Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit describes the outcomes required to maintain and monitor quality of personal output and care of the products being utilised and produced. The unit includes applying the recognition of timber technology

General workplace legislative and regulatory requirements apply to this unit; however there are no specific licensing or certification requirements at the time of publication

This unit replaces FPICOR2207A Maintain quality and product care

Application of the unit 

The unit involves maintaining quality and product care in a variety of work settings including a forest environment, saw mill, wood chip mill, veneer mill, board/plywood mill, timber treatment plants, downstream processing of timber, forest products factory, forest products sales and service, horticultural, domestic, local council, emergency services environment

The skills and knowledge required for competent workplace performance are to be used within the scope of the person's job and authority

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. Maintain quality output

1.1. Applicable Occupational Health and Safety  (OHS), environmental , legislative  and organisational requirements  relevant to maintaining quality and product care are identified and followed

1.2. Quality system  procedures are applied to personal work, followed and adhered to

1.3. Products  are visually inspected  before processing or completion of handling

1.4. Product specifications  are identified and checked with appropriate personnel 

1.5. Communication  with others is established and maintained in line with OHS requirements

2. Apply timber technology assessment

2.1. Species  and timber structure  are classified and checked with appropriate personnel

2.2. Features  are located and compared with product specification requirements

2.3. Characteristics  are evaluated and drying or treatment requirements recorded as required by the enterprise

2.4. Visual appearance  is assessed and reported in line with workplace procedures as required by the enterprise

3. Monitor and control product care

3.1. Product recovery  is monitored to optimise the resource value and minimise waste 

3.2. Potential of materials to provide the highest value added  return is checked with appropriate personnel

3.3. Machinery and equipment is regularly maintained  and adjusted to minimise waste and product damage

3.4. Problems are immediately identified and promptly reported to appropriate personnel to avoid repetition of de-valued product

3.5. Quality and product care procedures are recorded and reported  in line with workplace procedures

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit

Required skills 

• Technical skills sufficient to classify species and timber structures; assess visual appearance of timber
• Communication skills and interpersonal techniques sufficient to interact appropriately with colleagues and others in the workplace
• Literacy skills sufficient to accurately locate, record and report information
• Numeracy skills sufficient to estimate, measure and calculate time required to complete a task
• Problem solving skills sufficient to identify and interpret work requirements

Required knowledge 

• Applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation, regulations, standards, codes of practice and established safe practices relevant to the full range of processes for the maintenance of quality and product care
• Environmental protection requirements, including the safe disposal of waste material
• Organisational and site standards, requirements, policies and procedures relevant to the maintenance of quality and product care
• Environmental risks and hazard identification
• Optimisation of timber
• Quality systems
• Product care and processing
• Established communication channels and protocols
• Problem identification and resolution strategies and common fault finding techniques
• Types of tools and equipment and procedures for their safe use and maintenance
• Appropriate mathematical procedures for estimating and measuring, including calculating time to complete tasks
• Procedures for recording and reporting workplace information

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 

A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to provide evidence that they can safely and efficiently maintain quality and product care

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

The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to, and satisfy, all of the requirements of the elements of this unit and include demonstration of:

• following applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislative and regulatory requirements and codes of practice relevant to maintaining quality and product care
• following organisational policies and procedures relevant to maintaining quality and product care
• maintenance of quality and product care in line with environmental legislation and workplace procedures
• effective communication and safe work practices

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

• Competency is to be assessed in the workplace or realistically simulated workplace
• Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints
• Assessment of required knowledge, other than confirmatory questions, will usually be conducted in an off-site context
• Assessment is to follow relevant regulatory or Australian Standards requirements
• The following resources should be made available:

• workplace location or simulated workplace
• materials and equipment relevant to undertaking work applicable to this unit
• specifications and work instructions

Method of assessment 

• Assessment must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the FPI11 Training Package
• Assessment methods must confirm consistency and accuracy of performance (over time and in a range of workplace relevant contexts) together with application of required knowledge
• Assessment must be by direct observation of tasks, with questioning on required knowledge and it must also reinforce the integration of employability skills
• Assessment methods must confirm the ability to access and correctly interpret and apply the required knowledge
• Assessment may be applied under project-related conditions (real or simulated) and require evidence of process
• Assessment must confirm a reasonable inference that competency is able not only to be satisfied under the particular circumstance, but is able to be transferred to other circumstances
• Assessment may be in conjunction with assessment of other units of competency
• The assessment environment should not disadvantage the candidate
• Assessment practices should take into account any relevant language or cultural issues related to Aboriginality, gender or language backgrounds other than English
• Where the participant has a disability, reasonable adjustment may be applied during assessment
• Language and literacy demands of the assessment task should not be higher than those of the work role

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.

OHS requirements :

are to be in line with applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation and regulations, and organisational safety policies and procedures, and may include:

• personal protective equipment and clothing
• safety equipment
• first aid equipment
• fire fighting equipment
• hazard and risk control
• fatigue management
• elimination of hazardous materials and substances
• safe forest practices including required actions relating to forest fire
• manual handling including shifting, lifting and carrying
• machine isolation and guarding

Environmental requirements may include :

• legislation
• organisational policies and procedures
• workplace practices

Legislative requirements :

are to be in line with applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation, regulations, certification requirements and codes of practice and may include:

• award and enterprise agreements
• industrial relations
• Australian Standards
• confidentiality and privacy
• OHS
• the environment
• equal opportunity
• anti-discrimination
• relevant industry codes of practice
• duty of care

Organisational requirements  may include:

• legal
• organisational and site guidelines
• policies and procedures relating to own role and responsibility
• quality assurance
• procedural manuals
• quality and continuous improvement processes and standards
• OHS, emergency and evacuation procedures
• ethical standards
• recording and reporting requirements
• equipment use and maintenance and storage requirements
• environmental management requirements (waste disposal, recycling and re-use guidelines)

Quality systems  may include:

• enterprise based systems
• second party certification
• third party certification
• ISO9000 series
• other regulatory systems

Product  may include:

• trees
• logs
• seed
• planting stock
• timber
• panels
• board

Product specifications  may include:

• specifications set for optimisation of timber set in line with the available resource
• customer requirements
• industry standard cross sections and lengths
• enterprise standards

Visual inspection  may include:

• assessing the appropriateness of defects
• contamination
• timber colours
• insect attack
• surface finishes
• loose surfaces
• bubbles
• holes
• breakages
• machine caused defects

Appropriate personnel  may include:

• supervisors
• line managers
• colleagues

Communication  may include:

• verbal and non-verbal language
• constructive feedback
• active listening
• questioning to clarify and confirm understanding
• use of positive, confident and cooperative language
• use of language and concepts appropriate to individual social and cultural differences
• control of tone of voice and body language

Species  may include:

• native
• imported species

Timber structures  may include:

• hardwood or softwood cell structured timber

Features  may include:

• warp
• wane
• cupping
• shakes
• insect defects
• knots
• resin pockets

Characteristics  may include:

• colour
• density
• texture
• grain
• figure
• qualities
• uses

Visual appearance  may include:

• colour
• grain
• figure
• aesthetics

Product recovery  may include:

• sawn timber used in manufacturing of timber engineered products where defective timber can be recovered to be used in other parts of the plant to minimise waste
• recovering logs or converting logs into useable boards without damage or loss of product

Minimising waste may include :

• appropriately assessing timber for recovery
• maximising product or resource use
• recycling defective product, off cuts and residues in line with organisational guidelines

Value adding  is to include:

• maximising use of the product or resource
• minimising waste
• optimising the use of natural resources

Regular maintenance of machinery and equipment may include :

minimising:

• the impact of the use of machinery and equipment on the environment
• carbon emissions

Records and reports  may include

but not be limited to:

• OHS policies and procedures
• quality outcomes
• hazards
• incidents
• equipment malfunctions

and may be:

• manual
• using a computer-based system or another appropriate organisational communication system

Competency field 

Core