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

Assessment must be carried out in a manner that recognises the cultural and literacy requirements of the assessee and is appropriate to the work performed. Competence in this unit must be achieved in accordance with food safety standards and regulations.

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

Evidence of ability to:

start up, set up and shut down equipment

check calibration status of equipment and calibrate if required

prepare and test samples using procedures appropriate to the nature of sample

optimise and use equipment and spectrometers to enterprise standards

prepare calibration graphs and calculate results in appropriate units

apply basic theoretical knowledge to interpret data and make relevant conclusions

identify atypical results as out of normal range of an artefact

trace and source the cause of an artefact

communicate problems to either supervisor or outside service technician

record and communicates results according to enterprise procedures

maintain security, integrity, traceability and identity of samples, sub-samples and documentation

follow OHS procedures.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must occur in a real or simulated workplace where the assessee has access to:

personal protective clothing and equipment as required

work procedures, including advice on company practices, safe work practices, food safety, quality and environmental requirements

standard laboratory equipped with appropriate spectrometers

laboratory reagents and equipment

standard operating procedures and testing methods

documentation and recording requirements and procedures.

Method of assessment

This unit should be assessed together with core units and other units of competency relevant to the function or work role.

Guidance information for assessment

To ensure consistency in one's performance, competence should be demonstrated on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities, and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.

Required skills

Note: The following required skills should be applied as appropriate to the equipment and processes that are used in the particular winery or workplace.

Ability to:

Access and interpret information to identify testing requirements

Select, fit and use appropriate personal protective clothing and/or equipment

Liaise with other work areas. This may include:

laboratory

winemaking

production

marketing

supply

Confirm supply of necessary materials, equipment and services

Prepare samples for testing

Prepare materials as required

Confirm equipment status and condition. This may include:

confirmation that test equipment is operating accurately

recognising and rejecting contaminated or faulty glassware and equipment

safety checks

replacing consumables

instrument setting and calibration

Operate equipment according to test procedure

Carry out tests

Read and interpret results

Record results and complete workplace information

Monitor the process and test equipment to identify out-of-standard results or non-compliance

Take corrective action in response to out-of-standards results, anomalies or non-compliance

Report and/or record corrective action according to workplace procedures

Follow procedures to repeat or confirm results

Sort, collect, treat, recycle or dispose of waste

Shut down equipment in response to an emergency situation

Shut down equipment in response to routine shutdown requirements

Maintain work area to meet housekeeping standards

Prepare equipment for cleaning. This may include dismantling equipment or rinsing in preparation for sanitation

Take samples according to enterprise procedures

Clean and sanitise equipment according to enterprise procedures

Carry out routine maintenance according to enterprise procedures

Identify, rectify or report environmental non-compliance according to enterprise procedures

Required knowledge

Note: The following required knowledge should be applied as appropriate to the equipment and processes that are used in the particular winery or workplace.

Knowledge of:

Principles of the test method

Purpose of the test

Relevant standards, specifications and basic legislative requirements (e.g. quality, health, safety, labelling and equipment) and their implications

principles and concepts related to instrumentation operation and testing

Modes of separation and the concepts related to instrument operation and testing, where relevant

Function of key components of the instrument

Effects of modifying instrumental variables on output

Procedure for optimising equipment through changing operation parameters

Sample preparation procedures

Equipment and testing method troubleshooting procedures

Use of instrumentation for qualitative and/or quantitative analysis

Use of calibration charts

Calculation steps to give results in appropriate units

Affect of process stages on results

Start-up and set-up procedures as required

Services required

Common causes and knock-on effects of inaccuracies or contamination, and preventive or corrective action required

How to read and interpret results

Recording requirements and procedures

Occupational health and safety (OHS) hazards and controls

Lock-out and tag-out procedures as required

Procedures and responsibility for reporting problems

Shutdown sequence as required

Environmental issues and controls

Procedures and responsibility for reporting problems

Cleaning and sanitising requirements of equipment and work area

Recording requirements and procedures

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.

Policies and procedures

Work is carried out in accordance with workplace procedures, licensing requirements and legislative requirements

Workplace information

Workplace information may include:

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

specifications

production schedules

instructions

work notes

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

manufacturer instructions

verbal direction from laboratory manager, supervisor or senior operator

Tests

Tests will vary but may involve:

testing new materials or products

investigating complaints

improving laboratory efficiency

adjusting methods to conform to regulatory requirements (e.g. food safety and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP))

meeting client expectations

controlling starting materials

in-process materials and finished products

basic troubleshooting of enterprise processes

environmental monitoring

discrete pathology tests

Tests may be:

titrimetric and qualitative tests

spectrometric, for example:

ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis), fluorimetric, infrared (IR), flame atomic absorption spectrometry (AA)

chromatographic, for example:

column and thin layer analytical and preparative chromatography

paper, gas, liquid chromatography and high performance (pressure) liquid chromatography (HPLC)

gel filtration chromatography (purification of proteins)

affinity chromatography (purification of immunoglobulins)

electrochemical, for example:

pH, ion-selective electrodes and polarography

electrophoretic, for example:

DNA patterns and determination of protein purity

physical and destructive tests

microbiological methods, such as isolating and maintaining culture collections, yeast and bacteria propagation and maintenance, and rapid yeast detection (epi-fluorescence)

The tint and depth of colour in wines can be measured in terms of the amount of light in the visible range that is absorbed by a wine sample using a UV/Vis spectrophotometer. Accuracy of wine colour analysis is important as an incorrect result may result in over-fining of wines or the preparation of blends that do not meet winemaking specifications.

Equipment

Equipment may vary and should include that listed in test procedure or directions for conducting analyses

Materials

Materials may vary and should include those listed in test procedure or directions for conducting analyses

Confirming equipment status

Confirming equipment status involves:

checking that hygiene and sanitation standards, safety standards and pre-start requirements are met, and that equipment is operational

checking the operation and/or calibration of measuring instrumentation

Potential problems

Potential problems may occur if the technician fails to:

set the wavelength correctly

use the correct size/type of cuvette

place the cuvettes correctly in the spectrophotometer

rezero the spectrophotometer when changing from one wavelength to another, or when changing to different cell sizes