Application
This unit describes the skills required to survive at sea and the immediate measures that would need to be taken upon exposure to the water, including both surface and underwater swimming, treading water, rigging improvised and purpose flotation devices, and adopting heat-loss minimisation positions. It also covers the use of purpose survival craft and equipment, including water procurement, food procurement and emergency signalling devices.
This unit was developed for Defence personnel but may be relevant to others. The context of this competency would typically be when a ship is sunk or an aircraft is downed over water. The survivor can be on their own or in a group.
The skills and knowledge described in this unit must be applied within the legislative, regulatory and policy environment in which they are carried out. Organisational policies and procedures must be consulted and adhered to.
Those undertaking this unit would act autonomously, while performing concrete tasks, in a broad range of contexts which may be highly unpredictable.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENTS | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the range of conditions section. |
1. Survive in the water | 1.1 Use surface and underwater swimming techniques to escape from dangerous situations. 1.2 Enter water from a height and then surface. 1.3 Assume heat-retaining positions in the water as an individual and in a group environment. 1.4 Use improvised flotation devices to supplement buoyancy. 1.5 Fit personal flotation device (PFD) and maintain buoyancy through manual techniques. |
2. Operate and maintain survival flotation craft and its resources | 2.1 Deploy, inflate, right (upon inversion) and board survival flotation craft (multi-person or single-person life raft). 2.2 Escape from inside the survival flotation craft after inversion. 2.3 Rig survival flotation craft for protection from the elements and optimisation (or minimisation) of movement. 2.4 Inspect and maintain survival flotation craft throughout the survival period. 2.5 Manage survival resources. 2.6 Deploy and operate water and food procurement devices. 2.7 Operate signal equipment from the survival flotation craft. 2.8 Interpret and respond to recognition and response signals from search aircraft. |
Evidence of Performance
Evidence required to demonstrate competence must satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria. If not otherwise specified the candidate must demonstrate evidence of performance of the following on at least one occasion.
fitting personal floatation devices
using duck dive technique
swimming 30 metres in clothing
treading water for a minimum of five minutes in clothing
adopting the HELP for at least ten minutes
rigging and using two different improvised flotation devices for at least five minutes each
surviving at sea over three hours using a multi-person raft by:
rigging the drogue
rigging the canopy
rigging water procurement devices including solar stills and reverse osmosis machines, and producing at least 300 millilitre of water
bailing
inspecting the craft
rigging and employing the following signalling devices from the survival craft:
heliograph – accurately illuminating a target at least 300 metres away
sea marker dye – deploying a sea marker dye effectively and safely using prevailing currents to optimise signature
flare – employing a signal flare effectively without threatening persons or survival equipment
use surface and underwater swimming techniques including at least one of:
duck diving
swimming while clothed
treading water in location
Deploy and operate water and food procurement devices including at least one of:
reverse osmosis machine
solar stills
Evidence of Knowledge
Evidence required to demonstrate competence must satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria. If not otherwise specified the depth of knowledge demonstrated must be appropriate to the job context of the candidate.
aircraft response signals
emergency signalling
heat-retaining position
improvised flotation techniques
Assessment Conditions
Competency should be demonstrated over time in a range of situations that could be expected in a survival situation.
Competency must be assessed in a simulated workplace environment, with access to a suitable sea-survival area, buoyancy devices, signalling devices and life rafts. All aspects of competence must be tested as part of an unbroken continuum from entry into the water at the individual level to the boarding and conduct aboard a survival flotation craft.
Assessors must satisfy the NVR/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.
Foundation Skills
The foundation skills demands of this unit have been mapped for alignment with the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF). The following tables outline the performance levels indicated for successful attainment of the unit.
ACSF levels indicative of performance:
Further information on ACSF and the foundation skills underpinning this unit can be found in the Foundation Skills Guide on the GSA website.
Competency Field
Survival