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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Demonstrate an understanding of the effect of excessive spans and poorly installed or damaged support units on working place stability 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
254586  Demonstrate an understanding of the effect of excessive spans and poorly installed or damaged support units on working place stability 
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 4  NQF Level 04  4 
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 for people who are required to install support units in the workplace.

People credited with this unit standard are able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the role that support units play in maintaining working place stability.
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the effects of incorrect spacing of support units on inter-support spans.
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the effect of poorly installed or damaged support units on work place stability.
  • Identify signs of sub-standard support installation.

    This unit standard is intended to promote general skills, knowledge and understanding of the effect of excessive spans, poorly installed or damaged support units on working place stability in the mining and minerals sector in order to ensure knowledgeable and informed workers. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    It is assumed that that learners are competent in:
  • Communication and Mathematical Literacy at NQF Level 3. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
    N/A 

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the role that support units play in maintaining working place stability. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Support units are described in terms of strength, stiffness, yield ability and longevity. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    The requirements of support units in maintaining integrity of site specific working places are provided in terms of working place stability. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The concepts of support resistance and energy absorption of support units are explained with reference to the tributary area theory. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    The effect of area coverage on the exposure of discontinuities is explained in terms of working place stability. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    The concept of 'zone of influence' of individual support units and the relationship to hanging wall/roof fracturing is explained in terms of working place stability. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    The role of support units in creating a stable beam is described with respect to maintaining keyblock integrity. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 7 
    The role of support units in creating a stable composite beam is described in terms of working place stability. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the effects of incorrect spacing of support units on inter-support spans. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    The consequences of not meeting the appropriate support resistance and energy absorption requirements are described in terms of the increase in the fall of ground risk. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    The effect of excessive spans and the influence on hazard creation is explained in terms of the exposure of additional discontinuities between support units. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Explanations are provided with respect to tributary area theory as to how failure to install sufficient support units increases the possibility of failure of adjacent support units. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    The effect that excessive spans have on the behaviour of the hanging wall/roof beam are provided with respect to the relationship between beam length and deflection. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the effect of incorrectly installed or damaged support units on work place stability. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    The factors that influence the performance of mine specific support units are explained in terms of the installation. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
  • Support type (mechanical, resin, grout, etc).
  • Installation specifications (hole diameter, hole length, stoping width, etc).
  • Site preparation.
     
    		•

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    The effect that sub-standard support installation or damaged support units have on workplace stability is described in terms of the desired support resistance and energy absorption capabilities. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The effect that support installation or damaged support units have on workplace stability is described in terms of the desired area coverage. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    The effect of sub-standard support installation or damaged support units is described in terms of decreasing the zone of influence of support units 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4 
    Identify signs of substandard support installation. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    The factors to be considered are explained in terms of evaluating the quality of support installation. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Signs of incorrectly installed support units are identified in terms of support installation practice. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The consequences of incorrectly installed support units are explained in terms of work place stability. 


    UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS 
  • Anyone assessing a learner or moderating the assessment of a learner against the qualification must be registered as an assessor with the relevant Education, Training, Quality, Assurance (ETQA) Body, or with an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the relevant ETQA.
  • Any institution offering learning that will enable the achievement of this qualification must be accredited as a provider with the relevant Education, Training, Quality, Assurance (ETQA) Body, or with an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the relevant ETQA.
  • Assessment and moderation of assessment will be overseen by the relevant Education, Training, Quality, Assurance (ETQA) Body, or by an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the relevant ETQA, according to the ETQA's policies and guidelines for assessment and moderation.
  • Moderation must include both internal and external moderation of assessments, unless ETQA policies specify otherwise. Moderation should also encompass achievement of the competence described in the associated unit standards.
  • Anyone wishing to be assessed against this qualification may apply to be assessed by any assessment agency, assessor or provider institution that is accredited by the relevant ETQA. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE 
    The following embedded knowledge is addressed in an integrated way in the context of the unit standard:
  • The impact and consequences of using insufficient and damaged support units.
  • The role that support units play in the workplace.
  • The ability to identify substandard installations and support units. 
    		•

    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 to identify and understand the designed versus actual performance of support units confirms. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING 
    Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information.

    Note:
  • The ability of the candidate to assess whether design criteria are being met when insufficient, incorrectly installed and/or damaged support units are identified confirms. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING 
    Communicate effectively, using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in the modes of oral and/or written presentations.

    Note:
  • The use of neat annotated sketches and simple equations to demonstrate understanding confirms. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO SCIENCE 
    Use science and technology effectively and critically showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others.

    Note:
  • The use of design criteria to determine the support requirements, and the knowledge of the effects of non-compliance to standards on working place stability confirms. 
    		•

    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 knowledge and understanding that insufficient incorrectly installed or damaged support units impacts on the safety of self and the team confirms. 
    		•

    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 
    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. Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996 (Act no 29/1996), and Minerals Act and Regulations, 1991 (Act no 50/1991).
  • Mandatory Codes of Practice.
  • SANS and other relevant Standards.
  • Chief Inspector of Mines' Directives.

    Site-Specific:
  • Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments (HIRA).
  • Occupational Health and Safety Risk Management Programme.
  • Managerial Instructions.
  • Mine Standard Procedures.
  • List of Recorded OH and 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
    Core  60369   National Certificate: Strata Control Operations  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.
     
    1. ADCORP TECHNICAL TRAINING (PTY) LTD 
    2. GEOSTRAT TRAINING 
    3. PALABORA COPPER (PTY) LTD 
    4. SASOL GLOBAL LEARNING 
    5. SIBANYE GOLD ACADEMY PROPRIETARY LIMITED 
    6. THUNGELA OPERATIONS (PTY) LTD 
    7. XTRACT TRAINING SERVICES (SA)(PTY)LTD 


    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.