SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Respond to radiological emergencies and manage incidents

SAQA US ID	UNIT STANDARD TITLE
242689	Respond to radiological emergencies and manage incidents
ORIGINATOR
SGB Radiation Protection
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-
FIELD			SUBFIELD
Field 10 - Physical, Mathematical, Computer and Life Sciences			Physical Sciences
ABET BAND	UNIT STANDARD TYPE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	CREDITS
Undefined	Regular	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	12
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 requires the learner to be able to effectively manage incidents and use information from investigations to improve processes and controls. Credited learners can work within a philosophy of continuous improvement, have a quality focus, and can persevere. In emergencies, they can contribute to limiting harm to the minimum, and efforts to prevent severe harm to others. Handling incidents and emergencies, investigation to find causes of problems and taking corrective action are transferable competencies.

Effective management and investigation of incidents can be utilised to improve radiological controls and prevent recurrence of incidents. In the event of radiological emergencies, an effective response is essential to minimise the extent of the emergency and its impact on people, the environment and equipment.

Credited learners are capable of:

Describing incident classifications according to organisation-specific requirements.

Establishing communication response protocols for incidents and emergencies.

Investigating incidents and reporting according to given protocols.

Analysing incidents and making recommendations for corrective actions.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

The credits and level assigned to this unit standard is based on the assumption that learners have already attained the following competencies:

Investigate quality and control mechanisms in a business unit (118005 NQF Level 4).

Interpret radiological surveillance data (123390 NQF Level 4).

Control radiation protection processes (123388 NQF Level 4).

Communication (NQF Level 4).

Mathematic Literacy (NQF Level 4).

UNIT STANDARD RANGE

Incidents and emergencies include unusual events and not emergencies where the public and environment are at risk. Other range statements are provided in the unit standard where relevant to specific outcomes and/or assessment criteria.

Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria:

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1

Describe incident classifications according to organisation-specific requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

Incident classifications are described according to regulatory authority requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

Occurrences and emergencies are identified based on given criteria.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

Relevant corrective actions are identified for specific incident types.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

Relevant incident response teams are identified for specific incident types.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2

Establish communication response protocols for incidents and emergencies.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

Communication response protocols meet organisational requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

Relevant persons are identified and communicated with in accordance with organisational standard operating procedures.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

Communication methods are relevant for specific circumstances and groups.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

Contingency communication channels are in place for implementation where necessary.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5

Communication response protocols meet specified regulatory requirements.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3

Investigate incidents and report according to given protocols.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

Incidents are investigated according to organisational standards and protocols.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

Incidents are rated according to organisational requirements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

Relevant authorities are informed regarding incidents.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

Information given to authorities meets the specified organisational standards.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5

Scope of investigation is justified in terms of purpose of investigation.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4

Analyse incidents and make recommendations for corrective actions.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

Causes of incidents are identified based on findings from incident investigations.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

Recommendations are justified in terms of findings from incident investigations.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

Results and recommendations are communicated to relevant persons.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

Corrective actions recommended and agreed to are followed up with relevant persons at specified intervals and deadlines.

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 programs 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

Credited learners understand and can explain:

Incident classifications and corrective actions.

Regulatory authorities and authority requirements.

Occurrences and emergencies based on given criteria.

Incident response teams for specific incident types.

Communication response protocols for incidents and emergencies.

Communication methods for specific circumstances and groups.

Contingency communication channels.

Incidents investigation purpose, scope, standards, protocols and rating.

Causes of incidents and corrective actions.

UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME

N/A

UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES

N/A

Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO):

UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING

Identify and solve problems where responses to problems show that such critical and creative thinking has been used to make responsible decisions when occurrences and emergencies are identified based on given criteria, relevant corrective actions are identified for specific incident types, and causes of incidents are identified based on findings from incident investigations.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING

Work effectively with others as a member of a team, group, organisation or community when relevant incident response teams are identified for specific incident types, relevant authorities are informed regarding incidents, and corrective actions recommended and agreed to are followed up with relevant persons at specified intervals and deadlines.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING

Organise and manage oneself and one's activities responsibly and effectively when communication response protocols meet organisational and regulatory requirements.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING

Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information when incident classifications are described according to regulatory authority requirements, and to analyse incidents and make recommendations for corrective actions.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING

Communicate effectively using visual, mathematic and/or language skills in the modes of oral and/or written presentation to establish communication response protocols for incidents and emergencies, and when information given to authorities meets their requirements.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO SCIENCE

Use science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others when incidents are investigated according to relevant standards and protocols and rated according to organisational requirements.

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 when contingency communication channels are in place, scope of investigation is justified in terms of purpose of investigation and recommendations are justified in terms of findings from incident investigations.

UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA

N/A

REREGISTRATION HISTORY

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

UNIT STANDARD NOTES

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, 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.

QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD:

	ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	STATUS	END DATE	PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
Core	57631	National Certificate: Radiation Protection	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	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.

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