Knowledge of: purpose and basic principles of terminal sterilisation, including principles of heat transfer, properties of saturated steam, and the relationship between time, temperature and pressure as they affect the kill rate the nature of items to be sterilised using an autoclave and related preparation requirements, such as handling/preparation requirements for porous and non-porous loads the nature of wrapping materials suitable for use, the methods used to wrap items, methods used to monitor that time/temperature parameters are met - typically heat-sensitive tape or markers and the significance of loading patterns in achieving effective sterilisation basic operating principles of equipment, such as main equipment components, status and purpose of guards, equipment operating capacities and applications, and the purpose and location of sensors and related feedback instrumentation, and where relevant, the calibration schedule and procedures to confirm that instruments are within calibration services required and action to take if services are not available time/temperature parameters required to achieve terminal sterilisation and corrective action required where operation is outside specified operating parameters typical equipment faults and related causes, including signs and symptoms of faulty equipment and early warning signs of potential problems methods used to monitor the sterilisation process, such as inspecting, measuring and testing as required inspection or test points (control points) and the related procedures and recording requirements possible causes of variation in outcome and corrective action required occupational health and safety (OHS) hazards related to autoclave operation and associated control measures, such as working with superheated steam and around hot surfaces, manual handling and steam leaks purpose and limitations of protective clothing and equipment emergency and routine shutdown procedures and procedures to follow in the event of a power outage isolation, lock out and tag out procedures and responsibilities procedures and responsibility for recording and reporting information on autoclave performance environmental issues and controls relevant to the process, including waste/rework collection and handling procedures related to the process basic operating principles of process control, where relevant, including the relationship between control panels and systems and the physical equipment sampling and testing associated with process monitoring and control where relevant routine maintenance procedures where relevant cleaning and sanitation procedures where relevant |