Unit of competency details

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.

1

Assess own work

1.1

Continuously check completed work against workplace standards relevant to the operation being undertaken

1.2

Demonstrate an understanding of how the work activities and completed work relate to the next production process or processes and to the final products or services concerned

1.3

Identify and isolate faulty components, products or processes

1.4

Record and/or report faults and any identified causes to the supervisor concerned, where required, in accordance with workplace procedures

2

Assess quality of received components, parts or materials

2.1

Continuously check received components, parts, materials, information, service or final products against workplace standards and specifications for conformance

2.2

Demonstrate an understanding of how the received components, parts or materials, information or service relate to the current operation and how they contribute to the final quality of the product or service

2.3

Identify and isolate faulty components, parts, materials or information that relate to the operator's work

2.4

Record and/or report faults and any identified causes in accordance with workplace procedures

2.5

Identify causes of any identified faults and take corrective action as specified in workplace procedures

3

Measure components, parts or materials

3.1

Measure materials, component parts, information, service or products, as required, using the appropriate measuring instruments in accordance with workplace procedures

4

Record information on production indicator

4.1

Record basic information on quality and other indicators of process performance in accordance with workplace procedures

5

Investigate causes of quality deviations

5.1

Investigate and report causes of deviations from specified quality standards for components

5.2

Recommend suitable preventative action based on workplace quality standards and the identified causes of deviations from specified quality standards of materials

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

Required skills include:

• interpreting work instructions, specifications, standards and patterns appropriate to own work
• carrying out relevant visual inspections of materials, component parts and final products
• carrying out relevant physical/chemical measurements or tests
• maintaining accurate work records in accordance with procedures
• carrying out work in accordance with occupational health and safety (OHS) policies and procedures
• meeting work specifications
• communicating effectively within defined workplace procedures
• interpreting and applying defined procedures

Required knowledge 

Required knowledge includes:

• relevant quality standards, policies and procedures
• relevant production processes, materials and products
• basic characteristics of materials used in the relevant production processes
• safety and environmental aspects of relevant production processes
• relevant measurement techniques and quality checking procedures
• workplace procedures
• reporting procedures

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.

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

A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to provide evidence of the ability to:

• interpret, relevant work instructions, standards and specifications appropriate to own work
• check and measure relevant quality parameters
• interpret results of quality checks in terms of specifications, patterns and work standards
• take required action where standards of materials, component parts, final product or work processes are found to be unacceptable
• maintain accurate records.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment of performance must be undertaken in a workplace using or implementing one or more competitive systems and practices.

Access may be required to:

• workplace procedures and plans relevant to work area
• specifications and documentation relating to planned, currently being implemented, or implemented changes to work processes and procedures relevant to the assessee
• documentation and information in relation to production, waste, overheads and hazard control/management
• reports from supervisors/managers
• case studies and scenarios to assess responses to contingencies.

Method of assessment 

A holistic approach should be taken to the assessment.

Competence in this unit may be assessed by using a combination of the following to generate evidence:

• demonstration in the workplace
• workplace projects
• suitable simulation
• case studies/scenarios (particularly for assessment of contingencies, improvement scenarios, and so on)
• targeted questioning
• reports from supervisors, peers and colleagues (third-party reports)
• portfolio of evidence.

In all cases it is expected that practical assessment will be combined with targeted questioning to assess underpinning knowledge.

Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.

Guidance information for assessment 

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate and appropriate to the oracy, language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

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.

Competitive systems and practices 

Competitive systems and practices may include, but are not limited to:

• lean operations
• agile operations
• preventative and predictive maintenance approaches
• monitoring and data gathering systems, such as Systems Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, Materials Resource Planning (MRP) and proprietary systems
• statistical process control systems, including six sigma and three sigma
• Just in Time (JIT), kanban and other pull-related operations control systems
• supply, value, and demand chain monitoring and analysis
• 5S
• continuous improvement (kaizen)
• breakthrough improvement (kaizen blitz)
• cause/effect diagrams
• overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)
• takt time
• process mapping
• problem solving
• run charts
• standard procedures
• current reality tree

Competitive systems and practices should be interpreted so as to take into account:

• the stage of implementation of competitive systems and practices
• the size of the enterprise
• the work organisation, culture, regulatory environment and the industry sector

Quality parameters 

Quality parameters may include:

• finish
• size
• durability
• product or process variations
• materials
• alignment
• colour
• damage and imperfections
• time

Quality checks 

Quality checks are against set parameters for the process or product. Examples include:

• visual inspection
• physical measurements
• chemical tests
• checks against patterns, templates and guides
• processing time

Materials 

Materials may include:

• physical raw materials
• orders, forms and other documentation
• services required for undertaking an operation (e.g. power, water, compressed air and fuel)

Measure 

Measure includes:

• those measurements which may be taken by the employee in the workplace/at their work station

Procedures 

Procedures may include:

• work instructions
• standard operating procedures
• formulas/recipes
• batch sheets
• temporary instructions and similar instructions provided for the operation of the plant
• good operating practice as may be defined by industry codes of practice (e.g. good manufacturing practice (GMP) and responsible care)
• government regulations

Procedures may be:

• written, verbal, computer-based or in some other format

Indicators of production performance 

Indicators of production performance may include:

• number of items/production rate
• delays and causes of delays (where known)
• other information as specified in the procedures

Data entry/recording 

Data entry/recording may include:

• keyboard
• written (including ticks or signs)
• verbal

Sources of information/ documents 

Sources of information/documents may include:

• quality and Australian standards and procedures
• work instructions, patterns, designs and recipes
• organisation work procedures
• manufacturer instructions for materials and equipment
• organisational or external personnel
• customer requirements

Investigate and report 

Investigate and report includes:

• following set procedures defined for such investigations

Set procedures may include:

• verbal instructions
• documented procedures
• other quality procedures as implemented within an organisation or work environment

Workplace context 

Workplace context includes:

• work organisation procedures and practices relating to the manufacture and quality outcomes for products
• conditions of service, legislation and industrial agreements, including:

• workplace agreements and awards
• federal or state/territory legislation
• standard work practice

Reporting/communication 

Reporting/communication may include:

• verbal and written communication in accordance with organisational policies and procedures
• oral, written or visual communication and may include simple data

Being responsible for the maintenance of own work quality 

Being responsible for the maintenance of own work quality may include:

• contributing to the quality improvement of team or section output, where necessary, in accordance with workplace procedures
• following safety, environmental, housekeeping and quality procedures as specified by materials/machine/equipment manufacturers, regulatory authorities and the organisation

Applicable regulations and legislation 

Applicable regulations and legislation may include:

• OHS legislation relevant to workplace activities
• workers compensation legislation

Unit sector

Competitive systems and practices