/temperatures
• pressures
• air/water/oil levels
• condition of seals and valves
• discharge/desludging

• monitoring supply and flow of materials to and from the separation process
• taking corrective action in response to out-of-specification results
• responding to and/or reporting equipment failure within level of responsibility
• locating emergency stop functions on equipment
• shutting down separation process equipment in response to emergency situation
• following isolation and lock-out/tag-out procedures as required to take separation process and related equipment off-line in preparation for cleaning and/or maintenance within level of responsibility
• cleaning and sanitising equipment
• completing workplace records as required
• maintaining work area to meet housekeeping standards
• using process control systems according to workplace procedures.

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 separation process, including stages and changes that occur during the separation process
• basic operating principles of equipment for the separation process, including:

• safety hazards associated with separation equipment and the implications of interchanging parts/incorrect bowl balance
• main equipment components
• status and purpose of guards
• equipment operating capacities and applications
• the purpose and location of sensors and related feedback instrumentation
• services required for operation of separation equipment used in the workplace

• the flow of the separation process and the effect of product output on downstream processes
• impact of in-feed quality and concentration levels on the separation process
• quality characteristics and uses of separation process outputs
• methods used to monitor the separation process, including inspecting, measuring and testing in-feed and out-feed solids, and other tests as required by the process
• inspection or test points (control points) in the separation process and the related procedures and recording requirements
• operating requirements and parameters and corrective action required where operation is outside specified operating parameters
• typical equipment faults and related causes, including signs and symptoms of faulty equipment and early warning signs of potential problems
• common causes of variation and corrective action required, including how variation in temperature and solids affects the process
• spoilage and other food safety risks associated with separation, and related control measures
• work health and safety hazards and controls, including limitations of protective clothing and equipment relevant to the work process
• requirements of different shutdowns as appropriate to the process and workplace production requirements, including emergency and routine shutdowns, and procedures to follow in the event of a power outage
• isolation, lock-out and tag-out procedures and responsibilities required for operating the separation process
• cleaning and sanitation procedures required for operating the separation process
• procedures and responsibility for reporting production and performance information
• environmental issues and controls relevant to the operation of the separation process, including handling of effluent
• basic operating principles of process control where relevant, including the relationship between control panels and systems and the physical equipment.

Assessment Conditions

Assessment of skills must take place under the following conditions:

• physical conditions:

• a workplace or an environment that accurately represents workplace conditions

• resources, equipment and materials:

• personal protective clothing and equipment
• separation process and related equipment and services
• materials required for the separation process
• sampling schedules and test procedures and equipment as required
• routine preventative maintenance schedule as required
• cleaning procedures, materials and equipment

• specifications:

• work procedures, including advice on safe work practices, food safety, quality and environmental requirements, stock flow systems, production schedules, batch/recipe instructions
• information on equipment capacity and operating parameters
• production schedule and batch instructions
• specifications, control points and processing parameters
• documentation and 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=78b15323-cd38-483e-aad7-1159b570a5c4