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 homogenising process.

This unit applies to individuals who work 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 homogenising process and associated equipment.

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

No 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 must satisfy all of the elements and performance criteria in this unit.

There must be evidence that the individual has operated a homogenising process to homogenise at least one batch of food to specification, including:

• conducting pre-start checks, including:

• inspecting equipment condition to identify any signs of wear
• 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

• monitoring control points and conducting inspections as required to confirm the homogenising process remains within specification, including:

• temperature
• pressure
• throughput

• taking corrective action in response to out-of-specification results.

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 homogenising
• basic operating principles of equipment used in the operation of a homogenising process, including:

• main equipment components
• status and purpose of guards
• equipment operating capacities and applications
• the purpose and location of sensors and related feedback instrumentation

• effect of raw materials on homogenisation process outcomes, including variables, including solids (brix), acidity, temperature, consistency and colour
• quality requirements to be achieved by the homogenisation process
• the flow of the homogenising process and the effect of product output on downstream processes
• operating requirements and parameters, and corrective action required where operation is outside specified operating parameters
• typical equipment faults related to the homogenising process, and related causes, including:

• signs and symptoms of faulty equipment
• early warning signs of potential problems

• techniques used to monitor the homogenising process, including inspecting, measuring and testing
• good manufacturing practices (GMP) relevant to work task
• inspection or test points (control points) in the process, and the related procedures and recording requirements
• common causes of variation in the operation of the homogenising process, and corrective action required
• health and safety hazards and controls relevant to the operation of the homogenising 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 the operation of the homogenising process
• procedures and responsibility for reporting production and performance information
• environmental issues and controls relevant to the homogenising process, including waste/rework collection and handling procedures related to the process
• basic operating principles of process control, including the relationship between control panels and systems and the physical equipment
• cleaning and sanitisation procedures required for homogenising equipment
• procedures to record traceability of product.

Assessment Conditions

Assessment of the skills in this unit of competency must take place under the following conditions:

• physical conditions:

• a food processing workplace or an environment that accurately represents workplace conditions

• resources, equipment and materials:

• personal protective clothing and equipment
• homogenisation equipment and related services
• product to be homogenised
• cleaning materials and equipment

• specifications:

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