STANDARD COLLEGE

BASIC CLERICAL WORKS

LEVEL I
Learning Guide #02
USE BUSINESS EQUIPMENT AND RESOURCES
LG Code: EIS BCW1 M02 LO1-LO3

TTLM Code: EIS BCW1 M02 TTLM 0119V1

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
LO-1: Select equipment or resources
LO-2: Operate equipment
LO-3: Maintain equipment or resources
June, 2019
Occupational Standard: Basic Clerical Works Level I

Unit Title Use Business Equipment and Resources

Unit Code EIS BCW1 020812
Unit Descriptor This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required
to choose equipment and resources to complete a variety of tasks under direct
supervision and includes operating equipment, undertaking routine
maintenance and reporting faults to the appropriate person.
Elements Performance Criteria
1. Select equipment
or resources 1.1 Business equipment or resources required are identified and
accessed to complete task under direct instructions
1.2 Quantities and resources are estimated correctly to complete the task
1.3 Equipment is checked for serviceability in accordance with equipment
instructions
2. Operate equipment
2.1 Equipment is operated in accordance with manufacturer's specifications
and under direct instructions
2.2 Equipment faults are identified accurately and action is taken to ensure
equipment is repaired in accordance with manufacturer's specifications
2.3 Repairs outside area of own responsibility are reported to appropriate
persons
3. Maintain equipment
or resources 3.1 Equipment or resources are maintained to support completion of tasks
under direct instructions
3.2 Maintenance is undertaken to ensure equipment meets manufacturer's
specifications
3.3 Records concerning equipment or resources are maintained under
STANDARD COLLEGE BASIC CLERICAL WORKS

direct instructions
3.4 Equipment and resources are stored under direct instructions
Variable Range
Business equipment May include but not limited to:
 answering machine
 binder
 fax machine
 photocopier
 printer
 telephone
Resources may include but not limited to:
 equipment
 facilities
 human resources
 OHS resources
 stock and supplies
Equipment instructions may include but not limited to:
 manufacturers guidelines
 OHS guidelines and procedures
 procedures manual
 training notes
Appropriate persons may include but not limited to:
 colleagues
 external organizations
 line management
 supervisor
Maintenance may include but not limited to:
 adding toner
 cleaning equipment regularly
 clearing paper jams
 organising service calls
 replacing paper
Records may include but not limited to:
 equipment service call forms
 purchase orders
 service repair forms
 warranties
Evidence Guide
Critical aspects of Evidence of the following is essential:
Competence  demonstrated application of appropriate maintenance procedures
 knowledge of the functions of a range of business equipment
 operation of a range of business equipment

Underpinning Demonstrates knowledge of:

Knowledge and  key provisions of relevant legislation from all levels of government that
Attitudes may affect aspects of business operations, such as:
 occupational health and safety (OHS)
 functions of a range of business equipment
 correct shut-down procedures for a range of business equipment
 common equipment faults
 routine maintenance procedures

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Underpinning skills Demonstrates skills of:

 literacy skills to identify work requirements and to process basic, relevant
workplace documentation
 communication skills to identify lines of communication, to request advice,
to effectively question, to follow instructions, to receive feedback and to
report equipment faults
 problem-solving skills to solve routine problems related to business
equipment and to determine appropriate fault repair actions while under
direct supervision
 technology skills to use business equipment under direct supervision
Resources Implication Access is required to real or appropriately simulated situations, including work
areas, materials and equipment, and to information on workplace practices
and OHS practices.
Assessment Methods Competence may be accessed through:
 Interview / Written Test
 Observation / Demonstration
Context of Assessment Competence may be assessed in the work place or in a simulated work place
setting.

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INFORMATION SHEET LEARNING GUIDE # 02 Use Business Equipment and Resources

Unit purpose
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to deliver all aspects of customer
service at an introductory level. It includes creating a relationship with customers, identifying their needs,
delivering services or products and processing customer feedback.
Learning outcomes

1. Select equipment or resources

2. Operate equipment
3. Maintain equipment or resources

Reporting of assessment outcomes

Your result will be recorded and reported to your as competent or not yet
Competent
Requirement of successfully complete this unit of competency
You are required to complete
 Your work book
 Work experience
 Practical task
 Work exercise

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Information Sheet – 1 Use Business Equipment and Resources

Objective: This unit of competency is all about using workplace equipment. It is for anyone who is
working, or who wants to work in business. It will help you with the skills you need to demonstrate
competency for the unit Use business equipment and resources.

This training is broken up into three Learning outcomes. These are:

LO1. Select Equipment or Resources – Here we will examine how to identify whatsort of business
equipment will suit certain jobs. With the number of different pieces of equipment that exist in a typical
office environment, making sure you usethe right equipment for the job is crucial.

LO2. Operate Equipment– In this section, you will learn the basic principles behind using certain
types of office equipment. While not every make and model can becovered, advice on basic operation for
the major equipment is supplied.

LO3.Maintain Equipment or Resources– Finally you will learn how to maintain the equipment that
we have to use. Not everything always goes to plan, so knowing how to resolve basic issues can save a lot
of hassle and time.
At the conclusion of this training you will be asked to complete an assessment pack for this unit of
competency. The information contained in the Candidate Resource will assist you to complete this task.
You may also find it useful to have access to range of business equipment, as well as the equipment’s
manuals. You will also require someone who is able to assess your performance while using the
equipment in your worksite, perhaps a supervisor or manager.

On competent completion of the assessment you will have demonstrated skills and knowledge necessary
to:
• Select equipment and resources.
• Operate equipment.
• Maintain equipment and resources.

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LO1: Select equipment or resources

Most offices today have a variety of office equipment that are used to complete a range of workplace
tasks. Any member of staff could be required to use the office equipment in the workplace.
Office equipment can range from basic manually operated tools to high-tech electronic equipment.
During your employment, you may be required to perform a range of routine duties that requires you to
operate a range of office equipment.
In this section, we will look at the different types of basic office equipment and explain the purpose and
application of each type of equipment, to assist you to select the most appropriate equipment to perform
your tasks in the workplace.

1.1. Identify and access business equipment or resources required to complete task under direct
instructions.

Using Business Equipment

Knowing your responsibilities
You are responsible for making sure that you:
 Use the equipment carefully
 Use the equipment safely
 Follow any procedures the organization requires
All modern organizations use a wide variety of business equipment. During a typical business day at the
office, you may be asked to use telephones, printers, computers, binders, shredders and photocopiers.
Each of these pieces of equipment is designed to enable you to complete your work quickly and
professionally. As you begin a new job, it is important that you are able to use the various pieces of
equipment that are in use within your organization. This knowledge will enable you to ascertain which
pieces of equipment will be of most help in completing your jobs.
We will be looking at the types of equipment that you will possibly be asked to use. What they are used
for, how to use them, and how to be safe when using them. This information is crucial to your efficiency
in the workplace.

A vital part of your job will be to be able to determine the right machine to use in a given circumstance.
All machines have different functions, which enable them to be used for different tasks.

What Types of Equipment are used?

While each organization has a core set of equipment that it requires to get the job one, the type of
equipment in your organization is likely to depend greatly on the type of work that it undertakes. The
typical office will have a wide range of equipment, but an organization specializing in designing
advertising is likely to have more computers and printing equipment. A copy shop will have many
photocopiers available; an outbound call centre will require specialized computer and telephone
equipment to operate efficiently.
However, the typical office has a core set of equipment that is used on a day-to-day basis. This equipment
generally includes:
Photocopiers– These are machines which will copy documents, maps, drawings or plans onto paper.
Photocopier
Photocopiers are used to make copies of:
 Documents that may need to be read by more than one person
 Pages from books or journals
 Articles from newspapers
 Fax messages received on thermal paper.
Photocopiers can be basic – providing an option to produce a copy
of the document in its original form. Photocopiers can also

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offer a range of other options. You can use a photocopier to:

 Enlarge an image
 Reduce an image
 Sort a document of many pages into sets or separate duplicates of each page
 Staple documents
 Produce a document printed on both sides of the page
 Produce a document in colour.
All users of the photocopier should be aware of the Copyright Act (1968) Commonwealth, which
stipulates the rules for copying works produced by other people, such as authors, artists, animators and
designers.

• Fax machine– The facsimile machine (commonly referred to as a ‘fax’ machine) is used to transmit a
copy of a document to someone located in another location, which also has a fax machine. The message
is transmitted via a telephone line. Most organisations have a dedicated fax line so as to not hold up their
incoming or outgoing telephone calls. However, you can have one phone line that is used for both the fax
and the telephone.

A fax machine can transmit:

 Photographs, drawings and other illustrations
 Typed documents
 Handwritten messages

A fax machine can also be used as a photocopier by placing the document in the machine and pressing
‘Start’ or ‘Copy’. A copy of the document is made without transmitting it to another location.
Using a Fax Machine
1. The sender feeds the original document into the fax machine at their end.
2. The sender keys in the fax number for the receiver (this may be the same as the receiver’s
telephone number; however, you need to check with the receiver).
3. The sender presses ‘Start’ on the fax machine and the paper is automatically fed through the
fax machine as its image is scanned.
4. The original page remains at the sender’s end
5. The receiver’s fax machine starts to print an exact image of the original document.
6. A report can be printed by the sender to confirm the document has been received by the
receiver and the receiver can print a report to confirm the message.
Printers– There are various types of printer available on the market. Their main purpose is to produce
hard copies (that is copies on paper) of information stored in a computer. This may include words or
pictures.
Printers

Printers are used to reproduce documents created, retrieved or received via a

computer. A printer can be used to print a word-processed document, a
worksheet in a spreadsheet program, database report, presentation slide, email,
or information from the Internet. Where a computer has facsimile software
installed, the computer can be used as a fax machine and the printer can print a
copy of all fax messages sent and received.

Printers can be:

Impact printers, such as dot matrix, where letters or characters are produced through a series of dots
printed onto the paper. Impact printers tend to be noisy but are inexpensive to operate and maintain.

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Non-impact printers, such as a laser printer, where powder is discharged from a cartridge inside the
printer to make up the characters or letters to be printed; an ink-jet printer (or bubble jet), where ink is
discharged onto the paper to create the letters or characters. Non-impact printers are more expensive to
maintain and operate than an impact printer and they provide a good result.

Printers can print black images or full colour images. Printing in colour can be expensive so you should
be very careful when printing in colour to ensure you are not wasting the ink or toner.

• Telephones- This type of business equipment is used for internal, external or international voice
communication. Mobile telephones are increasingly common within organizations. They may or may not
be connected to exchange systems which essentially link all the telephones in an organization together.
Telephone System

The telephone system will vary from organisation to organisation. Small

businesses may have one incoming telephone line and one handset through to
several incoming lines and several handsets. Large organisations may have an
electronic switchboard or software program that enables all telephone calls to be
managed via a computer.

To operate any telephone system effectively in the workplace, you should learn
how to:

 Answer the telephone

 Put incoming calls on hold
 Recall incoming calls from the hold position to retrieve the caller or transfer the call
 Transfer calls to another phone extension
 Pick up calls in a group from any extension
 Make outgoing calls

Some telephone systems enable you to use a loud speaker or headset and microphone so you can make
calls without the need to hold the handset. This is extremely useful for operators that need to use their
hands to enter data into the computer whilst they are on the telephone.
Answering machines– This equipment is designed to answer the telephones when the subscriber is
unavailable. The caller generally will hear a recordedmessage requesting that a message be left. Most
machines are able to beaccessed from a remote telephone in order to receive the message.
Answering machines are small devices that can be separate to the telephone system or built into the
telephone system. The answering machine is connected to the main telephone handset or the night
switch. The answering machine is used for two main reasons:

 To advise callers that the telephone is unattended and to leave a message

 To enable callers to leave a message when the telephone is unattended.

The owner of the answering machine can record an outgoing message that advises
callers that the phone is currently unattended. This practice is used today by many
businesses and homes. Callers to unattended telephones have accepted the practice of
listening to a recorded message and then leaving a message for the receiver to return
their call.

Answering machines enable clients to call your business after hours and leave a message that can be
attended to the next business day. Messages may also be left by staff if they are running late for work or
if a manager needs a task to be performed before they arrive to work.

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Voicemail is similar to an answering machine except that callers are able to leave a recorded message on
individual staff member’s telephones or direct lines. Each member of staff is able to record an outgoing
message on their own handset for their callers to hear. This is a useful device to use in a large
organisation as the receptionist is free to attend to other incoming calls and personal callers and
telephone callers can call or be put through to the direct line for the receiver and leave a message.

• Shredders– This machinery is used for the destruction of records in paper formatand are of particular
value in organizations where confidential information iscollected, Some of the more expensive models
are also able to shred magnetictape (such as microfiche and castes) as well as carbon ribbons.
There are often many confidential documents printed in an office. When the
organisation wants to get rid of these, they use a shredder, rather than placing
them in the rubbish bin or the recycled paper bin. The shredder cuts these
documents into very thin strips that are hard to read.

Follow safety procedures when operating a shredder. Be very careful. Keep

your hair and clothes away from the shredder as they may get caught. Don’t put
your hands anywhere near the slot where you place the paper.

To shred paper, take a few pages at a time and feed them slowly into the machine. Generally, only five
pages are the most you should put in at a time. The machine will cut them into narrow strips.

When the bin is full of shredded paper, turn the shredder off and lift its top off. Do this very carefully
because the top is very heavy. Empty the bin.

• Binding equipment– These types of machines are used to produce boundvolumes of documents.
There are lots of different ways you can join paper to make a book. A quick and
easy method is to use staples, paper clips or fold-away clips.

However, you may be asked to present the material in a file or put covers on it to
make it more secure and give the document a more professional look. When
material is bound, it becomes stronger, which is important if a lot of people are
handling the material. You can bind pages with special binding machines.

Organizations will have a range of binding equipment depending on the number

of documents that need to be presented in this way.

• Calculators– Perform basic or advanced calculations.

• Electronic whiteboards– The used can place written or drawn information on the white background,
and if required copies of this information can be made.

• Folding machines– These machines are preset to fold documents in various ways to suit the size of
envelopes into which the document is to be placed.

• Franking machines– These are machines used to imprint the postage amount directly onto envelopes
or labels.

• Guillotines– These are manual or mechanical machines for cutting paper to a particular size or for
trimming rough edges before binding.

• Laminators– These are document presentation aids and provide a plastic covering to booklets, reports
or catalogues.

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• Overhead projector– This type of equipment is used in conjunction with overhead transparencies to
throw an enlarged reflection of material on to a white screen.

•Punches– This is a manual device used for making holes in paper which are to be filed or bound
documents ready for binding.

Activity One

Using the table below, select the most appropriate equipment to use for a given
task

Task Suitable equipment

Making a hard copy of a page from this manual.

Trimming the edges of paper.

Sending a hand drawn sketch to an international contact immediately.

Making a paper copy of plan drawn using CAD software.

Recording a verbal note for oneself

1.2 Estimate quantities and resources correctly to complete the task

Knowing what is needed

When you are given a task to perform, it is important that you attempt to establish the resources that you
will require to undertake the job. This will enable you to ensure that you can gather the right resources
and that these resources are on hand and available at the time when you will need them.
Estimating required resources involves looking carefully at your job and trying to determine exactly what
resources are required to undertake that job. The resources that you may need for a job include:
.Paper; • Binders; • Card stock.
• Toner; • Staples; and
Other specialized resources may be required depending on the type of task that you have been asked to
complete.
Estimating quantity and resources
• Who will use the equipment?
• How will they be trained?
• What stocks of supplies and consumables need to be purchased and stored to keep
everything running smoothly?
Who will control the maintenance/repairs of your equipment if and when it breaks
down?

Activity Two

You have been asked to produce 5 employee induction kits for new employees.
These are printed out using supplied data files and consist of:
• 1 Welcome letter (single A4 sheet)
• 1 Employee Manual (40 A4 pages, double sided, printed on A3 paper and folded – spiral bound)

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• 1 Employment Agreement (5 single sided A4 pages – stapled in the corner)

What resources are required to complete this task?

1.3 Check equipment for serviceability in accordance with equipment instructions

An important aspect of serviceability is keeping a machine clean. Every piece of machinery will have its
own cleaning instructions that are specific to the equipment, however there are some general rules that
you should follow.

Remember that it is everyone’s responsibility to keep the office equipment clean. You might wipe a
soft brush or cloth over the equipment when you have finished using it.
Use recommended cleaning materials only – these are usually found in the InstructionManual. Cleaning
instructions are generally found near the front of the manual. Make sure you know where they are kept –
often with equipment that is portable, a special place is reserved for storage. You may find this is used to
keep the equipment clean, free of dust or in a place where it will not be damaged. A very important rule
is never to eat or drink near equipment – this can damage and dirty it.

Testing

Serviceability also means that you should be sure that the equipment is working the way it should be.
Some equipment (such as printers, photocopiers and fax machines) has a self-test option where a test
page can be printed out. If you are unsure whether a piece of machinery is working correctly, print a test
page.

The manner in which the printing of a test page is accomplished will vary from equipment to equipment,
however in the main your instruction book or online help (for printers) will tell you how to perform this
task.

Another important aspect of serviceability is ensuring that the equipment has enough resources available
to complete your task.

Check equipment for serviceability

 Negotiating a servicing agreement depends on:
• the cost of a service call compared to an ‘on-call’ service arrangement
• the effectiveness of regular maintenance as a preventive measure
• the volume of production
• how often the equipment is being used
• time delays between placing a service call and actually having the serviceman on site.
• Keep maintenance and usage records in case of warrantee repairs and equipment depreciation.
• Follow instructions on how to use equipment.
• Training
– usually supplied by the supplier upon installation
– can be in-house if staff have been previously trained
– using the manufacturer’s manuals
Common sense doesn’t always prevail so…
Equipment instructions may include

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 manufacturers guidelines
 OHS guidelines and procedures
 procedures manual
 training notes

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LO2: Operate equipment

2.1. Operate equipment in accordance with manufacturer's specifications and under direct
instructions

Office equipment, like most other electrical or manually-operated equipment, should be operated in
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. There are two main reasons for this:
 To ensure the safety of all operators and others in the workplace
 To protect the warranty or guarantee provided with the equipment.

When equipment is delivered to the workplace, a representative from the supplier or manufacturer may
provide a member of your staff with hands-on training to ensure someone in the workplace knows how
to operate the equipment in the correct manner. It is important that this person is capable of following
instructions.

The Instruction Booklet

All the equipment in your workplace will come with its own Instruction Manual. This booklet should
have step-by-step instructions on how to use it. These instructions should also allow you to check
whether or not a piece of machinery is working correctly. This is known as serviceability.
The manufacturer’s instructions usually include information on:
 Setting up the equipment
 Operating the equipment
 How and when to use the added features
 Replenishing supplies for the equipment
 Maintenance required
 Troubleshooting – solving problems
 Reporting faults
 Servicing the equipment.
Practice using the equipment. You will get better as you gain more experience.
Following safety instructions
Using office equipment carefully and safely means making sure you follow the correct
instructions for:
 switching it on
 operating it
 Turning it off.
Manufacturer’s recommendations
• The complexity of modern equipment is such that only the manufacturer’s recommended
consumables should be used, such as:
• photocopy paper (requires specific sizes and a temperature/humidity-controlled storage
environment)
• toner cartridges (can be recycled, but only through an approved dealer)
• Environmental considerations (especially for computers which require air circulation and
a dust-free operating environment).
Activity 3
1. Read the manufacturer’s instructions (any one) for your organisation’s
 Photocopier
 Printer
 Facsimile machine
 Telephone system
 Answering machine

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 Shredder
2. Do you understand the manufacturer’s instructions?
3. Select the appropriate action to take if you do not understand the manufacturer’s instructions (more
than one may be correct).

Ask your supervisor

Ask someone whom regularly uses the equipment to show you
If no one in the workplace is able to operate the equipment, contact the supplier or service
technician to arrange a demonstration.
2.2 Identify equipment faults accurately and take action to ensure equipment is repaired in
accordance with manufacturer's specifications
Identifying Minor Equipment Faults

Minor equipment faults are the faults that can be rectified by general office staff through reference to the operation’s
manual. When you have been using equipment for some time, you will learn to quickly identify the fault and take
the most appropriate action immediately.

When you first start working in an office environment, you can be unsure about rectifying minor faults as they
occur. Your confidence will build with practice or by watching others rectifying minor faults.
Minor faults may include:

Photocopier – marks on the copy, jammed paper, paper tearing as it moves through the copier, and toner in low
supply

Facsimile machine – incorrect number, document not transmitted to the other party, the receiver receives a blank
page
Telephone – voicemail message is not recording incoming messages
Computer printer – jammed paper, toner in low supply
Stapler – jammed staples.
If you are trying to fix a fault, find out if you have to turn the power off first.Be careful that
none of your clothing gets caught in a machine. Keep paperclips and staples away from
machines. They can easily get caught inside amachine and cause it to break down.
Using machines safely is an important part of our occupational health andsafety laws. All
workers are responsible for keeping themselves and theircolleagues safe.
Troubleshooting minor equipment faults

Fault Possible Solution

Photocopier:
Spots or marks on the copy Check the glass to see that it is clean. If not, clean with a special cleaner and use a soft cloth.
Jammed paper Look at the display screen to locate the jammed paper.
Open that section and remove the paper.
Paper tearing Remove the paper and if necessary, reset the paper feed guides on the tray.
Toner low Fill up the toner with correct powder or replace the toner cartridge.
Incorrect number for the Check you have the correct fax number and try again. You may need to telephone the organization to
receiver check the number.
Document not transmitting Try again. If it is still not transmitting, call the receiver and ask them to check their machine for paper
out, paper jam etc.
Blank paper received Paper could have been inserted the wrong side up at the sender’s end or
If your fax machine uses thermal paper, the roll may be feeding in the wrong way up (it only prints on
one side).
Voicemail message has System my have been shut down and you therefore need to record your message again.
disappeared
Paper jammed Check the display for the error message and search for the paper. Remove all parts of the paper as any

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stray pieces could block the pathway for paper feeding through.
Error message This could be due to low toner or someone has set their paper source tray for Manual Feed and not
automatic. Press continue button if available.
Toner is dropping on the Replace the toner cartridge as it is getting low or it is a recycled toner cartridge with a poor seal.
page during printing
Printer not printing Check the online button as it should be on.
Jammed staples Remove staples from the stapler – a staple remover is good for that – reload the staples and try again.
Staples not inserted Remove staples from page using a staple remover – reload stapler with staples – place document on
correctly or completely the table and try again.
into the paper
Major faults

Major equipment faults may occur due to faulty equipment, incorrect maintenance procedures or just bad
luck. Major equipment faults may include:

 Complete shutdown – equipment won’t work: refer to the manual. If you are unable to rectify the
problem, turn off the equipment and place a call to the technician.

 Black lines appearing on the page when using the photocopier: stop using the photocopier as the drum
may be scratched and place a call to the technician.

Strong fumes, smoke or sparks coming from the machine: stop the machine immediately, turn it off at the
power point and remove the electrical cord. Check for fire and immediately report the problem to a
supervisor or fire warden

2.3 Report repairs outside area of own responsibility to appropriate persons

Reporting Major Equipment Faults

Some organizations may have an internal technician to fix equipment as required or all servicing and
repairs of equipment may be carried out by external service technicians.

If equipment is under warranty, the supplier of the equipment will arrange to have the equipment
serviced, as per the warranty agreement.

When you need to call a service technician, you need to undertake the following:
 Check to see if the equipment has a label on it with the details of person or organization to
contact for faults. The label may include the Serial No., Model No., Account No. or Reference No.
 You may be required to complete a Fault Reports’ book. You will need to describe the fault
clearly and will need to state the information above.
 For photocopiers and for some printers, you may be required to quote the meter reading for
number of copies made by the machine.
 Do not attempt to use the equipment until the technician has attended.

Appropriate persons may include

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 Colleagues
 external organizations
 line management
 supervisor

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LO3: Maintain equipment or resources

3.1 Maintain equipment or resources to support completion of tasks under direct instructions

3.2 Undertake maintenance to ensure equipment meets manufacturer's specifications

– Maintenance
• The majority of modern mechanical equipment is so complex that only a factory-
trained technician should touch it!
• Equally complex but more reliable, computer equipment can be ‘serviced’ by using
such tools as:
• defragmentation of the hard disk
• using Scan Disk or Disk Cleanup
• Deleting temporary Files, especially when surfing the Internet.
• Regular use of virus-detection software.
• Using power-surge protection.

 Maintenance may include:

 adding toner
 cleaning equipment regularly
 clearing paper jams
 organising service calls
 replacing paper
3.3 Maintain records concerning equipment or resources under direct instructions

Maintenance records
• If equipment is being leased, to avoid warrantee and buy-back disputes it is absolutely essential
that a full log book of all maintenance be kept with each machine. This applies to expensive
machines such as photocopiers and combination fax/printers/scanners.
• Many computers keep an automatic track or log file of the number and dates of any preventive
maintenance performed.

Reporting repairs
• When an item of equipment fails to work correctly you will need to:
– check the maintenance records
– report or call in the fault to the service company
– place signage on the machine indicating that it is faulty and that repairs have
been requested.
• If a potential danger exists to staff, have the machine removed to a secure location
pending repairs.
• Notify your co-workers about the fault and where possible try to find an alternative
machine.
Records may include:
 equipment service call forms
 purchase orders
 service repair forms
 warranties

3.4 Store equipment and resources under direct instructions

Storing Resources and Equipment

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STANDARD COLLEGE BASIC CLERICAL WORKS

Most offices have a cupboard or storeroom where resources are kept. When supplies are delivered,
someone must check that what has been delivered matches what has been ordered. This might be your
responsibility. You need to have a copy of the purchase order and a copy of the delivery form. As you
unpack the delivery, check that everything is there.

It may be your job to store the stock when it is delivered to the office. Make sure you know where it is to
be stored. For example, you may have to use a trolley to deliver stacks of paper to several departments.
In a small office, the paper may be kept in a cupboard.

Most paper must be kept in a cool, dry place. If the air is too warm, it will make the paper curl and it will
not slide through the machines smoothly. If the paper is not flat, it will cause a paper jam.

Toner cartridges also need to be kept in a cool, dry place. There are instructions for storing toner on the
cartridge box.

Equipment storage
• Consumables often require correct storage facilities:
– Paper should always be stored flat and only unpacked from its box and wrapping when
about to be consumed.
– Loose computer disks should be kept in appropriate plastic storage cases.
– On portable equipment, all cables should be unplugged and stored in the carry case in a
separate compartment.
– Printer cartridges should be kept upright in their cardboard boxes and only opened
when due for changeover.
Nothing should be stored on the floor or above head height.

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