SAQA All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Measure environmental factors and take appropriate action 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
116524  Measure environmental factors and take appropriate action 
ORIGINATOR
SGB Occupational Health and Safety 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-  
FIELD SUBFIELD
Field 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services Preventive Health 
ABET BAND UNIT STANDARD TYPE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL CREDITS
Undefined  Regular-Fundamental  Level 3  NQF Level 03  15 
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
2026-06-30   2029-06-30  

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 requires learners to be able to measure environmental factors to determine whether such levels are within acceptable limits. Learners credited with this Unit Standard are capable of:
  • Selecting appropriate positions, equipment, methods and instruments
  • Preparing to measure environmental factors
  • Measuring environmental factors
  • Comparing results against criteria for acceptable levels
  • Taking appropriate action 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Credits assigned to this Unit Standard are based on the assumption that learners can read, write and communicate in one of the official languages at NQF Level 4, and are mathematically literate at NQF Level 4 or equivalent. 

    UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
    The measuring of environmental factors include air velocities, thermal conditions, illumination, sound (noise), gases and vapours, aerosols, dusts, fibres, ventilation system pressures.

    The measuring of air velocities include different methods including but not limited to tape and smoke, vane anemometer, hot-wire anemometer and Kata thermometer. 

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Select appropriate positions, equipment, methods and instruments. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Explanation of the principle of operation, range of instruments and precautions regarding handling and storage are consistent with specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Explanation regarding methods and application of instruments is consistent with the specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Explanation regarding selecting relevant measuring methods and the application of instruments is consistent with the specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    The position where measuring takes place is examined and hazards and risks pertaining to health and safety are dealt with according to specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    The selection of methods is consistent with specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    Selection of position where measuring takes place meets specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 7 
    The importance of selecting measuring and equipment positions as prescribed are explained in terms of health, safety and productivity. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Prepare to measure environmental factors. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Permission to enter places where measurements take place is obtained according to specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Required personal protective equipment is available, operational, fit for purpose, and used in accordance with its design and specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The importance of examining and using personal protective equipment is explained in terms of the consequences for health, safety and productivity. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Instruments are examined and defective/broken equipment are dealt with according to specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    The importance of dealing with defective/broken equipment is explained in terms of the consequences for health, safety and productivity. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    Examination and/or zeroing and/or calibration of instruments is consistent with specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 7 
    The importance of calibrating instruments is explained in terms of the consequences for health, safety and productivity. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 8 
    Preparatory work is performed in a manner that fosters teamwork and avoids conflict. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Measure environmental factors. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Measurements are performed in a manner that fosters teamwork and avoids conflict. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    The immediate vicinity is continuously assessed and hazards and risks pertaining to health and safety are dealt with according to specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The importance of dealing with hazards and risks is explained in terms of the consequences for health, safety and productivity. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Selection of position where measuring takes place meets specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    The importance of selecting measuring positions as prescribed are explained in terms of health, safety and productivity. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    The environmental factors are determined according to specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 7 
    Dealing with conditions and factors that influence measurements is consistent with specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 8 
    The importance of identifying and dealing with the conditions and factors that influence the measurements are explained in terms of the consequences for health, safety and productivity. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 9 
    The importance of measuring as prescribed is explained in terms of the consequences for health, safety and productivity. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4 
    Compare results against criteria for acceptable levels. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Levels measured are compared with requirements and dealt with according to specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Explanation of the limits and definitions of environmental factors is consistent with specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The effects of exposure to environmental factors are explained in terms of the consequences for health, safety and productivity and are consistent with specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    The importance of dealing with environmental factors is explained in terms of the consequences for health, safety and productivity. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 5 
    Take appropriate action. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Instruments are retrieved, examined and re-calibrated according to specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    The equipment and instruments are re-examined and conditions that may influence the measurements and accuracy of readings are identified and dealt with according to specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Instruments are cleaned and stored according to specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    The recording of the relevant data is consistent with specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    The importance of recording relevant data is explained in terms of the consequences for health, safety and productivity. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    Reports and documentation are complete, accurate, in the required format, and submitted to relevant designated persons on time, according to specified requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 7 
    The importance of reporting and documentation is explained in terms of the consequences for health and safety. 


    UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS 
    Assessment of learner achievements takes place at providers accredited by a relevant ETQA (RSA, 1998b) for the provision of programmes that result in the outcomes specified for this Unit Standard. Anyone assessing a learner against this Unit Standard must be registered as an assessor with a relevant ETQA. Any institution offering learning that will enable achievement of this Unit Standard must be accredited as a provider with a relevant ETQA. The relevant ETQA according to the moderation guidelines and the agreed ETQA procedures will oversee moderation of assessment and is responsible for moderation of learner achievements of learners who meet the requirements of this Unit Standard. 

    UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE 
    Essential embedded knowledge will be assessed through assessment of the specific outcomes in terms of the stipulated assessment criteria. Learners are unlikely to achieve all the specific outcomes, to the standards described in the assessment criteria, without knowledge of the listed embedded knowledge. This means that for the most part, the possession or lack of the knowledge can be directly inferred from the quality of the learner's performance. Where direct assessment of knowledge is required, assessment criteria have been included in the body of the Unit Standard.

    Credited learners understand and can explain:
  • Types of detection and measurement methodologies for environmental factors.
  • Limitations of various detection and measuring methodologies.
  • Effects that environmental factors have on the health and safety of people
  • Importance of evaluating environmental factors.
  • Circumstances that necessitate evaluating environmental factors.
  • Use of instruments and accessories.
  • Instruments' and their accessories' principle of operation, range, use and limitations.
  • Importance of examining and calibrating instruments.
  • Safe handling and use of specified instruments.
  • Consequences for health, safety and productivity of dealing with defective and used equipment, continuously assessing health and safety hazards and risks, dangers of accessing sites without meeting access requirements, examining and correctly using personal protective equipment, testing for gas according to specified requirements, compliance with exposure levels, dealing with conditions, environmental factors, and limitations that can influence readings, evaluating test results and taking appropriate action.
  • Occupational exposure limits and limits for environmental factors.
  • Action to be taken when environmental factors are encountered outside legal exposure levels.
  • Conditions, environmental factors, and limitations that can influence readings. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME 
    N/A 

    UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES 
    N/A 


    Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO): 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING 
    Solve problems related to the detection, analysis, and recording of environmental factors by implementing remedial and preventative measures. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING 
    Work effectively with others as a member of a team/group/organisation/community by accepting, interpreting and delegating instructions correctly, if and when required, in a context-appropriate manner. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING 
    Organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively by meeting specified requirements, recording test results in specified formats, and taking appropriate action where necessary. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING 
    Collect, organise and critically evaluate information to correct for conditions, environmental factors, and limitations that can influence readings, interpret information obtained, and take appropriate action. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING 
    Communicate effectively using visual, mathematics and language skills in the modes of oral and written presentations to record and report test results. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO SCIENCE 
    Use science and technology effectively and critically (showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others) to select the appropriate methods and instruments for testing for environmental factors. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING 
    Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by taking appropriate actions based on the evaluation of test results and reporting results to relevant designated persons, confirming that a specific observation, inference, action or decision can have an interrelated effect. 

    UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA 
    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 learner 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 learner 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 learner 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. 
    		•

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

    UNIT STANDARD NOTES 
    Legal requirements:

    Specified requirements include legal requirements and are contained in one or more of the following documents:
  • OHS Act and Regulations 85/1993
  • Mine Health and Safety Act and Regulations 29/1996
  • Guideline for mandatory Codes of Practice

    Site-specific requirements:

    Specified requirements include site-specific requirements and are contained in one or more of the following documents:
  • Managerial instructions
  • Codes of Practice
  • Company Standards
  • Standard Task Procedures
  • Health Management Program
  • Risk Assessment Documentation
  • Working Guides
  • Manufacturers' specifications 
    		•

    QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
      ID QUALIFICATION TITLE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL STATUS END DATE PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
    Core  48804   National Certificate: Occupational Safety, Hygiene and Environment  Level 2  NQF Level 02  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2008-11-26  Was HW SETA until Last Date for Achievement 
    Elective  49752   National Certificate: Environmental Practice  Level 3  NQF Level 03  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  LG SETA 
    Elective  49596   National Certificate: Radiation Monitoring  Level 3  NQF Level 03  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  EWSETA 


    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.
     
    1. A4 Consultancy CC 
    2. AVAX SA 481 CC. T/A Mandisa Development Services 
    3. Bephaswana Skills Development (Pty) Ltd 
    4. Buena Vista Learning Academy 
    5. CAPE TOWN LABORATORIES EQUIPMENT 
    6. Faranang Marketing 
    7. Furniture World Training Centre 
    8. Growth Management Consulting 
    9. Inkqubeko Investment (Pty) Ltd 
    10. IQ Skills Academy (PTY) LTD. 
    11. Jobafrik Consulting 
    12. Josmap Training Institute 
    13. Kay Beez Development Projects 
    14. KOKANO PROJECTS PTY LTD 
    15. Lewerb Holdings (PTY) Ltd 
    16. Mamuhle Academy 
    17. Mementos Training Pty Ltd 
    18. Mortarboard Training Solutions 
    19. Nemalale Eagles Consultancy CC 
    20. Networx for Career Development 
    21. Nkinane Trading Enterprise 
    22. Petra Institute of Development 
    23. PFIM Trading (Pty) Ltd 
    24. PMA Holdings (PTY ) LTD. 
    25. Reflections Development Institute 
    26. Simmek Holdings 
    27. Thando Consulting Services 
    28. TLD Consulting 
    29. UNIVERSITY OF BUSINESS EXCELLENCE(PTY)LTD 
    30. University of Venda 
    31. Wildlife and Enviroment Society of South Africa 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.