Application
This unit applies to those working as climbing guides or assistant guides for private outdoor adventure companies in permanent or mobile facilities, or group leaders in school outdoor education programs in a range of controlled artificial conditions that have easy access to the top and bottom of the pitch. The climbing site should be free from hazards and complex set-up, and anchors should be fixed, obvious and easily accessible.
This unit may also apply to outdoor recreation leaders working for outdoor education or adventure providers, volunteer groups, not-for-profit organisations or government agencies.
Prerequisites
Nil.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide. |
1. Plan a climbing activity. | 1.1. Conduct relevant assessments to determine the condition of participants. 1.2. Develop an activity plan, according to participant needs, requirements of relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures. 1.3. Select an appropriate activity site or location according to activity objectives. 1.4. Identify hazards and risks associated with climbing on artificial surfaces and minimise to ensure personal safety of participants. 1.5. Access relevant sources to interpret detailed weather and environmental information to determine activity plan, where applicable. 1.6. Inform appropriate authorities before commencing the climbing activity. |
2. Select and organise equipment and resources. | 2.1. Select and access equipment and resources according to contextual issues and organisational policies and procedures. 2.2. Assess equipment for serviceability, safety and suitability, and adjust and fit to ensure personal comfort and safety. 2.3. Establish anchors and belay system in the correct position for the activity. 2.4. Check safety and rescue equipment to ensure suitability to the group and the climb. |
3. Brief participants. | 3.1. Communicate instructions and relevant information on the climbing activity in a manner suitable to the participants. 3.2. Demonstrate correct climbing, belaying and back-up belaying techniques. 3.3. Establish a suitable communication system for participants to use while climbing and belaying. 3.4. Outline safety procedures and safe areas and/or boundaries for the activity. 3.5. Check and confirm participants are properly equipped for the climb. |
4. Guide a climbing activity. | 4.1. Monitor climbing, belaying and back-up belaying techniques to ensure safety of participants. 4.2. Identify potential hazards and decide how they can be overcome or avoided. 4.3. Monitor individual participant performance and provide appropriate feedback. 4.4. Implement appropriate modifications to activity in regard to all variable factors that are monitored. |
5. Perform rescues. | 5.1. Determine the advantages and disadvantages of direct and indirect rescue strategies for individual situations. 5.2. Identify situations requiring direct assistance and apply correct approach procedures for the situation. 5.3. Select the appropriate strategy according to the degree of urgency, element features, resources, rescuee status and ability, and personal ability. 5.4. Establish a rescue system efficiently and inform other group members of their role. 5.5. Operate a rescue system, demonstrating lowering procedures to recover a conscious and unconscious person from an artificial surface with assistance from others who are unskilled in rescue techniques. 5.6. Demonstrate an escape from a belay. 5.7. Construct and demonstrate the use of an improvised chest harness in a rescue situation. |
6. Complete post-activity responsibilities. | 6.1. Retrieve, inspect and store equipment according to organisational policies and procedures. 6.2. Evaluate relevant aspects of climbing activity. 6.3. Identify potential areas of improvement for future climbing activities. 6.4. Review own performance and identify potential improvements. |
Required Skills
Required skills |
communication skills to: consult with participants to plan a climbing activity that meets their needs convey information about the safety aspects of the activity interact with participants to create a safe and positive climbing environment problem-solving skills to: plan a suitable climbing activity make decisions affecting activity including responding appropriately to non-routine situations planning and organising skills to: source, allocate and coordinate resources, equipment and artificial pitch organise participants into manageable groups for climbing and belaying language and literacy skills to: produce an activity plan complete post-activity participant and self evaluations highly developed personal climbing skills to demonstrate and explain climbing and belaying techniques to participants and to perform rescues first aid and emergency response skills appropriate to the location to enable initial response to emergencies and personal health care. |
Required knowledge |
requirements of relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures to enable safe conduct of climbing activities site specific information to assist in planning and enable management of potential climbing risks and hazards, and any special restrictions applying to the site hazards and risks that may be experienced in an artificial climbing environment equipment types, characteristics and technology used for climbing on artificial surfaces, the advantages and disadvantages of the range of equipment, and factors affecting appropriate selection of equipment clothing and footwear requirements for climbing activities to ensure comfort and safety care and maintenance of climbing equipment, equipment log books and retirement of gear, to ensure prolonged life span and safety requirements climbing techniques and common communication methods and calls used between climbers and belayers to reduce risk during climbing on artificial surfaces belay systems, devices and anchors appropriate for single pitch artificial surfaces technical climbing knowledge, such as techniques and procedures to suit the features of the surface direct and indirect rescue techniques used in various artificial surface situations weather and environmental information to ascertain possible conditions and their affect on the activity, if appropriate emergency procedures relevant to the location to ensure safety of self and others. |
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. | |
Overview of assessment | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the ability to: plan, guide and monitor the climbing activity of the group in a safe and professional manner apply effective contingency management techniques to deal with a range of problems and issues that may arise during the climbing activity on artificial surfaces encourage and respond to participant feedback and evaluate own guiding performance to identify strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure that climbing activities reflect the needs of a range of participants and are of sufficient duration to demonstrate competency and consistency of performance. Assessment must also ensure access to: resources and information regarding participants and location to accurately plan, guide and document climbing activities for a variety of participants an artificial climbing surface suitable for the participants a group of participants to take part in the climbing activities equipment such as harnesses, belay devices, ropes, and carabiners. |
Method of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: observation of interaction with a group of participants, including conveying information for safe participation oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures to enable safe conduct of all climbing activities observation of dealing with contingencies such as changing weather conditions and equipment failure review of climbing activity plans review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the individual. Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended. |
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. | |
Condition of participants may include: | skill level previous experience physical capabilities fitness level and physical capabilities age injuries and illnesses. |
Plan may include: | activity aims and objectives date, time and duration location or site guide and participant ratios resources equipment food and water weather details participant information safety requirements. |
Relevant legislation may include: | work health and safety/occupational health and safety permits or permission for access. |
Organisational policies and procedures may include: | work health and safety/occupational health and safety time constraints use and maintenance of equipment communication protocols confidentiality of participant information guide and participant ratios emergency and safety procedures code of ethics. |
Activity objectives may include: | self improvement meeting people fitness targets adventure and recreation. |
Hazards and risks may include: | lack of planning equipment failure temperature extremes slippery or unstable terrain dangerous animals and insects hypothermia heat exhaustion injuries exhaustion group management lack of supervision unauthorised access. |
Artificial surfaces may include: | portable or fixed walls fixed towers indoor or outdoor. |
Relevant sources may include: | Bureau of Meteorology media land managers or agencies local knowledge. |
Weather and environmental information may include: | outdoor surfaces: satellite images daily and weekly forecasts maximum and minimum temperatures weather warnings event warnings river levels synoptic charts. |
Appropriate authorities may include: | facility managers supervisors. |
Equipment may include: | ropes harnesses belay devices carabiners maillons chalk and chalk bag helmet knife rescue pulley accessory cord whistle. |
Contextual issues may include: | weather conditions season transport location trip distance and duration group objectives group size. |
Belay system may include: | human operated belay team belay floor/ground anchorage redirects self-locking belay devices belay devices which require hand grip control to arrest fall automatic mechanical belay system - self retracting lines with speed limited lowering. |
Relevant information may include: | personal equipment requirements safety procedures route description preventative measures for risks possible hazards climbing and belaying techniques objectives rules and codes. |
Communication system may include: | calls hand signals whistles. |
Safety procedures may include: | self checks following a well defined logical sequence buddy system checks following a well defined logical sequence ABCDEF Safety Check A - anchors - secure and suitable to application B - buckles - locked as per manufacturers recommendations C - connector - locked, secured and orientated D - devices - threaded correctly and secured E - organisation specific procedures, including; end or rope knots, friction hitches, belayer ready, helmet chin strap, clothing, jewellery and hair secured F- friend - cross check adherence to site rules and procedures compliance to instructions given by supervising staff. |
Participant performance may include: | use of appropriate communication system climbing technique attitude negotiation of hazards use of equipment rig ropes and associated equipment. |
Variable factors may include: | change of weather equipment failure participant needs climbing conditions. |
Rescue strategies may include: | direct intervention techniques: accessing the climber via portable ladder providing a portable ladder for use as a support tool seizing control of belay system changing out the belay person removing tension/load from the climbing rope indirect intervention techniques: oral instructions to climber (e.g. talk them down) provide encouragement provide instructions as deemed necessary to bring the situation under control. |
Approach procedures may include: | ascending rope ascending ladder work platform. |
Resources may include: | portable ladder mobile work platform rescue rope pulleys Prusik loops pliers knife spare carabiners. |
Relevant aspects may include: | objectives planning process activity site weather equipment selection clothing selection food selection instructional content instructional technique group feedback directing techniques rescue techniques employed. |
Sectors
Outdoor Recreation.
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills.
Licensing Information
No licensing, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.