This unit describes a participant’s skills and knowledge required to apply and monitor the strata management plan in Coal Mining.

This unit is appropriate for those working in supervisory or technical specialist roles

Licensing, legislative, regulatory and certification requirements that apply to this unit can vary between states, territories, and Industry sectors. Relevant information must be sourced prior to application of the unit.

Evidence is required to be collected that demonstrates a candidate’s competency in this unit. Evidence must be relevant to the roles within this sector’s work operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria of this unit and include evidence that the candidate:

locates and applies relevant legislation, documentation, policies and procedures

implements the requirements, procedures and techniques for the safe, effective and efficient completion of strata management plan application and monitoring including:

reading, interpreting, communicating and applying technical information

accessing and interpreting data from monitoring systems and equipment

accessing and analysing historical strata management information related to the mine and failure mode of mine structures

interpreting and applying design criteria for strata management

conducting enquiries/investigations and preparing audit reports

identifying training needs, and preparing and implementing training plans

works effectively with others to plan, prepare and conduct strata management plan application and monitoring that meets all of the required outcomes including:

organising work activities to meet all task requirements

communicating clearly and concisely with others to receive and clarify work instructions

complying with written and verbal reporting requirements and procedures

resolving coordination requirements throughout work activities

demonstrates completion of applying and monitoring the strata management plan that safely, effectively and efficiently meets all of the required outcomes on more than one (1) occasion including:

identifying the factors affecting stability of mining structures such as:

roadway size

pillar sizes

depth of cover

strength of coal and underlying/overlying strata

stress regimes

strata characteristics

longwall chocks

presence of water

systems of mining

breaker line supports

direction of mining

sequence of pillar extraction

primary and secondary support

geological structures

speed and continuity of extraction

applying strata monitoring devices such as:

convergence indicators

extensometers

load cells

stress cells

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of applying and monitoring the strata management plan through:

accessing, interpreting and applying legislative, organization and site requirements and procedures for:

accessing and interpreting mine plans, ventilation, gas monitoring, strata support and safety management plans

identifying and managing environmental issues, hazards and risks

identifying systems of underground mining including:

tunnels, drifts, stone drivage, shaft sinking, pillar extraction, partial extraction, punch mining and fault drivage

identifying exploration techniques

identifying strata support and monitoring systems

identifying geology and strata gas characteristics

identifying factors affecting stability of mining structures including:

stress: including mining induced stress, vertical and horizontal stress, tectonics, virgin stress, topographical features

sedimentology: including subsidence, water bearing strata, permeability of seam and strata, hydrology, rock property testing, caving characteristics, windblast, faults, dykes, outburst, gas content and over and underlying strata

mining structure failure modes

identifying systems of work: including bord and pillar, place changing, longwall, highwall, auger mining, pillar extraction, partial extension and punch mining

identifying and applying emergency response and evacuation/disaster planning processes and techniques

An assessor of this unit must satisfy the requirements of the NVR/AQTF or their successors; and Industry regulations for certification and licensing; and,

this unit must be assessed in the context of this sector’s work environment; and,

this unit must be assessed in compliance with relevant legislation/regulation and using policies, procedures, processes and operational manuals directly related to the industry sector for which it is being assessed; and,

assessment may be conducted in conjunction with the assessment of other Units of Competency; and,

assessment must confirm consistent performance can be applied in a range of relevant workplace circumstances; and,

assessors must demonstrate the performance evidence, and knowledge evidence as outlined in this Unit of Competency, and through the minimum years of current* work experience specified below in an Industry sector relevant to the outcomes of the unit; or,

where the assessor does not meet experience requirements a co-assessment or partnership arrangement must exist between the qualified assessor and an Industry subject matter expert. The Industry subject matter expert should hold the unit being assessed (or an equivalent unit) and/or demonstrate equivalence of skills and knowledge at the unit level. An Industry technical expert must also demonstrate skills and knowledge from the minimum years of current work experience specified below in the Industry sector, including time spent in roles related to the unit being assessed; and,

assessor and Industry subject matter expert requirements differ depending on the Australian Qualifications Framework Level (AQF) of the qualification being assessed and/or Industry Sector as follows:

*Assessors can demonstrate current work experience through employment within Industry in a role relevant to the outcomes of the Unit; or, for external assessors this can be demonstrated through exposure to Industry by conducting frequent site assessments across various locations.

**Where a unit is being delivered outside of a Qualification the first numeric character in the Unit code should be considered to indicate the AQF level

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit. Further information is available in the Resources and Infrastructure Industry Training Package Companion Volume.

Coal mining (Underground)