Home - RUV04 - RUV2104A

Range Statement

Food and food checks may include quantity of food, quality of food, the incidence of toxic species and weeds, and checking for cleanliness and freshness including the removal of stale or contaminated food.

Food supplements may include hay, grain, trace elements, vitamins and sources of specific-purpose foods.

Supplementary feeding may be required to cover seasonal, drought or other feed shortages and trace element deficiencies.

Target weights, amount and type of food and food supplements, how to introduce animals to dietary changes, feeding frequency and rates, feeding methods and procedures, weed and pest control strategy, supervisor's instructions, reporting and recording requirements, presentation of food that stimulates activity and allows animals to mimic normal wild activity.

Food temperature requirements may include minimum temperature for safe cold storage and minimum temperature and time for defrosting frozen food. The temperature of food may affect palatability or digestion factors.

Animal movement and handling, solar radiation, organic and other dusts, excessive noise, moving machinery and vehicles, the contamination from vermin and the possibility of zoonoses.

Boots, overalls, gloves, protective eyewear, hearing protection, respirator or face mask and sun protection (e.g. sun hat and sunscreen).

Safe work practices will include the use of personal protective clothing and equipment including safety goggles and glasses, protective masks, safety gloves, aprons, appropriate footwear and animal handling gauntlets.

Protocols for safe work practices may include hazard identification and risk minimisation; the handling, use, storage, transport and disposal of chemicals; and the handling and disposal of biological wastes.

The handling of chemicals and medicines in the workplace requires extra care to ensure safe work practices are maintained.

Safe work practices include the packaging and handling of animals and equipment. Appropriate safe handling techniques for the task are used to reduce muscle load on exertion.

Some workplaces may expose personnel to risks such as zoonoses, release of infective agents (both animal and human), chemical spillage and gas leakages.

Ensuring that quality, quantity and access are sufficient and meet the feeding plan.

The feeding process should be monitored to ensure that no one animal or group of animals dominates the food and / or water supply.

This may include the general observation of sick animals, shy feeders, weight loss, scouring, greedy (bossy) feeders and ill thrift.

Standard operating procedures, industry standards, production schedules, work notes, product labels, manufacturers' specifications, operators' manuals, organisational policies and procedures (including waste disposal, recycling and re-use guidelines), OHS procedures, supervisor's oral or written instructions and work and feeding plans.

Evidence Guide

The critical requirements that are valuable for this unit of competency as a whole are listed below.

Assessment must confirm one's ability to:

• provide food and water to a minimum of one species from at least two of the six major animal groups (mammals, fish, birds, amphibians, invertebrates and reptiles)

• monitor and record the condition of animals

• follow feeding plan to meet the nutritional requirements of animals

• handle animals in a safe manner

• recognise hazards

• monitor the feeding process and report eating and drinking abnormalities

• maintain records

• maintain clean, hygienic and safe food preparation and work areas

• communicate with supervisor and follow instructions.

Knowledge and understanding are essential to apply this unit in the workplace, to transfer the skills to other contexts and to deal with unplanned events. The knowledge requirements for this unit of competency are listed below and include:

• basic nutritional requirements for animals, including water

• types of food and food supplements

• refrigeration requirements for food

• types of mould and bacteria in food preparation areas

• animal health and behaviour

• animal scoring and weighing methods

• safe animal handling techniques and procedures

• hazards associated with handling animals and control measures

• animal welfare and ethics requirements

• personal protective clothing and equipment and when and how it should be used

• organisational policies regarding feeding animals

• recording and reporting routines.

To achieve the performance criteria, some complementary skills are required. These skills include the ability to:

• provide food and food supplements in accordance with feeding plan

• monitor animal health and condition and recognise abnormalities

• read and follow feeding plan, work plan and supervisor's instructions

• employ safe and environmentally responsible systems and procedures when handling animals and feed

• communicate and report animal eating and drinking abnormalities and workplace hazards

• maintain animal records

• calculate animal numbers, measure food and rate and frequency of feeding under direct supervision in accordance with feeding plan.

For valid assessment, one must have opportunities to participate in a range of exercises, case studies and other real and simulated practical and knowledge assessments that demonstrate the skills and knowledge to participate in providing food and water for animals. One must also have access to the resources listed below that include:

• an appropriate workplace or an environment that reproduces normal work conditions

• equipment and resources normally used in the workplace

• animals

• organisational policies and procedures

• feeding plan, animal food, food supplements and water.

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.

The skills and knowledge required to provide food and water for animals must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events. For example, this could include work within animal care industries such as animal technology, animal control and regulation, companion animal services, veterinary nursing or captive animals. It may include workplaces such as city, regional or rural facilities, small and large captive animal facilities, traditional or open-range type facilities, wildlife parks, sanctuaries, mobile farms, theme park environments, veterinary clinics, pet shops and boarding, breeding and / or grooming facilities.

Assessment for this unit of competency is to be largely practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in the workplace or in a situation that reproduces normal work conditions.

There must be access in either situation to the appropriate equipment and / or resources to enable one to demonstrate competency.

This unit of competency could be assessed on its own or in combination with other competencies relevant to the job function, for example:

RUV2103A Assist with general animal care