SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Cut and load a coal face using continous mining equipment in an underground coal mine

SAQA US ID	UNIT STANDARD TITLE
9607	Cut and load a coal face using continous mining equipment in an underground coal mine
ORIGINATOR
SGB Mining and Minerals
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-
FIELD			SUBFIELD
Field 06 - Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology			Fabrication and Extraction
ABET BAND	UNIT STANDARD TYPE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	CREDITS
Undefined	Regular	Level 3	NQF Level 03	28
REGISTRATION STATUS		REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE	SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		2018-07-01	2023-06-30	SAQA 06120/18
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2024-06-30		2027-06-30

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This unit standard does not replace any other unit standard and is not replaced by any other unit standard.

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD

This Unit Standard will be useful to people who are responsible for using continuous mining equipment in an underground coal mine. People credited with this Unit Standard are able to:

Prepare to cut the coal face;

Cut the coal face;

Shut down the cutting operation and prepare for the following shift; and

Demonstrate teamwork.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

The credit calculation is based on the assumption that learners are already competent in terms of the following outcomes or areas of learning when starting to learn towards this unit standard:

Sound and bar roof and side walls using sounding and barring down equipment in an underground coal mine

Test and monitor for basic gases in an underground coal mine

Knowledge of section specific ventilation requirements

Conduct visual inspection of flameproof apparatus in an underground coal mine

Demonstrate knowledge and ability to work in an underground coal mine

UNIT STANDARD RANGE

Specific range statements are provided in the body of the unit standard where they apply to particular specific outcomes or assessment criteria.

Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria:

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1

Prepare to cut coal face.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

1. Hazard identification and hazard control are conducted to comply with risk assessment requirements to eliminate, minimise or control risk of ill health and injuries to others and self.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

2. Place and face preparation is conducted in accordance with specified requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

Place and face preparation must include the following:

Permanent roof support in place

Gas testing complete

Sounding and barring roof and side walls

Adequate ventilation available

Adequate water pressure available

Stone dust in place

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

3. Pre use inspection on continuous mining equipment is conducted and defects rectified in accordance with specified requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

4. Lock out procedure of machine is adhered to in accordance with specified requirements and codes of practice.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5

5. Consequences of inadequate preparation are described in terms of potential effect on safety, health and production.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

Preparation includes and is relevant to the following:

Lock out procedure

Place and face preparation

Pre-use inspections

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6

6. The on-board safety systems are physically identified and their function explained in terms of health and safety requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

On-board safety systems must include the following:

Automatic on board or manual fire extinguisher

Emergency stop

Methane monitor

Dust suppression

Tramming alarm

Pre-start alarm

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 7

7. Continuous mining equipment is started up and positioned observing health, safety and production requirements and in accordance with specified requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 8

8. The supplied personal protective equipment and hygiene consumables usage is explained and used in accordance with specified requirements.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2

Cut coal face.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

1. Continuous mining equipment is operated and operational defects are reported in accordance with specified requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

2. Roadways are mined in a mine-approved sequence, maintaining direction lines and horizon level in accordance with the section plan.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

3. Headings are mined in a sequence that is co-ordinated to meet complementary operations in accordance with the production cycle.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

4. Mining related repairs are conducted in accordance with specified requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

Mining related repairs must include replacement of the following:

Water hose

Electric supply cable

Cutting picks

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5

5. The face cutting sequence is completed in accordance with specified requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION NOTES

Face cutting refers to the way in which the face is cut and not the sequence of cutting headings.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6

6. Work methods comply with specified requirements to eliminate, minimise, or control the risk of ill health and injuries to others and self.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 7

7. Continuous mining equipment performance and condition are monitored and the results/observations compared with standards prescribed by the manufacturer and production rates required by the work site with appropriate corrective actions taken to ensure compliance.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 8

8. Cable and water hose condition and safeguarding are monitored in accordance with specified requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 9

9. Continuous mining equipment non-performance, facility malfunction, hazards and product non-conformance problems are identified and reported in accordance with specified requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

Facility malfunction must include the following:

Power failure

Lack of water or water pressure

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 10

10. Environmental elements are monitored and hazards are reported and/or rectified in accordance with specified requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

Environmental elements must include the following:

Gas

Ventilation

Dust

Strata control

Water

Noise

Stone dust

Illumination

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3

Shut-down cutting operations and prepare for following shift.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

1. Continuous mining equipment is shut down in accordance with specified requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

2. End of shift activities are completed in accordance with specified requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

End of shift activities must include safe parking of machine and any two of the following:

Reporting to supervisor

Clocking out

Handing over to next shift

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

3. Equipment and work area are cleaned in accordance with specified requirements.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4

Demonstrate teamwork.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

1. Communication and feedback are provided to, and requested from co-workers to maintain and improve task and product quality per specified requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

2. Conflict resolution techniques are applied to minimise destructive interpersonal differences with co-workers, which may adversely affect team performance.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

3. Feedback is provided to the in-coming shift with regard to machine and environmental hazards and sub-standards in terms of specified requirements.

UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS

1. Anyone assessing a learner against this unit standard must be registered as an assessor with the relevant ETQA.

2. Any institution offering learning that will enable achievement of this unit standard must be accredited as a provider through the relevant ETQA by SAQA.

3. Moderation of assessment will be overseen by the relevant ETQA according to the moderation guidelines and the agreed ETQA procedures.

UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE

Essential embedded knowledge will be assessed through assessment of the specific outcomes in terms of the stipulated assessment criteria. Without knowledge of the listed embedded knowledge, candidates are unlikely to achieve all the specific outcomes to the standards described in the assessment criteria. This means that for the most part, the possession or lack of the knowledge can be directly inferred from the quality of the candidate`s performance. Where direct assessment of knowledge is required, assessment criteria have been included in the body of the unit standard.

UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME

N/A

UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES

N/A

Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO):

UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING

Identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking.
Note: The ability of the candidate to identify substandard and hazardous conditions, assess and take appropriate action.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING

Work effectively with others as a member of a team, group, organisation or community.
Note: The ability and willingness of the candidate to accept and interpret work instructions correctly.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING

Organise and manage himself/herself and his/her activities responsibly and effectively.
Note: The ability of the candidate to indicate what methods, tools and personal protective equipment are required, and to communicate to fellow workers his/her intentions and the assistance required.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING

Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information.
Note: The ability of the candidate to reconcile the information from visual and physical examinations and constantly evaluate the changing situation.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING

Communicate effectively, using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in the modes of oral and/or written presentations.
Note: The appropriate communication with the relevant personnel with regard to the reporting of hazards and substandard conditions will indicate his/her proficiency in effective communication.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO SCIENCE

Use science and technology effectively and critically, thus showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others.
Note: The use of science and technology is not relevant for this unit standard.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING

Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation.
Note: The ability of the candidate to identify and refer anomalous behaviour to a specialist confirms his/her understanding of the fact that a specific observation, inference, action or decision may have a devastating effect.

UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA

Note to Assessors:

Assessors should keep the following principles in mind when designing and conducting assessments against this unit standard:

Focus the assessment activities on gathering evidence in terms of the main outcome expressed in the title to ensure assessment is integrated rather than fragmented. Remember, we want to declare the person competent in terms of the title. Where assessment at title level is unmanageable, then focus assessment around each specific outcome, or groups of specific outcomes.

Make sure evidence is gathered across the entire range, wherever it applies. Assessment activities should be as close to the real performance as possible, and where simulations or role-plays are used, there should be supporting evidence to show the candidate is able to perform in the real situation.

Do not focus the assessment activities on each assessment criterion. Rather make sure the assessment activities focus on outcomes and are sufficient to enable evidence to be gathered around all the assessment criteria.

The assessment criteria provide the specifications against which assessment judgements should be made. In most cases, knowledge can be inferred from the quality of the performances, but in other cases, knowledge and understanding will have to be tested through questioning techniques. Where this is required, there will be assessment criteria to specify the standard required.

The task of the assessor is to gather sufficient evidence - of the prescribed type and quality as specified in this unit standard - that the candidate is able to achieve the outcomes again and again and again. This means assessors will have to judge how many repeat performances are required before they believe the performance is reproducible.

All assessments should be conducted in line with the following well-documented principles of assessment, namely appropriateness, fairness, manageability, integration into work or learning, validity, direct, authentic, sufficient, systematic, open and consistent.

REREGISTRATION HISTORY

As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this unit standard was Reregistered in 2012; 2015.

UNIT STANDARD NOTES

Terminology:

Specified requirements include legal and site-specific requirements and are contained in one or more of the following documents:

1. Legal

Relevant Acts, e.g. Mine Health & Safety Act, 1996 (Act No. 29/1996), and Minerals Act and Regulations, 1991 (Act No. 50/1991)

Mandatory Codes of Practice

SABS and other relevant standards

Chief Inspector of Mines` Directives

2. Site-Specific

Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments (HIRA)

Occupational Health and Safety Risk Management Programme

Managerial Instructions

Mine Standard Procedures

List of Recorded OH&S Risks

Working Guides

Equipment and Materials Specifications

QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD:

	ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	STATUS	END DATE	PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
Elective	21812	National Certificate: Mining Operations: Underground Coal	Level 3	NQF Level 03	Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"	2023-06-30	MQA

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

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