Application
This unit applies to cemetery and crematorium staff involved in burial works. It requires the application of safe and appropriate shoring methods for digging and re-opening gravesites using machinery. It involves working under supervision as part of a team with some responsibility. | |
Prerequisites
SIFOHS007A Identify | |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA | ||
1 | Conduct grave excavation and shoring. | 1.1 | Determine gravedigging requirement according to work requirements, risk assessment and relevant legislation. |
1.2 | Identify and locate appropriate gravesite according to cemetery map or plan and physical location. | ||
1.3 | Select and prepare personal protective equipment according to relevant legislation and workplace policies and procedures. | ||
1.4 | Assess grave shoring requirements according to workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation. | ||
1.5 | Dig grave using machinery and appropriate tools and equipment according to manufacturer instructions, dimensions of coffin or casket, relevant legislation and workplace policies and procedures. | ||
1.6 | Identify and apply workplace procedures for safe storage of displaced earth or removal from site. | ||
1.7 | Undertake progressive grave shoring requirements using a safe and appropriate shoring method. | ||
1.8 | Maintain above and below ground communication with other team members. | ||
2 | Minimise risk of grave collapse. | 2.1 | Maintain safe surface loadings according to soil type and condition. |
2.2 | Constantly monitor excavation for grave collapse warning signs. | ||
2.3 | Take appropriate corrective or emergency action according to relevant legislation and workplace policies and procedures. | ||
3 | Clean up and make safe open gravesite. | 3.1 | Cover surface area from edge of excavation to ensure soil integrity and stability and provide safe work area for funeral. |
3.2 | Place grave supports and lowering devices in readiness for coffin or casket according to work requirements. | ||
3.3 | Clean area adjacent to grave and remove earth according to workplace policies and procedures to ensure safety of funeral work area. | ||
3.4 | Assess and address damage caused to adjacent graves by machinery. | ||
3.5 | Place protective restraints to ensure access by authorised personnel only, according to relevant legislation and workplace policies and procedures. |
Required Skills
Required skills |
gravedigging skills, including safe and appropriate use of relevant tools, equipment and machinery safe use of personal protective clothing and equipment shoring skills appropriate to re-opening and digging a grave using machinery communication skills, including active listening and questioning techniques and clear and direct communication to determine, clarify and inform team members of work requirements and ensure safety of site and personnel literacy and numeracy skills to read and interpret relevant documentation, plans and drawings; to measure gravesite dimensions and shoring requirements; and to interpret manufacturer instructions for using tools and operating machinery. |
Required knowledge corrective or emergency actions workplace policies and procedures to maintain safety requirements operating procedures for relevant machinery broad working knowledge of relevant federal, state or territory, and local government legislation and regulations relating to OHS and gravedigging soil types and conditions relevant to shoring requirements risk assessment procedures. |
Evidence Required
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the following is essential: ability to select, prepare, use, maintain and clean the required tools, equipment and machinery according to supervisor instructions, workplace policies and procedures, and manufacturer's instructions ability to identify gravesite location and to assess safe excavation and shoring requirements for re-opening and machine based gravedigging constant monitoring of excavation for grave collapse and ability to take immediate corrective actions during gravedigging digging graves using machinery on multiple occasions to ensure consistency of performance and ability to respond to different situations. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure: demonstration of skills in a cemetery environment that allows for machine digging of graves to accommodate required dimensions of coffins or caskets and application of appropriate shoring methods access to relevant tools, equipment, machinery and personal protective equipment access to grave supports, lowering devices and protective restraints access to relevant documentation, including cemetery map or plan. |
Methods of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: observation of candidate accessing, shoring and digging a new grave using machinery observation of candidate accessing, shoring and re-opening a grave written or verbal questioning to assess knowledge and understanding of workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate. |
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example: SIFBCR017A Prepare for gravedigging. | |
Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification and in the context of the job role. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | |
Gravedigging requirement may include: | re-opening existing site new site coffin or casket measurement required depth of excavation. |
Relevant legislation and regulations may include: | OHS cemetery Acts and by-laws public safety Acts local government regulations Lands Act Public Health Act Environment Protection Act Australian standards Worksafe Australia certification and standards. |
Personal protective equipment may include: | overalls steel-capped boots jacket long sleeves gloves safety glasses or goggles hat or cap hard hat gumboots ear plugs or muffs sun protection two-way radio. |
Workplace policies and procedures may include: | standard operating policies and procedures standards and certification requirements quality assurance procedures OHS procedures emergency procedures, including fire and accident procedures. |
Grave shoring requirements may include: | required depth of grave required depth of excavation for re-opening techniques to deal with soil types and conditions, such as: sand clay rock length of time soil exposed breakdown of cohesive strength of soil soil fretting soil compaction tension cracks. |
Machinery may include: | backhoe front-end loader skidsteer loader excavator tractor truck. |
Tools and equipment may include: | spreaders boards hydraulic braces stabilisers spades shovels picks crowbars auger timber tom sledgehammer timber mallet explosive power tool power saw handsaw timber of correct or recommended grade, size and type ladder that complies with requirements of current Australian standard. |
Safe storage of displaced earth may include: | truck vacant site. |
Progressive grave shoring requirements may include: | top of grave shored to a minimum of 300 millimetres sides of grave shored where depth exceeds 1.5 metres. |
Shoring method may include: | box set closed timbering for wet sand or refilled ground soldier set or box sets for firm, hard clay shields where suitable for rock. |
Grave collapse warning signs may include: | fretting from top edge slump in surface near excavation tension cracks support timbers bowing or creaking. |
Corrective or emergency action may include: | alternative shoring methods use of a sludge pump reduced soil loadings evacuation of gravesite. |
Protective restraints may include: | sheeting barricades temporary fencing reinforced covers. |
Sectors
Sector | Funeral Services |
Competency Field
Burials and Cremations | |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. | |
Licensing Information
Not applicable.