The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Assessment must be carried out in a manner that recognises the cultural and literacy requirements of the assessee and is appropriate to the work performed. Competence in this unit must be achieved in accordance with food safety standards and regulations.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of ability to:

conduct pre-start checks on machinery used for receiving and hanging birds

start, operate, monitor and adjust process equipment to achieve required quality outcomes

take corrective action in response to typical faults and inconsistencies

complete workplace records as required

apply safe work practices and identify OHS hazards and controls

safely shut down equipment

apply food safety procedures to work practices.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must occur in a real or simulated workplace where the assessee has access to:

personal protective clothing and equipment

work procedures, including advice on safe work practices, food safety, quality and environmental requirements

information on equipment capacity and operating parameters

production schedule/batch instructions

specifications, control points and processing parameters

receival, and hanging process and related equipment and services

birds

documentation and recording requirements and procedures

cleaning procedures, materials and equipment as required.

Method of assessment

This unit should be assessed together with core units and other units of competency relevant to the function or work role. Examples may be:

FDFOP2004A Clean and sanitise equipment

FDFOP2011A Conduct routine maintenance

FDFOP2030A Operate a process control interface.

Guidance information for assessment

To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities, and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.

Required skills

Ability to:

access workplace information to identify receival and hanging process requirements

select, fit and use personal protective clothing and/or equipment

confirm supply of necessary birds and services

conduct pre-start checks, such as inspecting condition of conveyors and shackles to identify any signs of wear, selecting appropriate settings, cancelling isolation or lock outs as required, confirming that equipment is clean and correctly configured for receival, and hanging process requirement

conduct checks to confirm and maintain the receival environment, such as:

checking airflow in receivals area

checking operation of related equipment, such as dust extractors

checking humidity gauges/ambient temperature

confirming that birds are under minimal stress

unload birds and confirm condition, including removing any dead or poorly conditioned birds

retrieve escaped birds, causing minimal stress

hang birds according to workplace procedure

demonstrate procedures for adjusting equipment for different bird sizes/types as appropriate

sequence receival and hanging activities to minimise time between receival and processing

respond to and/or report equipment failure within level of responsibility

locate emergency stop functions on equipment

follow isolation and lock out/tag out procedures as required

complete workplace records as required

maintain work area to meet housekeeping standards

use process control systems according to enterprise procedures

check and confirm weighbridge documentation against order according to enterprise procedures

conduct routine maintenance according to enterprise procedures

clean and sanitise equipment according to enterprise procedures

use oral communication skills/language competence to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation, including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification and seeking advice from supervisor

work cooperatively within a culturally diverse workforce

Required knowledge

Knowledge of:

basic principles of bird handling, including humane treatment of birds, conditions that stress birds and environmental design features to minimise stress, such as airflow, humidity and temperature controls

RSPCA standards relating to bird handling

basic operating principles of equipment, such as conveyor systems and related load shifting equipment and other equipment used, including dust extractors, and the purpose and location of sensors and related feedback instrumentation

acceptable time from bird receival to bird processing and consequences of delays in processing on product quality

the flow of the receival and hanging process on further processing or packing stages to produce a final product

changeover requirements to adjust for bird size/type

operating requirements and parameters and corrective action required where operation is outside specified operating parameters

typical equipment faults and related causes, including signs and symptoms of faulty equipment and early warning signs of potential problems

methods used to monitor the receival and hanging process, such as monitoring that the receival process is paced to deliver birds to processing and/or packing areas without delay, bird condition is acceptable, the receival environment is appropriate and birds are shackled correctly

consequences of poor receival and hanging on product quality

occupational health and safety (OHS) hazards and controls

requirements of different shutdowns as appropriate to the receival, and hanging process and workplace production requirements, including emergency and routine shutdowns and procedures to follow in the event of a power outage

isolation, lock out and tag out procedures and responsibilities

procedures and responsibility for reporting production and performance information

environmental issues and controls relevant to the receival, and hanging process, including procedures for disposing of dead or unfit birds

basic operating principles of process control, where relevant, including the relationship between control panels and systems and the physical equipment

receival documentation and related load identification procedures where relevant

routine maintenance procedures where relevant

cleaning and sanitation procedures where relevant

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Policies and procedures

Work is carried out according to company policies and procedures, RSPCA standards, regulatory and licensing requirements, legislative requirements; and industrial awards and agreements

Legislative requirements

Legislative requirements are typically reflected in procedures and specifications. Legislation relevant to this industry includes:

the Food Standards Code, including labelling, weights and measures legislation

legislation covering food safety, environmental management, OHS, anti-discrimination and equal opportunity

Workplace information

Workplace information may include:

standard operating procedures (SOPs)

specifications

delivery documentation

production schedules

manufacturers' advice

standard forms and reports

Production equipment

Production equipment may include:

bird holding/storage facilities

unloading equipment

conveyors

dust extractors

bird shackling systems

Birds

Birds may be received in:

multi-layered modules or crates

Operation of equipment and processes

Operation of equipment and processes may require:

the use of process control panels and systems

Shutdown procedures

Shutdown procedures may include

cleaning (in some cases cleaning may be carried out by a dedicated cleaning crew)

Services

Services may need to be confirmed. These depend on the nature of the process. Typical examples include:

power

water