Google Links

Follow the links below to find material targeted to the unit's elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge

Elements and Performance Criteria

Prepare for work

Required Skills

Required skills

Required skills include

conducting a range of tests to measure tailings management facility performance including for water quality dam wall movement water pressure and water flow

interpreting outcome measures from tests performed

recognising conditions which will lead to out of specification operation

implementing enterprise procedures against the wastetailings management plan within time constraints and in a manner relevant to the correct use of the equipment

conveying information relevant to the operation clearly and effectively

using communication technology

driving vehicles in remote settings with limited support as required

maintaining appropriate levels of quality assurance

reading and numeracy to interpret workplace documents calculate various indices and interpret technical information

applying mathematics to the level of year

Required knowledge

Required knowledge to the breadth and depth required for the operation of the tailings management facility includes

principles of operation of pumps under conditions of different tailings consistency and water percentage

principles of operation of conveyor belts under conditions of different tailings consistency and water percentage

process parameters and limits of tailings disposal plant eg pressure flow and pH

duty of care obligations

hierarchy of control

communication protocols eg radio phone computer paper and permissionsauthorities

typical issues causing problems plantequipment process environmental and the resolution of those problems

relevant alarms and actions

physics and chemistry relevant to the tailings being managed and their chemical physical handling and placement characteristics

relevant environmental and heritage requirements

mathematical formulae and their application to waste management calculations as needed

Evidence Required

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria required skills and knowledge range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence are

work requirements are identified

appropriate routine checks logs and paperwork are completed and appropriate action planned as required

routine plant and facility inspections are properly carried out

problems are identified and responses planned

work environment and equipment are made safe for use

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment of this competency will occur over a range of situations which will include typical disruptions to normal smooth operation This will require access to an operating plant over an extended period of time or a suitable method of gathering evidence of operating ability Where safety lack of opportunity or significant cost is an issue an industrybased simulation may be employed to assist the process

Guidance information for assessment

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language competency and safety requirements of the site and consistent with workplace systems or procedures

Range Statement

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Procedures	Procedures may be written, verbal, computer-based or in some other form. They may include, but are not limited to: all work instructions standard operating procedures formulas/recipes batch sheets temporary instructions any similar instructions provided for the smooth running of the plant good operating practice as may be defined by industry codes of practice Procedures would be expected to comply with any relevant government regulations.
Logs and reports	Logs and reports may include: paper or electronic-based logs and reports verbal/radio reports reporting items found which require action
Appropriate action	Appropriate action includes, but is not limited to: positioning of the decant pond, damp or seepage at the dam wall, status of leak detection systems, any unusual vegetation or wildlife occurrences, tailings surface status, and integrity of the dam wall recording piezometer readings on water pressure, groundwater quality, seepage and leakage rates through notch weirs, settlement and displacement survey measurements of dam walls calculating water balance based on measures of inflow (with tailings, rainfall, catchment run-off, and so on), storage and outflow (seepage, water reclaim, evaporation, and so on) responding to dust issues by spraying with chemical dust suppressants, covering the tailings with gravel, setting up silt trap fences or changing the tailings water ratio to maximise the wetted surface determining problems needing action accessing and applying relevant technical and plant data applying appropriate problem solving techniques to determine possible fault causes rectifying problem using appropriate solution within area of responsibility following through items initiated until final resolution has occurred reporting problems outside area of responsibility/ability to designated person
Typical problems	Typical problems may include, but are not limited to: rupture of the tailings slurry delivery pipeline or decant water return pipeline rainfall induced erosion of the tailings facility containment wall or water imbalance geotechnical failure/excessive deformation of containment wall overfilling with tailings beyond management facility capacity, especially the result of unpredicted tailings production seepage of hazardous materials through the dam wall or through the foundation into the groundwater dust emissions especially of toxic materials uncontained floodwater in high rainfall areas
Tailings/waste characteristics	Tailings/waste characteristics include: mineralogy: residual resource potential, and plant nutrients chemical reactivity: toxicity, leachate potential, acid producing potential, spontaneous combustion, cementation/hydration and weathering physical characteristics: particle size distribution, particle density compressibility, shear strength, liquefaction potential, erodibility and dusting potential placement characteristics: placed dry density, particle sorting, permeability, bearing capacity and initial placement density handling characteristics: solids content of slurries, trafficability during placement, flocculation/settling time and abrasiveness
Tailings disposal strategy	Tailings disposal strategy can include: use/operating of equipment, such as pipes, pumps, conveyor belts, pipeline delivering tailings to management facility (leaks, blockages) and associated equipment (for instance centrifugal or positive displacement pumps) the location of discharge points the rotation sequence for discharges the duration of deposition in an area the location of settling ponds and decant facilities the location and timing of intermediate paddock bunding the likely landform created by the deposition processes at stages throughout operations up to and including final landform flowable volumes and potential flow paths operational maintenance requirements (e.g. dust suppression, fauna exclusion and drainage)
Health, safety and environment (HSE)	All operations to which this unit applies are subject to stringent HSE requirements, which may be imposed through state or federal legislation, and these must not be compromised at any time. Where there is an apparent conflict between Performance Criteria and HSE requirements, the HSE requirements take precedence.
Work requirements	Work requirements may come from briefings, handovers and work orders and may include: compliance documentation product specifications nature and scope of tasks achievement targets operational conditions geological data site survey data site layout and out of bounds areas worksite inspection requirements lighting conditions plant or equipment defects hazards and potential hazards coordination requirements or issues