Application
This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge to exercise good laboratory practice (GLP) and effective participation in quality improvement teams. Personnel are required to ensure the quality and integrity of their own work, detect non-conformances and work with others to suggest improvements in productivity and quality.
This unit of competency applies to laboratory technicians working in all industry sectors who contribute to quality improvements in areas or processes associated with their own job function and/or specialisation. This unit of competency is relevant to experienced technical officers who may work individually or as part of a team.
No licensing or certification requirements exist at the time of publication. However, regulations and/or external accreditation requirements for laboratory operations exist, so local requirements should be checked. Relevant legislation, industry standards and codes of practice within Australia must also be applied.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. | ||
1 | Satisfy quality system requirements in daily work | 1.1 | Access information on quality system requirements for own job function |
1.2 | Record and report quality control data in accordance with quality system | ||
1.3 | Follow quality control procedures to ensure products or data are of a defined quality as an aid to acceptance or rejection | ||
1.4 | Recognise and report non-conformances or problems | ||
1.5 | Conduct work in accordance with sustainable work practices | ||
1.6 | Promote sustainability principles and work practices to other workers | ||
2 | Analyse opportunities for corrective and/or optimisation action | 2.1 | Compare current work practices, procedures and process or equipment performance with requirements and/or historical data or records |
2.2 | Recognise variances that indicate abnormal or sub-optimal performance | ||
2.3 | Collect and/or evaluate batch and/or historical records to determine possible causes for sub-optimal performance | ||
2.4 | Use appropriate quality improvement techniques to rank the probabilities of possible causes | ||
3 | Recommend corrective and/or optimisation actions | 3.1 | Analyse causes to predict likely impacts of changes and decide on the appropriate actions |
3.2 | Identify required changes to standards and procedures and training | ||
3.3 | Report recommendations to designated personnel | ||
4 | Participate in the implementation of recommended actions | 4.1 | Implement approved actions and monitor performance following changes to evaluate results |
4.2 | Implement changes to systems and procedures to eliminate possible causes | ||
4.3 | Document outcomes of actions and communicate them to relevant personnel | ||
5 | Participate in the development of continuous improvement strategies | 5.1 | Review all relevant features of work practice to identify possible contributing factors leading to sub-optimal performance |
5.2 | Identify options for removing or controlling the risk of sub-optimal performance | ||
5.3 | Assess the adequacy of current controls, quality methods and systems | ||
5.4 | Identify opportunities to continuously improve performance | ||
5.5 | Develop recommendations for continual improvements of work practices, methods, procedures and equipment effectiveness | ||
5.6 | Consult with appropriate personnel to refine recommendations before implementation of approved continuous improvement strategies | ||
5.7 | Document outcomes of continuous improvement strategies and communicate them to relevant personnel | ||
Foundation Skills
This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance.
Oral communication skills to work effectively as part of a quality improvement team.
Other foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit.
Competency Field
Quality