Cargo Pallet Packing Assessment

Tasks such as correctly packing a cargo pallet and interpreting the legal requirements about the carriage of dangerous goods pose various challenges for proper assessment and evaluations. The cargo loading operations face challenges like determining the minimum number of containers necessary for loading. One has to identify the best way of loading the containers (Patil & Patil, 2016). Since the air pallets have various shapes and size specifications, they have three-dimensional bin-packing problems. This paper will analyze the instructional objectives of the competency specifications of the task, overview of the important assessment principles that one must take into account as well as identification of an appropriate assessment technique to use. These aspects will cover both situations.

Instructional Objective for Correctly Packing a Cargo Palate

When packing a cargo palate, it is important to understand that freight comes in different shapes, sizes and packaging requirements. The bumps and vibrations experienced in traveling can jostle the fright and cause damage. As such, correct packaging minimizes the damage to freight. During the packaging, it is important to consider things like depot and road/air environments, display packaging, labeling as well as the volume of freight. It is also crucial to determine the personnel’s competency in various ways like borrowing from error or grade based systems (Brandt & Nickel, 2018). It will also be vital to consider whether the candidate can undertake the task under consideration. Other rules which apply in determining the standards applicable to different objectives include safety which requires high standards where poor or inappropriate performance leads to increased risks to property. Criticality is also vital because if an aim appears to lead on to the subsequent one in some hierarchical fashion, failing to master the initial objectives increase the probabilities of failure in the next.

A person packaging cargo pallets should be competent enough to identify the best ways of minimizing risks. Competency entails performance, underlying abilities as well as specific conditions and task standards. As such it is vital for the training institutions to determine the training needs, design instructional plans, evaluate training alternatives, prescribe instructional strategies and evaluate the instructional outcomes to enhance competency among the cargo pallet handlers. The floor elements consist of at least one RFID transponder with an opening on the floor underside (Huber, 2016). The transponder holder device which should be plastic links to the bore. According to Smit & Cohen (2018), the methods for transporting containers or pallets with cargo are the most appropriate and should have frames with elongate central members and carrying beams.

Overview of the Important Principles of Assessment

The principles of packaging vary depending on the type of load under scrutiny, for instance, the freight containers flat tracks and platforms should have a design that complies with the ISO standards. The beams bending strength should also be sufficient to ensure load transfer of concentrated loads while the arrangement of the required number of timber and steel beams should get designed after consulting with the CTU operator.

According to UNICEF, the pallet size should be 1200*1000 mm, particularly the new way heat treatment according to ISPM 15 (UNICEF, 2018). When it comes to the nails/joint, the deck board/block should have two pieces measuring 3.1/85 mm ring nail. Additionally, the deck/stringer board should be two pieces measuring 3.1/75 mm ring nails (UNICEF, 2018). When it comes to tolerances, the pallet and board lengths should measure -0/+3 mm while the board width measures -3/+3 mm. The board thickness should be -0/+1 mm while the block length and width measure -3/+3 mm. Additionally, the block height should be -0/+2 mm while the entry height should have a minimum of 100 mm. When it comes to wooden materials, the moisture should not exceed 20 percent, and the wanes should be less than 15 percent. A single knot should be less than a third of width while the sum of knots should be less than half of the width.

Appropriate Assessment Technique

Assessments help in the determination of an individual’s other skills and knowledge. Additionally, they allow the assessors to determine whether the candidate meets the minimum knowledge skills and attitudes necessary for proceeding to the next learning stage. As such, there might be the application of progress and achievement tests as well as performance-based observations (Miller, Linn & Gronlund, 2009).  The assessments also allow instructors to determine the candidate’s proximity to the set goal and provide feedback to enhance skills and learning. They also help in the identification of any learning challenges in candidates.

In this case, the best assessment is the normative-referenced assessment which acts on the assumption that the measured characteristics emanate from a normal distribution. As such, some measured traits including mathematical abilities exist differently in people (Miller, Linn & Gronlund, 2009). While some have a high knowledge, others possess a little. For instance, administering of a mathematical abilities test would indicate that a few people achieve high scores, other low and the rest medium. As such, a plotting of every person and their scores along the baseline and receiving of the results on a perpendicular line will conform to a standard curve.

Instructional Objectives for Interpreting the Legal Requirements in Relation to Carriage of Dangerous Goods

When carrying dangerous goods, it will be vital to adhere to the outlined instructional objectives which include competency. The components of competency specifications include Performance, ability and the task context. When constructing the competency specifications, it will be important to utilize Hunts (1990) structure as revealed by Miller, Linn & Gronlund (2009). Under this approach, the first element is a mission which entails the purpose to which all the accumulating activities focus. It is also the general learning outcome, qualification or rating goals. It can appear as a qualification or title in some organizations. Others write it as a description. Accomplishment is also important in determining the legal requirements about carrying dangerous commodities. It entails the elaborations of the goals directives which involve broad functional capabilities and general knowledge. They are also specific learning outcomes, individual courses or papers that students must accomplish to achieve their mission. The accomplishments may be in the form of brief statements in areas like command or meteorology as well as aircraft navigation.

Performance is also vital in this area because it defines the accomplishments. It is also an element of competence and may appear in short descriptions. Other aspects include abilities which form the hierarchy base, and the specific ones contain cognitive, practical and useful applications. They describe the strengths that students possess and may consist of actions like assessing, listening, or monitoring.

Overview of the Important Principles of Assessment

Since some agencies do not follow the required regulations, it is vital that the government should get involved in regulating them. As such, they will need to implement rules like mandatory disclosures which enable the consumers to gather information which allows them to informed decisions (Kaufmann, 2017). However, the regulatory agencies require powerful tools to facilitate legal cooperation because some companies aim at exploiting the mechanisms of the due process.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has technical and internationally agreed set of provisions that govern the requirements for transporting dangerous commodities by air. Additionally, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) publishes the hazardous goods Regulations about the ICAO technical instructions. Anyone involved in transporting dangerous goods by air must undergo the “dangerous goods training” course (Nibusinessinfo, 2018). The training covers areas like engineer licenses, aircraft equipment, organization, and maintenance program approvals as well as continuing airworthiness among others.

It is also vital to avoid packaging mistakes like recycled packing. The reason is that used cartons and polystyrene packing lose their strength after the first use. Additionally, crates and pallets can become damaged, so it is important to inspect them before using. Another mistake to avoid is that of single-risk packaging which involves wrapping of commodities (Schmitt, D., & Gollnick, 2016). Although the approach will protect them against dust, it will not offer protection against vibration crush or impact damages. It is also crucial to leave s[ace between the outer packing and the goofs because it acts as a protection against various damage types. The space should be adequate and be full of compressible packing.

Appropriate Assessment Technique

When undertaking a training technique, it is important to recognize competency as part if the matters under scrutiny. It involves training and assessing people to reach the specific standards that define the skills, habits, and knowledge necessary for a safe and effective environment (Alfes, Steiner & Manacci, 2015). As such, competency will be outcome am criterion based, as well as a reflection of what people must accomplish in real life and at their various places of work. It should also be criterion based to compare the candidates to predefines standards instead of ranking the approach compares candidates to predefined rules. Finally, it is important to have a reflection of what an individual must accomplish in real life. The primary questions when measuring competency should be who would assess it and how the assessment should take place.

The most appropriate assessment technique will, therefore, be knowledge deficiency reports. For instance, id individual scores 72 percent where the required standard is 70, they become competent. If the candidate appears responsible but does not appear perfect, the assessor should provide feedback because the candidate identifies the areas they missed and puts effort to enhance their knowledge (Nixon & Braithwaite, 2018). When using this method, the best approach is the provision of knowledge deficiency report which entails proofing feedback to the candidate concerning what they need to improve and how they go about accomplishing the goals. In some instances, the assessor might discuss the challenging areas with the candidate. In other cases, the assessor might re-test the candidate before the final sign-off the demonstrations will. Even if the candidates are competent, the procedure is vital in ensuring that they have acquired the knowledge and enhanced their skills.

References

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Brandt, F., & Nickel, S. (2018). The air cargo load planning problem-a consolidated problem definition and literature review on related problems. European Journal of Operational Research.

Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). (2009). Competency based training and assessment in the aviation environment. Civil Aviation Advisory Publication 5.59A-1(0). Australian Government

De Florio, F. (2016). Airworthiness: An introduction to aircraft certification and operations. Butterworth-Heinemann.

Huber, T. (2016). U.S. Patent No. 9,446,880. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Kaufmann, W. (2017). Going by the book: The problem of regulatory unreasonableness. Canada: Routledge.

 Miller, M. D, Linn, R. L., & Gronlund, N. E. (2009). Measurement and assessment in teaching (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education International.

Nibusinessinfo. (2018). Regulations for transporting dangerous goods by air, sea, road and rail transport. Retrieved from https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/regulations-transporting-dangerous-goods-air-sea-road-and-rail-transport

Nixon, J., & Braithwaite, G. R. (2018). What do aircraft accident investigators do and what makes them good at it? Developing a competency framework for investigators using grounded theory. Safety science, 103, 153-161.

Patil, J. T., & Patil, M. E. (2016). Review on Cargo Space Optimization. In International Conference on Global Trends in Engineering Technology and Management (ICGTETM-2016)(pp. 188-191).

Schmitt, D., & Gollnick, V. (2016). The Air Transport System. In Air Transport System (pp. 1-17). Springer, Vienna.

Smit, A. J. N. R. M., & Cohen, M. E. (2018). U.S. Patent Application No. 15/742,758.

UNICEF. (2018). UNICEF Warehouse Packing Specifications. Retrieved from https://www.nutritionintl.org/content/user_files/2014/07/UNICEF_Warehouse_packing_specifications_2017.pdf