Application
This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to monitor and maintain the supply of sheep to shearer catching pens.
All work must be carried out to comply with workplace procedures, work health and safety, animal welfare and biosecurity legislation and codes, and sustainability practices.
This unit applies to individuals who work under general supervision and exercise limited autonomy with some accountability for their own work. They identify and provide solutions to a limited range of predictable problems.
No occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements are known to apply to this unit at the time of publication
Elements and Performance Criteria
Element | Performance criteria |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Provide continuous supply of sheep to shearers | 1.1 Identify work health and safety hazards and report to the supervisor 1.2 Select and use suitable personal protective equipment 1.3 Apply animal welfare principles to the movement and penning of sheep 1.4 Pen sheep in their separate mobs as instructed 1.5 Secure gates to prevent sheep escaping on to the board 1.6 Monitor the speed of shearers and arrange numbers of sheep in catching pens so that shearers all complete shearing at or near mob cutout 1.7 Monitor sheep numbers in catching pens and fill pens as they empty to ensure continuous supply to shearers 1.8 Refill other pens as required |
2. Keep mobs separate | 2.1 Secure gates to prevent mixing of mobs 2.2 Fill pens with sheep from only one mob at any given time to avoid mixing mobs and wool types 2.3 Inform supervisor of mob cutout 2.4 Move sheep to other catching pens to ensure that mob cutout is simultaneous 2.5 Use safe workplace practices and observe animal welfare requirements with regard to livestock handling |
3. Prevent contamination of wool | 3.1 Arrange pen density at optimum numbers 3.2 Monitor pens to maintain sheep in standing position to avoid crushing, trampling or soiling of wool 3.3 Minimise and remove potential contaminants within pens 3.4 Follow enterprise biosecurity policies where required |
Evidence of Performance
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 provide evidence that they can:
identify hazards minimise risks and use safe work procedures
accept and interpret advice from the shed supervisor
observe differences between mobs of sheep
monitor shearers workflow and estimate rates for refilling the catching pens and for mob cutout
move sheep in a shed and pen them up
use the accepted communications signals in the shed when shearing and sheep movement is in full force
apply work health and safety in the context of own work
follow enterprise biosecurity policies where required
apply animal welfare practices in the context of own work
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:
types of shearing sheds, boards and catching pens
types of gates and catches in shearing sheds
safe handling techniques for catching, dragging, and releasing sheep
animal welfare requirements in relation to sheep
features of sheep behaviour in the shearing sheds and yards
hazards associated with handling livestock
safety features of personal protective equipment and clothing, and when and how it should be used
relevant industry awards and conditions that relate to working conditions in the wool industry
relevant sections of State/Territory legislation, regulations and codes of practice with regard to work health and safety, animal welfare, and biosecurity as applied to working in the wool industry
Assessment Conditions
Competency is to be assessed in the work place or workplace and simulated environments that accurately reflect performance in a real workplace setting.
Assessors must satisfy current standards for RTOs
Foundation Skills
Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Range Statement
Sectors
Wool (WOL)