Simulated workplaceCAQA Riverside Pulp and Paper is a fictional business created by CAQA for training and assessment. It is not a real company and no person, client or record here is real.About this simulation
PPMCAQA RiversideSimulated workplace
Simulated workplace
Scenario · Pulping, Stock Preparation and Paper Machine

Investigate recurring couch breaks to root cause

You are the Paper Machine Process Coordinator leading a root cause investigation.

Advanced4 to 5 hours8 tasks
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The situation

What has happened

The paper machine has recorded six wet end breaks at the couch in three days across both panels, machine efficiency has dropped below the 88 per cent plan target and off-grade tonnes are rising. Shift log notes mention forming fabric edge wear at the drive side, a refiner freeness drift in stock preparation, and a recent grade change to 140 gsm fluting. The forming fabric change is scheduled for 17 October. The General Manager has rejected another setpoint adjustment and wants a proper investigation using the Root Cause Problem Solving Report Template, with a verified cause, corrective actions with owners and dates, and a measure that shows when the problem is fixed.

Your brief. Lead a structured root cause investigation of the couch breaks using the site template and data from the Production Shift Log and the Maintenance Work Orders, involve the crews, verify the cause against the data, define containment and corrective actions, and present a report ready for the daily production meeting.
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Tasks

Deliverables

  • Problem statement with data
  • Containment plan
  • Cause and effect analysis with ruled-out causes
  • Completed Root Cause Problem Solving Report
  • Production meeting summary and updated work orders

Documents to use

Systems to use

Production Shift Log

The shift record for each production area covering tonnes made, downtime, quality results, plant status and handover notes.

Maintenance Work Orders

The record of preventative and breakdown maintenance requests, their priority, planning and completion across the mill.

Incident and Hazard Register

The site register of injuries, near misses, hazards, equipment damage and environmental incidents with their investigation status and corrective actions.

For trainers and assessors

Units of competency

Current on training.gov.au for the Pulp and Paper Manufacturing Industry Training Package as at 10 September 2026.

PPMWEO401Troubleshoot and rectify wet end systems
PPMPRS401Solve systemic problems
PPMQAS401Oversee quality assurance process
PPMWHS401Maintain work health and safety processes
PPMSPR401Troubleshoot and rectify stock preparation systems

Qualifications

PPM40121Certificate IV in Pulp and Paper Operations
Assessor notes

What to look for

Evidence guide

Evidence should show a problem statement built from the shift log data, causes tested against evidence rather than assumed, a root cause that is a process or system failure rather than an operator error, corrective actions that are specific and owned, and a verification measure such as breaks per day over a stated period. The summary should be plain and fit the production meeting.

The student's evidence summary lists every record they created or changed in the systems named above, their notes and the tasks they ticked. Verify it against the deliverables and your own assessment tool.