Unit of competency

Modification History

Application

This unit describes a participant’s skills and knowledge required to carry out manual excavation in Civil construction.

This unit is appropriate for those working in operational 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.

Unit Sector

Civil construction

Elements and Performance Criteria

Foundation Skills

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.

Unit Mapping Information

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=88a61002-9a21-4386-aaf8-69c76e675272

Assessment requirements

Modification History

Performance Evidence

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 applicable documentation, policies and procedures
• implements the requirements, procedures and techniques for the safe, effective and efficient completion of manual excavation including:

• using manual excavation tools
• communicating effectively to receive and clarify work instructions

• works effectively with others to undertake and complete the manual excavation in a way that meets all of the required outcomes including:

• using a range of communications techniques and equipment to convey information to others
• complying with written and verbal reporting requirements and procedures

• demonstrates completion of manual excavation that safely, effectively and efficiently meets all of the required outcomes on more than one (1) occasion including:

• identifying the location of underground services
• digging post holes, small pits and trenches to the required dimensions
• applying trench collapse prevention procedures in unstable ground

Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of the following when carrying out manual excavation:

• organisation and site requirements and procedures for:

• using job safety analyses/safe work methods
• achieving project quality outcomes
• identifying and reporting on hazards related to the worksite and work activity

• organisation of work activities
• relevant tools and equipment safely
• types, uses, limitations and maintenance requirements of manual excavation tools
• basic principles of soil technology for civil works
• basic trench collapse prevention techniques including benching and battering
• site isolation and traffic control responsibilities and authorities
• Civil construction terminology
• housekeeping activities

Assessment Conditions

• Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.; and industry regulations for certification and licensing; and,
• this unit is best assessed in the context of this sector’s work environment;
• where personal safety or environmental damage are limiting factors, assessment may occur in a simulated environment provided it is realistic and sufficiently rigorous to cover all aspects of this sector’s workplace performance, including environment, task skills, task management skills, contingency management skills and job role environment skills; 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:

Industry sector	AQF** Level	Required assessor or industry subject matter expert experience
Drilling, Metalliferous Mining, Coal Mining, Extractive (Quarrying) and Civil Construction	1	1 Year
	2	2 Years
Drilling, Coal Mining and Extractive (Quarrying)	3-6	3 Years
Metalliferous Mining and Civil Construction	3-6	5 Years
Other sectors	Where this unit is being assessed outside of the Resources and Infrastructure Sectors, assessor and/or industry subject matter expert experience should be in-line with industry standards for the sector in which it is being assessed and, where no industry standard is specified, should comply with any relevant regulation.

*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

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=88a61002-9a21-4386-aaf8-69c76e675272