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MSS025035 Current

Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to collect and perform field and laboratory tests on soil samples.
This unit applies to environmental technicians and similar roles who are required to interpret a defined sampling plan, obtain samples, conduct physical and chemical tests, check the validity of data, recognise atypical test data and interpret results to determine whether remedial action is needed.
This unit applies in a range of industry sectors, including but not limited to geotechnical services and civil engineering; site remediation or rehabilitation; solid and hazardous waste management; natural resource management; management of contaminated sites; environmental services (sampling and monitoring of air quality, water and soil); environmental compliance, auditing and inspection; groundwater and clean water (catchments, supply and environmental flows).
No licensing or certification requirements exist at the time of publication. Relevant legislation, industry standards and codes of practice within Australia must be applied.

What You'll Learn

1.

  • 1.1 Review site plan, sampling and testing locations and history of sampling and testing
  • 1.3 Check that sampling and testing procedures are in accordance with client or workplace requirements and relevant standards and guidelines

2.

  • 2.1 Identify site and sampling and testing hazards and review workplace safety procedures
  • 2.3 Select sampling equipment and conditions to achieve representative samples and to preserve sample integrity during collection, storage and transit
  • 2.4 Select field test equipment and instruments and check operation and calibration in accordance with procedures and manufacturer instructions
  • 2.5 Assemble and check all sampling equipment, field test equipment, materials, containers and safety equipment and stow for safe transport
  • 2.6 Arrange suitable transport to, from and around site

3.

  • 3.1 Locate sampling points and any services at the site
  • 3.3 Conduct representative sampling in accordance with sampling plan and defined procedures for field and laboratory testing
  • 3.4 Record information and label samples in accordance with traceability requirements
  • 3.5 Record environment and any conditions or atypical observations made during sampling that may impact sample representativeness or integrity
  • 3.6 Transport samples back to base according to workplace procedures and codes

4.

  • 4.1 Prepare sub-samples and back-up sub-samples that are representative of the source
  • 4.3 Follow defined preparation and safety procedures to limit hazards and contamination to samples, self, work area and environment
  • 4.4 Distribute sub-samples to required destinations for testing, maintaining sample integrity, traceability and chain of custody requirements

5.

  • 5.1 Obtain sample or sub-sample for designated field test
  • 5.3 Set up and calibrate instruments to ensure safe operation and valid results
  • 5.4 Operate equipment and instruments in accordance with test method requirements
  • 5.5 Perform tests, procedures and observations in accordance with specified methods
  • 5.6 Record field observations and results and ensure that they are accurately transferred to workplace information management system

6.

  • 6.1 Obtain sample or sub-sample for designated laboratory test
  • 6.3 Set up and calibrate instruments to ensure safe operation and valid results
  • 6.4 Operate equipment and instruments in accordance with test method requirements
  • 6.5 Perform tests and procedures on samples, blanks and standards in accordance with specified methods
  • 6.6 Record test data noting atypical observations
  • 6.7 Process the data for samples, standards and blanks in accordance with workplace procedures
  • 6.8 Enter approved information into workplace information management system

7.

  • 7.1 Interpret results in relation to legislative and client requirements
  • 7.3 Determine and document any need for remedial action and report to client

8.

  • 8.1 Rehabilitate sampling site to render it safe and to minimise environmental impact
  • 8.3 Check serviceability of all equipment and instruments before storage
  • 8.4 Use defined safe work practices and personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure personal safety and that of others
  • 8.5 Minimise the generation of wastes and environment impacts according to procedures
  • 8.6 Ensure the safe collection of all hazardous wastes for disposal

Assessment Requirements

Performance Evidence

There must be evidence the candidate has completed the tasks outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit, and demonstrated the ability to:
• collect, preserve and label a set of representative air samples for at least one site in accordance with sampling plan
• prepare soil (sub)samples and conduct the following, using specified test methods:
• 2 field tests, including one chemical and one physical test
• 2 laboratory tests, including one chemical and one physical test
• process and interpret data from at least 2 tests, including estimation of measurement uncertainty.

Knowledge Evidence

There must be evidence the candidate has knowledge of:
• scientific terminology used in job role covering soil sampling and testing
• fundamentals of soil morphology, including soil profiles, horizons, structure and texture, and mineralogy
• chemical and physical soil testing
• (Australian) soil classification system
• fundamentals of soil formation
• land use and soil systems (interactions and impacts), including plant-soil interactions, soil fertility, soil contamination and remediation
• fundamentals of geomorphology, including erosion and mass wasting, transportation and deposition, sedimentation; fluvial, aeolian, hillslope and weathering processes
• fundamentals of soil chemistry, including soil salinity
• physical and/or engineering soil properties, including:
• colour (Munsell chart)
• liquid and plastic limits
• linear shrinkage
• soil particle density
• particle size distribution
• dispersion and Emerson class number
• fundamentals of sampling, including:
• sampling plans and site selection
• principles of representative samples
• principles and procedures for random, systematic, stratified and composite sampling, including consistency of sampling procedures
• preservation of the integrity of samples
• maintaining identification of samples relative to their source, workplace and legal traceability requirements
• cost-effectiveness of sampling
• characteristics of soils to be sampled and likely contaminants
• materials for sampling and different types of samples
• sampling tools and equipment
• testing equipment and instruments
• links between quality control, quality assurance, quality management systems and sampling procedures
• workplace procedures dealing with legislative requirements for the handling, labelling and transport of hazardous goods
• common site hazards and control measures
• health, safety and environment requirements, including field safety and survival principles and high-risk sites.

Assessment Conditions

Skills must have been demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment that reflects workplace conditions and contingencies. The following conditions must be met for this unit:
• use of facilities, equipment and resources, including:
• soil sampling equipment, field test equipment and instruments, laboratory test equipment and instruments, equipment manuals, digital camera, containers, reagents and consumables
• safe work procedures and safety equipment
• maps, site plans
• site sampling plans and test methods
• modelling of industry operating conditions, including:
• access to site/s.
Assessors must satisfy the NVR/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.

Foundation Skills

  • {'skill': 'Foundation Skills', 'description': 'This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance but not explicit in the performance criteria.\n• Reading skills to interpret sampling plan, test methods and procedures\n• Writing skills to record data, environmental conditions and observations\n• Oral communication skills to liaise with others to confirm requirements and arrange for access\n• Numeracy skills to interpret sampling plan, take and interpret readings and measurements and perform calculations.\nOther foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit.'}

Prerequisite Units

Related Units

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Last updated from training.gov.au: 07 April 2026