Application
This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to class fleece wool from merino and crossbred sheep into lines that meet the requirements of the Code of Practice for the Preparation of Australian Wool Clips.
All work must be carried out to comply with workplace procedures, work health and safety, animal welfare and biosecurity legislation and codes.
The unit applies to wool classers who class wool as a professional service after consultation with the grower or shed manager.
This unit applies to individuals who take responsibility for their own work and for the quality of the work of others within known parameters. They provide and communicate solutions to a range of predictable and sometimes unpredictable 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. Prepare for wool classing | 1.1 Arrange the layout of the shed, equipment and facilities according to the determined classing strategy for efficient wool flow, quality management and pressing 1.2 Identify potential and existing work health and safety hazards, assess risks and implement control measures 1.3 Place clearly labelled bins and containers in line with the classing strategy, quality management system and enterprise requirements 1.4 Establish and maintain sufficient staffing ratio |
2. Carry out classing of fleece wool | 2.1 Identify hazards, apply safe working practices and use available safety equipment 2.2 Handle and skirt fleece wool to the required standards 2.3 Check wool to ensure freedom from contamination and stain 2.4 Check wool to ensure adequate and optimum skirting 2.5 Assess pigmented fibre risk and keep wool separate as required 2.6 Identify wet wool, stained, cotted and coloured wool and keep separate 2.7 Appraise wool for its characteristics 2.8 Class wool to standards of the enterprise classing strategy, the Code of Practice and as required by alternative selling methods 2.9 Identify wool of higher and lower market value and processing requirements and make lines to maximise return to the wool owner |
3. Place wool in bins for pressing | 3.1 Place wool in the correct bins ready for pressing and ensure that cross contamination does not occur 3.2 Check wool flow into bins and communicate with wool presser |
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 and apply safe work procedures
arrange layout of bins and wool table for optimum efficient wool flow and pressing in a variety of sheds
label bins and containers correctly
monitor clip preparation and skirting
assess pigmented fibre risk and separate wool as required
identify and appraise wool characteristics
class wool to standards in accordance with the Code of Practice for the Preparation of Australian Wool Clips or as required by alternative selling methods
identify wool of higher and lower market value and lines made which maximise return to grower.
separate wools of different processing or end user requirements
identify and keep separate wet wool, stained, cotted and coloured wool and contamination
communicate with team members in completing tasks associated with classing fleece wool.
implement enterprise work health and safety policies
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:
shed layouts which promote safe, efficient wool flow and classing
characteristics of the breeds of sheep
types and sources of contamination
impact of the wool production areas of Australia on clip characteristics
inherent wool characteristics - diameter, length and strength, colour, yield, VM type, curvature, and comfort factor and explain how these characteristics impact on classing
techniques used to measure wool characteristics
processing methods - woollen and worsted, and stages of processing
effect of raw wool characteristics on wool processing and final product
features of wool growth, skin and fibre biology, and discuss the effect of genetics and environment on fibre characteristics
requirements for handling shedding and pigmented fibres
interpretation of test results, clip feedback and reports
principles of classing (mob/flock concept, variability for fibre diameter and staple length, soundness, defects)
documentation requirements for wool clips
features of the Code of Practice for the Preparation of Australian Wool Clips and other relevant quality standards
requirements of work health and safety legislation in a wool preparation workplace
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.
Evidence of competency must be demonstrated in Fine/Superfine Merino, Medium/Strong Merino and Crossbred wool clips.
Assessors must satisfy current standards for RTOs and be currently registered with the Australian Wool Exchange as Australian Wool classers.
Foundation Skills
Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Range Statement
Classing must include the classing of Fine/Superfine Merino, Medium/Strong Merino and Crossbred wool clips.
Sectors
Wool (WOL)