Cutting and shaping marine soft furnishings
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to cut and shape marine soft furnishing materials, in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to select the appropriate tools and equipment to use, based on the operations to be performed and the materials to be cut and shaped. The materials to be cut and shaped may include leather, cotton fabric, silk and decorative fabrics. The cutting and shaping activities will include hand sewing, machine sewing, cutting by hand, cutting by machine and bonding, to produce shapes that have concave forms, convex forms and multiple bending planes. You will be required to make all necessary checks and adjustments, to ensure that the materials are correctly positioned and aligned prior to joining and that they function/conform to the specification.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the production of the marine soft furnishings and to report any problems with the cutting and shaping activities, or with the equipment or materials used, that you cannot personally resolve, or are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You will be expected to work to instructions, with a minimum of supervision and to take personal responsibility for your own actions and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out. You will also need to complete all necessary job/task documentation accurately and legibly.
Your underpinning knowledge will be sufficient to provide a sound basis for your work and will provide an informed approach to applying cutting and shaping techniques and procedures for the production of marine soft furnishings. You will have an understanding of the materials being cut and shaped and their application and will know about the relevant fastening and securing devices, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities, correcting/reporting faults and ensuring that the finished soft furnishings are to the required specification.
You will understand the safety precautions required when carrying out the operations, especially those involved in the use of cutting and joining machinery. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and others in the workplace.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- follow relevant specifications for the furnishings to be produced
- obtain the appropriate tools and equipment for the shaping operations and check they are in a safe and usable condition
- shape the materials using appropriate methods and techniques
- check that all the required shaping operations have been completed to the required specification
- deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved
- complete relevant paperwork, in accordance with organisational requirements
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the specific safety practices and procedures that you need to observe when working with marine soft furnishing materials (including any specific legislation, regulations/codes of practice for the activities, equipment or materials)
- the health and safety requirements of the work area in which you are carrying out the activities and the responsibility these requirements place on you
- the hazards associated with cutting and shaping marine soft furnishing materials and with the tools and equipment used and how they can be minimised
- the protective equipment that you need to use for both personal protection (PPE) and protection of the soft furnishings
- the interpretation of drawings, standards, quality control procedures and specifications used for the cutting and shaping activities
- how to carry out currency/issue checks of the specifications you are working with
- the soft furnishings to be worked and their purpose within the item to which they are attached/used
- the quality control procedures to be followed during the cutting and shaping operations
- the procedures for ensuring that you have the correct tools, equipment and materials for the activities
- why tool/equipment control is critical and what to do if a tool or piece of equipment is unaccounted for on completion of the activities
- the use of adhesives and the precautions to be taken
- the procedure for the safe disposal of waste materials
- how to conduct any necessary checks to ensure the functionality, accuracy and quality of the product
- how to recognise defects (such as cosmetic appearance, misalignment, incorrect stitching, stains, damage or contamination)
- the problems that can occur with the cutting and shaping operations and how these can be overcome
- the recording documentation to be completed for the activities undertaken
- the extent of your own responsibility and whom you should report to if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Carry out all of the following during the production of the soft furnishings:
- obtain and use the correct job instructions, drawings and other relevant documentation
- use copies of relevant COSHH sheets and risk assessment procedures
- use safe and approved cutting and shaping procedures at all times
- return all tools and equipment to the correct location on completion of the activities
- leave the work area in a safe and tidy condition
Use five of the following tools and equipment:
- tape measure
- scalpel
- tri-square
- patterns
- shears
- straight edge
- knife
- templates
Use three of the following cutting and shaping methods and techniques:
- hand sewing
- cutting by hand
- adhesive bonding
- machine sewing
- cutting by machine
Produce soft furnishings that have two of the following features:
- concave forms
- convex forms
- multiple bending planes
Use two of the following materials:
- leather
- cotton fabric
- decorative fabrics
- silk
- synthetic materials
- other specific material
Carry out all of the following quality and accuracy checks during the activity:
- cosmetic appearance
- accuracy of furnishing lines
- freedom from damage
Produce soft furnishings in accordance with one of the following standards:
- BS, EN or ISO standards and procedures
- customer (contractual) standards and requirements
- company standards and procedures
- specific system requirements
- recognised compliance agency/body's standards
Complete the relevant paperwork, to include one from the following and pass it to the appropriate people:
- job cards
- quality/acceptance documentation
- work authorisation documents
- other specific reporting method
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
You will be able to apply the appropriate behaviours required in the workplace to meet the job profile and overall company objectives, such as:
- strong work ethic
- positive attitude
- team player
- dependability
- responsibility
- honesty
- integrity
- motivation
- commitment