Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to maintain knives for safe and effective use in a meat establishment.
This unit is applicable to any worker who is required to sharpen a knife to use in a processing, wholesaling or retail meat establishment. This unit is a pre-requisite for any other unit where a knife is used to perform a task.
This unit must be delivered in the context of Australian meat industry standards and regulations.
All work should be carried out in accordance with workplace requirements, regulatory requirements and hygiene standards.
This unit applies to individuals who work under general supervision, exercise limited autonomy and have some accountability for their own work.
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. Sharpen knives | 1.1 Sharpen knives according to workplace requirements 1.2 Sharpen knives to maintain bevel edge 1.3 Use steel correctly to maintain bevel edge and to meet workplace health and safety requirements |
2. Work safely with others | 2.1 Use knives in ways which minimise the risk of injury 2.2 Use knives safely at all times in accordance with workpalce health and safety, hygiene and sanitation, and food safety requirements |
3. Maintain knives and associated equipment | 3.1 Maintain knives to hygiene and sanitation, and workplace requirements 3.2 Maintain, clean and store knife-sharpening equipment to hygiene and sanitation, and workplace requirements |
Evidence of Performance
The candidate must be observed maintaining knives for safe and effective use in a meat establishment. Competency must be demonstrated in conjunction with a skill or task requiring the use of a knife. Evidence must demonstrate the candidate’s consistency of performance over time.
The candidate must:
steel a knife correctly
use safe techniques of knife sharpening to workplace, hygiene and sanitation, and health and safety requirements
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must demonstrate a factual, technical, procedural and theoretical knowledge of:
steps in steeling a knife to maintain edge
technique to sharpen a knife with an appropriate bevel edge
theory of knife sharpening
sterilisation, and hygiene and sanitation requirements related to knife sharpening
workplace health and safety issues related to the use and sharpening of knives
relevant regulatory requirements
Assessment Conditions
Assessment can be carried out in an actual or simulated workplace.
The following three forms of assessment must be used:
quiz of underpinning knowledge
workplace demonstration
workplace referee or third party report of performance over time
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.