Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit describes the outcomes required to assess timber for its manufacturing potential for frame and truss construction including the ability to hold nail plates and retain engineered strength ratings with particular attention given to serviceability

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

Application of the unit 

The unit involves assessing timber for plating potential in a factory environment, usually as part of production of prefabricated trusses, frames and/or floors

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. Prepare for assessing

1.1. Applicable Occupational Health and Safety  (OHS ), environmental, legislative  and organisational  requirements relevant to assessing timber  for manufacturing potential are identified and followed

1.2. Work order  is reviewed and clarified with appropriate personnel 

1.3. Visual assessment processes are planned in line with site procedures

1.4. Type and quantity of material  to be visually assessed is acquired from the storage location

1.5. Tools and equipment  are selected appropriate to work requirements and checked for operational effectiveness in line with manufacturer's recommendations

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

2. Assess timber

2.1. Material requirements for storage or subsequent processing operations are selected

2.2. Characteristics and defects of material are assessed against industry and Australian Standards  in determining plating potential

2.3. Defects are clearly identified prior to plating or sawing in line with site requirements

2.4. Timber components are orientated to make best use of the characteristics

2.5. Timber assessed as unsuitable for plating is identified for reprocessing to minimise wastage

2.6. Assessment outcomes and distribution problems are recorded and reported  to appropriate personnel in line with site procedures

3. Distribute material

3.1. Material is directed and moved to storage or processing operations in line with site requirements

3.2. Sub-standard materials are rejected and disposed of in line with site requirements to minimise wastage

3.3. On -site movement of material  is monitored to ensure intended flow is achieved

3.4. Material is labelled in line with site requirements

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required skills 

• Technical skills sufficient to identify and assess a range of timber characteristics likely to impact on nail plate holding ability and to orientate components to ensure optimum utilisation of the resource
• Communication skills sufficient to liaise with co-workers and supervisors to ensure efficient work flow
• Literacy skills sufficient to identify and record timber characteristics impacting on nail plate holding ability
• Numeracy skills sufficient to measure, estimate and record size of undesirable timber characteristics
• Problem solving skills sufficient to identify and resolve work flow problems resulting from undesirable timber characteristics
• Planning and organisational skills sufficient to plan visual assessment processes

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 assessing timber for plating potential
• Environmental protection requirements, including the safe disposal of waste material
• Organisational and site standards, requirements, policies and procedures for assessing timber for plating potential
• Knowledge of materials handling and transport systems
• Orientation of components to ensure products conform with manufacturing guidelines
• A range of timber characteristics likely to affect nail plate holding ability
• A range of industry standard timber species, lengths, cross sections and grades that may affect nail plate holding ability
• Established communication channels and protocols
• Problem identification and resolution strategies and common fault finding techniques
• Types of tools and equipment used for assessing timber and procedures for their safe use, operation 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 assess timber for manufacturing potential

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 assessing timber for plating potential
• following organisational policies and procedures relevant to assessing timber for plating potential
• the application of knowledge of timber characteristics to make an accurate assessment of the potential of a piece of timber to be used for a particular component of trusses, and/or frames and/or floors

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 comply with 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
• fatigue management
• hazard and risk control
• elimination of hazardous materials and substances
• manual handling including shifting, lifting and carrying

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)

Timber  characteristics may include:

• bow, spring and twist
• wane/want and collapse
• cupping and other distortion
• knots and knot holes
• borer damage
• gum/resin veins and pockets
• decay
• end splits, internal checks and surface checks
• low density material
• compression failures and fractures
• durability
• heart in material
• joint strength

Work order  may include:

• type
• size
• length
• angle
• quantity
• grade

Appropriate personnel  may include:

• supervisors
• suppliers
• clients
• colleagues
• managers

Material  may include:

• native timber species
• imported timber species
• dressed timber
• in-the-rough timber
• stress and non-stress graded timber
• preservative treated timber
• laminated veneer coated and/or treated timber products
• beams or laminated beams

Tools and equipment  may include:

• charts
• gauges
• standard operating procedures
• picture cards
• measuring equipment

Communication  may include:

• verbal and non-verbal language
• hand or other agreed signals
• eye contact with other operators or personnel
• use of electronic devices

Standards 

• are those contained in Australian Standards and additional requirements established by the client or nail plate producer

Records and reports  may include:

• stress-grading requirements
• product type
• size
• inspection
• grading and marking outcomes
• storage locations
• quality outcomes
• hazards, incidents or equipment malfunctions

and may be:

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

On-site movement of material 

may include the use of:

• trolley use
• fork lift
• pallet truck

Competency field 

Common Technical