This unit describes a participant’s skills and knowledge required to support underground shotfiring operations in Coal and Metalliferous mining.

This unit is appropriate for those working in operational roles.

Licensing, legislative, regulatory and certification requirements that apply to this unit can vary between States, Territories and industry sectors. Relevant information must be sourced prior to the application of this unit.

Evidence is required to be collected that demonstrates a candidate’s competency in this unit. Evidence must be relevant to the roles within this sector’s work operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria of this unit and include evidence that the candidate:

locates and applies relevant documentation, policies and procedures

implements the requirements, procedures and techniques for the safe, effective and efficient supporting of underground shotfiring operations including:

applying personal and operational safety requirements

applying explosives and detonators handling requirements and procedures

demonstrates completion of supporting underground shotfiring operations that safely, effectively and efficiently meets all of the required outcomes on more than one (1) occasion including:

planning to support shotfiring

establishing, securing and isolating shot site

drilling holes to pattern design

flushing or cleaning and testing drill holes

applying explosion inhibitor

identifying and reporting any deteriorated explosives and accessories

handling and transporting explosives

loading and stemming explosives

clearing the site

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of the following when supporting underground shotfiring operations:

site personnel and operational safety requirements

types and characteristics of explosives and protection measures associated

shotfiring equipment characteristics, technical capabilities and limitations, site

geological and survey data essential to shotfiring

site environmental requirements and constraints related to shotfiring including blast monitoring systems

physical and technical quality of explosives, interpreting and applying legislative, organisation and site requirements and procedures

Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors; and industry regulations for certification and licensing; and,

this unit is best assessed in the context of this sector’s work environment;

where personal safety or environmental damage are limiting factors, assessment may occur in a simulated environment provided it is realistic and sufficiently rigorous to cover all aspects of this sector’s workplace performance, including environment, task skills, task management skills, contingency management skills and job role environment skills; and,

this unit must be assessed in compliance with relevant legislation/regulation and using policies, procedures, processes and operational manuals directly related to the industry sector for which it is being assessed; and,

assessment may be conducted in conjunction with the assessment of other units of competency; and,

assessment must confirm consistent performance can be applied in a range of relevant workplace circumstances; and,

assessors must demonstrate the performance evidence, and knowledge evidence as outlined in this unit of competency, and through the minimum years of current* work experience specified below in an industry sector relevant to the outcomes of the unit; or,

where the assessor does not meet experience requirements a co-assessment or partnership arrangement must exist between the qualified assessor and an industry subject matter expert. The industry subject matter expert should hold the unit being assessed (or an equivalent unit) and/or demonstrate equivalence of skills and knowledge at the unit level. An industry technical expert must also demonstrate skills and knowledge from the minimum years of current work experience specified below in the industry sector, including time spent in roles related to the unit being assessed; and,

assessor and industry subject matter expert requirements differ depending on the Australian Qualifications Framework Level (AQF) of the qualification being assessed and/or industry sector as follows:

*Assessors can demonstrate current work experience through employment within industry in a role relevant to the outcomes of the unit; or, for external assessors this can be demonstrated through exposure to industry by conducting frequent site assessments across various locations.

**Where a unit is being delivered outside of a qualification the first numeric character in the Unit code should be considered to indicate the AQF level.

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit. Further information is available in the Resources and Infrastructure Industry Training Package Companion Volume.

Coal mining

Metalliferous mining