Collect licence monitoring samples at the Kiama treatment plant

You are a trainee field technician in Field Sampling and Environmental Monitoring.

Simulated workplaceEntry missionCAQA Veritas Laboratories

What is going on

Kiama Shire holds an environment protection licence for its sewage treatment plant and Veritas collects the fortnightly licence samples under job CJ-26-0429. The sampling plan lists the inlet, the final effluent point and the receiving water upstream and downstream, with composite and grab samples and on-site measurements of pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and temperature. A recent nonconformance recorded missing field pH readings because a meter battery went flat, and a hazard report found an unrestrained gas cylinder in a field vehicle. Tariq Haddad wants the kit, the meter calibration and the vehicle pre-start done properly and recorded before departure.

Tariq Haddad, Field Services Coordinator
Subject: Kiama treatment plant sampling on Wednesday

You are on the Kiama sewage treatment plant licence run on Wednesday with Marcus for job CJ-26-0429. Please prepare the sampling kit from the sampling plan, calibrate the field meter with fresh buffers before you leave and record it in the equipment register, collect the composite and grab samples at the licence points, take the on-site measurements, and complete the chain of custody before the cooler is sealed. The gas cylinder restraint finding from last week means you also do the vehicle pre-start properly and record it.

Your brief

Prepare the sampling kit, calibrate the field meter and record it, complete the vehicle pre-start, collect the samples and on-site measurements exactly as the sampling plan and method require, complete the chain of custody and deliver the samples to the laboratory under temperature control within holding time.

Work through it

You do not need to do it all. Doing a few of these will show you what the work is like. Your ticks and notes stay on this device.

Read the sampling plan for job CJ-26-0429 and prepare the kit with the correct containers, preservatives, labels, ice bricks, spare batteries and personal protective equipment.
Calibrate the multi-parameter field meter with fresh buffers and standards, record the calibration in the equipment register and confirm its status is In service.
Complete the vehicle pre-start including the gas cylinder restraint check, and record it before leaving the Wollongong base.
At each sampling point, collect the samples in the order and manner the method specifies, fill and preserve containers correctly and label each with a unique identifier.
Take the on-site measurements at each point, record them with time and meter identifier on the field sheet, and note any site observations such as odour, colour or flow.
Complete the chain of custody form with every container listed, sign as the sampler and seal the cooler with the form inside.
Deliver the cooler to sample reception, record the temperature on arrival with reception staff and confirm the samples are registered against the job.

My notes: what did I enjoy, and what surprised me?

What someone in this role would produce

Equipment register calibration record
Vehicle pre-start record
Field sheet with on-site measurements
Completed chain of custody form
Receipt confirmation from sample reception

Printing this is a record of what you explored. It is not a certificate or a qualification.