This unit describes a participant’s skills and knowledge required to establish and maintain surface mining ground control and slope stability systems in Coal and Metalliferous mining.

This unit is appropriate for those working in management or technical specialist roles.

No licensing, legislation or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

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 that the candidate:

locates and applies relevant legislation, documentation, policies and procedures

implements the requirements, procedures and techniques for the safe, effective and efficient establishment and maintenance of surface mining ground control and slope stability systems including:

accessing, interpreting and applying technical and mine survey information

accessing and analysing archival and historical failure information

interpreting and applying mathematical and scientific theorems/laws related to ground control and slope stability

interpreting and applying design criteria for ground control and slope stability systems

interpreting computer spreadsheets and mining systems modelling/simulations

accessing and interpreting data from monitoring systems and equipment

applying risk management processes and techniques

works effectively with others to establish and maintain surface mining ground control and slope stability systems that meets all the required outcomes including:

consulting with surface mining team and provides team leadership

sharing information and communicating effectively in the workplace

establishing training, coaching and mentoring support for supervisors and managers

preparing written reports communicating the pit development status and outcomes

demonstrates completion of establishing and maintaining surface mining ground control and slope stability systems that safely, effectively and efficiently meets all of the required outcomes on more than one (1) occasion including:

performing mathematical calculations

collecting, collating and interpreting mining data

preparing technical procedures

conducting enquiries/investigations and preparing reports

analysing and reporting on ground control and slope stability system training needs

preparing and establishing systems and procedures

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge in establishing and maintaining surface mining ground control and slope stability systems through:

the legislative, organisation and site requirements and procedures for:

work health and safety

mine planning and design

training systems

emergency response and evacuation planning

critical data including:

geological, geotechnical, hydrogeological data

hydrological data

survey data

audit methodologies

exploration techniques

ground support methods and systems

mining and general engineering principles

mining structure failure modes

slope stability criteria

stress analysis techniques including mining induced stress, vertical and horizontal stress tectonics

An assessor of this unit must satisfy the requirements of the NVR/AQTF or their successors; 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