Application
This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge to participate in laboratory investigations involving animals, plants and related environmental parameters. The animals or plants might be single specimens, parts of specimens or be in culture or under propagation. The investigations might also be part of experimental models that examine interactions of animals and/or plants and their environments. Investigations would generally relate to taxonomy, physiology and pathology, and would be oriented to scientific research, food production and manufacture, and to investigation of biological environments and ecosystems.
This unit applies to laboratory technicians and technical officers working in biological, biotechnology and environmental industry sectors. It is expected that all work would conform to statutory and work health and safety (WHS) codes of practice. This unit of competency assumes that personnel perform tests and procedures under the close supervision of scientific staff and that the workplace will equip its workers with relevant animal handling skills should they be required. The unit does not cover procedures related to the handling of vertebrates that are subject to national and state/territory animal care and ethics regulations.
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 | Process specimens and documentation | 1.1 | Identify specimens and request forms that do not comply with minimum industry requirements for labelling, identification and test requests |
1.2 | Record any discrepancies and indicate what action is required | ||
1.3 | Log samples, recording details that allow accurate tracking and chain of custody | ||
2 | Participate in the identification and classification of species | 2.1 | Record macroscopic and/or microscopic details of specimens to assist in their identification and classification |
2.2 | Use taxonomic keys to assist in the identification and classification of species | ||
2.3 | Perform laboratory analyses that can assist in identification and classification of species | ||
2.4 | Preserve specimens for future reference | ||
2.5 | Label preserved specimens for storage and reliable retrieval from collections | ||
3 | Maintain viability and integrity of specimens during experimentation | 3.1 | Provide nutrients and environments to maintain viability of individual specimens and organisms being cultured or propagated |
3.2 | Perform procedures and analyses to monitor the experimental environment | ||
3.3 | Perform procedures and analyses to monitor the physiology of organisms in the experimental environment | ||
3.4 | Adjust nutrient requirements and environmental conditions as indicated by monitoring data | ||
3.5 | Report (to supervisors) data and phenomena that may risk viability of individual specimens or cultures | ||
3.6 | Report (to supervisors) data and phenomena that are incompatible with the experimental design parameters | ||
4 | Integrate laboratory and field data | 4.1 | Locate field data relevant to the study or experiment |
4.2 | Match field and laboratory data codes for tracking, reporting and chain of custody requirements | ||
4.3 | Log field and laboratory data into information systems | ||
4.4 | Assist with writing reports of experiments and related field studies | ||
Foundation Skills
This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance.
Oral communication skills to interact effectively and use appropriate scientific terminology and technical concepts to report data and phenomena that may risk viability of individual specimens or cultures, or are incompatible with the experimental design parameters.
Other foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit.
Competency Field
Testing