Modification History
Not applicable.
Unit Descriptor
Unit descriptor |
This unit of competency covers the ability to prepare working solutions and to check that existing stocks are suitable for use. Calculations of quantities, choice of reagent grades and required dilutions will be specified by the supervisor. |
Application of the Unit
Application of the unit |
This unit of competency is applicable to laboratory assistants working in all industry sectors. Test solutions include those required to perform laboratory tests. Industry representatives have provided case studies to illustrate the practical application of this unit of competency and to show its relevance in a workplace setting. These are found at the end of this unit of competency under the section 'This competency in practice'. |
Licensing/Regulatory Information
Not applicable.
Pre-Requisites
Prerequisite units |
||
Employability Skills Information
Employability skills |
This unit contains employability skills. |
Elements and Performance Criteria Pre-Content
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. |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT |
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Safely use laboratory chemicals, glassware and equipment |
1.1. Apply appropriate safety precautions for use of laboratory equipment and hazardous chemical materials 1.2. Use appropriate laboratory glassware and measuring equipment 1.3. Clean and store glassware and equipment in accordance with enterprise procedures |
2. Make up working solutions |
2.1. Identify the relevant standard methods for solution preparation 2.2. Assemble specified laboratory equipment 2.3. Select and prepare materials and solvent of specified purity 2.4. Measure appropriate quantities of reagents for solution preparation and record data 2.5. Prepare labels and log solution details in laboratory register 2.6. Transfer solutions to appropriately labelled containers |
3. Check existing stock of solutions |
3.1. Monitor shelf life of working solutions according to laboratory procedures 3.2. Replace out-of-date or reject solutions according to laboratory procedures 3.3. Conduct routine titrimetric analyses, if appropriate, to determine if solutions are fit for purpose |
Required Skills and Knowledge
REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE |
This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit. |
Required skills |
Required skills include:
|
Required knowledge |
Required knowledge includes:
|
Evidence Guide
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 |
|
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit |
Assessors should ensure that candidates can:
|
Context of and specific resources for assessment |
This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or simulated workplace environment. This unit of competency may be assessed with:
Resources may include:
|
Method of assessment |
The following assessment methods are suggested:
In all cases, practical assessment should be supported by questions to assess underpinning knowledge and those aspects of competency which are difficult to assess directly. Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability. Access must be provided to appropriate learning and/or assessment support when required. The language, literacy and numeracy demands of assessment should not be greater than those required to undertake the unit of competency in a work like environment. |
This competency in practice |
Industry representatives have provided the case studies below to illustrate the practical application of this unit of competency and show its relevance in a workplace setting. Manufacturing When starting materials used for the manufacture of common household materials are in transit from the supplier to the manufacturer, they may degrade if subjected to conditions, such as heat, moisture, light and oxygen. Even when the supplier ships quality materials to the manufacturing plant, the materials may be sub-standard when they arrive. Quality control tests are designed to test starting materials to ensure they are within specification. For example, aspirin forms salicylic acid when stored under adverse conditions. Laboratory assistants prepare and monitor the quality of solutions, such as ferric chloride solution, which gives an intense violet colour when added to salicylic acid but gives no colour with aspirin. Absence of the violet colouration indicates that breakdown of the aspirin hasn't occurred. Biomedical A laboratory assistant made up 1 litre of buffer solution using buffer tablets and a 1 litre volumetric flask as specified in the method. To ensure the solution was suitable for use the assistant measured the pH and found it was within acceptable range. The assistant then appropriately labelled a storage vessel and stored the buffer according to requirements. By following enterprise procedures the shelf life of the buffer was maximised. Environmental An environmental laboratory is contracted to determine the acidity of water samples taken from local lakes and streams. A laboratory assistant is required to make up small batches of 0.01M sodium hydroxide and to determine its concentration by titrating it against a standard solution of potassium acid phthalate using phenolphthalein indicator. This procedure is carried out monthly to ensure that the concentration of the sodium hydroxide solution is accurately known. Alternatively, the laboratory assistant may be required to prepare and standardise a fresh batch of sodium hydroxide on a monthly basis. In this case, he/she must understand the underpinning knowledge of basic acid/base theory, potential problems of interferences (such as slow absorption of carbon dioxide by sodium hydroxide solution) so as to ensure that the concentrations of workup solutions are accurately known. He/she must also be skilled in calculating and performing dilution when required to prepare such low concentrations (0.01M) of working solutions. |
Range Statement
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. |
|
Codes of practice |
Where reference is made to industry codes of practice, and/or Australian/international standards, it is expected the latest version will be used |
Standards , codes , procedures and /or enterprise requirements |
Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements may include:
|
Concepts of metrology |
Concepts of metrology may include:
|
Typical test solutions |
Typical test solutions may include:
|
Laboratory equipment |
Laboratory equipment may include:
|
Hazards |
Hazards may include:
|
Safety precautions |
Safety precautions may include:
|
Monitoring quality of solutions |
Monitoring quality of solutions may include:
|
Occupational health and safety (OHS ) and environmental management requirements |
OHS and environmental management requirements:
|
Unit Sector(s)
Unit sector |
Testing |
Competency field
Competency field |
Co-requisite units
Co-requisite units |
||