Terminology:
Specified requirements.
Specified requirements include legal and site-specific requirements and are contained in one or more of the following documents:
Legal:
Relevant Acts, e.g. Occupational Health and Safety Act; Mine Health & Safety Act, 1996 (Act 29/1996).
Mandatory Codes of Practice.
SANS and other relevant standards.
Chief Inspector of Mines' Directives/Instructions.
Guidelines issued by the Chief Inspector of Mines.
Site-specific:
Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments (HIRA).
Occupational Health and Safety Risk Management Programme.
Managerial Instructions.
Standard Procedures.
List of Recorded OH&S Risks.
Working Guides.
Equipment and Materials Specifications.
Notes 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 can 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: appropriateness, fairness, manageability, integration into work or learning, validity, direct, authentic, sufficient, systematic, open and consistent.
Motivation:
Even though there are less than four specific outcomes in this unit standard it represents a whole competency. It is not merely a description of tasks, jobs or procedures but it focuses on outcomes of activity. It also has a broad application across a range of contexts as stipulated in the unit standard.
In addition this unit standard is considered as a milestone of learning in the sector. It is worth recognizing in its own right, as it is attributable to and achievable by an individual.
This unit standard is fit-for-purpose for the sector and the specific outcomes jointly meet all the competence requirements of the title of the standard.
In addition the unit standard has been integrated to avoid artificial distinctions between activities/processes.
Unit standard justification:
Level:
Attribute; Level; Justification:
Skills; level 2; The skills required have some variety but are still fairly simple.
Procedures; level 2; Although the procedure is known and familiar (as level 1) it is not as repetitive.
Context; level 2; Although the process could occur in different contexts, the contexts are repeatedly applicable and known to the candidate.
Knowledge; level 2; The knowledge required is merely related to the operation and no theory needs to be applied.
Information processing; level 2; Information is readily available but some processing is required.
Problem Solving; level 2; Apply given solution to known/familiar problems.
Orientation of activities; level 2; Follows instructions.
Application of responsibility; level 2; Candidate's output is quality controlled.
Orientation of scope of responsibility; level 2; Some responsibility towards quantity and quality, i.e. responsible for quantity and quality of item of competence and not the overall output. Sometimes responsible for guidance of others.
Average level: 2.
Actual level assigned: 2.
Credits:
Total hours required by the learner to achieve the required outcome:
Activity:
Classroom Teaching: 12 hours.
On-The-Job Training: 12 hours.
Mentoring required: 0 hours.
Other (Specify) Research: 0 hours.
Total: 24 hours.
Credits achieved:24/10 = 2.4.
Credits assigned: 2. |
