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Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Complete work contracts for shearers and shed staff
   • Arrange shearing services in advance
   • Agree on terms and conditions of employment or engagement and check against the award or other accepted arrangements
   • Record employment terms and conditions into an employment contract where employment is arranged and ensure they are signed by employer and employees
2. Develop work plan for shearing day
   • Discuss, develop and agree on a shearing work plan with shearing team and document
   • Identify hazards relevant to the preparation and conduct of shearing and document in work plan and take appropriate action to minimise risks
   • Carry out work according to work plan
   • Review work plan with shearing team and note required improvements for future action
3. Check shearing equipment
   • Use work plan to identify and obtain all equipment and supplies necessary for shearing
   • Check and prepare equipment required for shearing and ensure it is clean, set up and functioning correctly
4. Ensure shed and yards are prepared for shearing
   • Check and clean shearing shed prior to commencement of shearing
   • Check and clean yards prior to commencement of shearing
   • Remove sources of alpaca fibre contamination
   • Report safety hazards to fibre grower or shed manager
5. Pen up alpacas
   • Move alpacas according to shearing sequence
   • Pen alpacas by mobs, according to work plan
   • Determine pen density to avoid crushing, trampling or soiling of alpaca fibre
   • Secure gates to prevent mixing of mobs or escape of alpacas
   • Monitor alpaca numbers in holding pens to ensure continuous supply to shearer
   • Monitor pens to maintain alpaca in standing position to avoid soiling of alpaca fibre
   • Apply enterprise animal welfare policies
   • Apply enterprise biosecurity policies where required

Range Statement

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Performance Evidence

The candidate must be assessed on their ability to integrate and apply the performance requirements of this unit in a workplace setting. Performance must be demonstrated consistently over time and in a suitable range of contexts.

The candidate must produce a shearing work plan and ensure that all required planning and preparation for shearing has been completed.

The candidate must provide evidence that they can:

carry out cleaning and decontamination of pens and shearing shed to industry standards

move alpacas according to work health and safety, animal welfare and enterprise requirements

muster and draft alpacas into pens according to enterprise and industry standards

operate any necessary equipment to industry standards

use industry-accepted alpaca handling techniques

apply enterprise biosecurity policies in the context of own work

apply enterprise animal welfare policies in the context of own work

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Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:

Alpaca Industry Best Practice Standards for Harvesting of Alpaca Fibre

elements of effective and appropriate alpaca shearing work plans

equipment requirements for alpaca shearing

how to clean and decontaminate sheds and pens

industry-accepted alpaca handling and moving techniques

relevant industry awards and conditions

enterprise biosecurity policies applying to the job role

work health and safety legislation and codes of practice applying to the job role

animal welfare legislation and codes of practice applying to the job role

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