EDUCATION UPDATE (Issue 18)

Explosive Licence Renewal Course

Brian Calovic, Conundrum Holdings

On Friday 5th November I attended a CMPA Explosive Licence Renewal Course and was tested for the renewal of my Explosive Licence.

With licences now due for renewal, the course offered the opportunity for people to have their licences renewed in a group session with training provided. It also meant that licences could be renewed now rather than waiting for the dead line of July 2005 to arrive, this also provided the time to address any problems that arose during the course now,rather than at the last minute.

The course was designed to give a brief refresher on areas of the Dangerous Goods (Explosives)Regulations 2000 and S2187.21993Explosives – Storage, Transport and Use. The course also offered an exam conducted by the DPI for the renewal of existing licences.

The purpose of the morning session was to review different areas of the explosives regulations, and began with a short video and introduction to the day’s proceedings by Colin Smith, DPI.

The areas covered in the morning session were broken down into three sessions, with the first two covering the requirements of what needed to be covered for everyone who was to renew their licence. The third session was for those who wanted to have their licence endorsed. We were provided with the option to complete the endorsements or to study for the exam in the afternoon session.

All sessions were conducted in the class room with people being asked to answer questions on a revision sheet. We were then given a Power Point presentation, and explanations of the correct answers. We were able to discuss our answers and use available literature at this point, although the exam was closed book.

Help was also offered to those who had numeracy or literacy problems. The self-test type questions were broken down into groups as we moved through the sessions.

The first two sessions covered:

• Who can use and who do you report to?
• Blast exclusion zone, air blast & ground vibration.
• Ordering explosives, fire ban, & weather conditions.
• Storage, condition, disposal & delivery of explosives to blast area.
• Equipment for electric firing & loading shots
• Stemming, testing, warning signals and firing shot
• Identifying and treating misfires

The third session covered ANFO, Signal tube, Detonating cord, question time and safety fuse.

We stopped for a short lunch break, and then sat the exam. The exam was presented in sections covering different areas of explosives use, transport and handling, as well as supplementary sections for those who wished to have their licences endorsed, with all or some of the areas covered in the third session.

The exams were marked and the applicants were then able to speak to the examiners regarding their results and where they had given incorrect answers.

With exams completed and passed, the next step was to have an on site visit from a DPI inspector. This was to complete any endorsements that had been added to the existing licences for practical testing and demonstration of the applicants knowledge to use the explosives in the endorsements.

Once again, the CMPA has provided a practical and useful tool to help industry people meet obligations under the regulations by providing training and availability of information. It can often be difficult to make time and organise people, however the CMPA has done it for us by providing the information packs containing course details, copies of Regulations, Australian Standards, and accessible venues and dates for training and testing.

Completing the course as a group also gives the opportunity for people to network and discuss issues with other industry people. I found that the attendees were active and competent in their dealings with explosives, but had some grey areas regarding regulations because of their own experiences and differences between states, quarrying and mining.

The difference of one or two questions answered wrongly could mean the difference in successfully renewing your licence or not. I have no doubt that attending the Explosive Licence Renewal Course helped me, and my people on site involved with explosives, to comply with current Regulations requirements in renewing licences before the 1st July 2005 dead line.

Friday the 8th of October saw the Explosive Licence Renewal Courses kick off with the first of the six courses being held at the DPI offices in Melbourne.

Further courses were held in Bendigo, Traralgon, Ballarat, Benalla, and finally Attwood.

Overall the courses were well supported with a total of 68 industry employees in attendance, achieving an approximate pass rate of 67%.

The following is a letter received by the CMPA from an attendee of the Explosive Licence Course:

I congratulate you for the timely and professional manner in which the course was run.

Some of our people found the course, and particularly the examination, to be quite stressful, but this pain was eased by:

1. Using experienced industry people (Ron and Spence)
2. Having the support of the DPI
3. Conducting the course in a positive, practical and helpful manner

We all appreciate the need to upgrade skills, with safety and security paramount, and I guess recent world events need to be considered by the Inspectorate and records need to be improved.

I believe these goals were achieved by the cooperation demonstrated between the DPI and CMPA in the running of these courses. The timing is also appreciated, avoiding a last minute rush. Again, congratulations on a job well done.
Roy Webb, E B Mawson & Sons

Letters of thanks were received from both members and nonmembers such as Violet Town Quarries, Barossa Quarries, and Hanson Construction Materials to name a few.

Thanks to everyone who put in a great deal of effort towards the organisation and running of the Renewal Courses, and congratulations to all those who successfully renewed their licences before the 2005 deadline.

Quantec Solutions—Storage Facility

David Crosby, Quantec Solutions

Over the past 5 months Quantec Solutions have assessed certain CMPA member’s sites and have found that the storage facilities of cylinders are a concern. I have attached pictures which can assist you to comply with appropriate regulations, codes of practice and Australian Standards.

1. Oxygen and inert gases
2. Separate full cylinders from empty cylinders
3. Secure full and empty cylinders at all times
4. Erect signs as shown

1. Acetylene and LPG cylinders stored together only
2. Separate full cylinders from empty cylinders
3. Secure cylinders full and empty at all times
4. Erect signs as shown

1. You can NOT store oxygen with LPG and acetylene cylinders
2. You must separate oxygen, inert cylinders from LPG, acetylene cylinders a minimum of 5 metres. This is an Australian Standard 4332, 1995 + 4839 2001

These requirements are for outdoor storage only. If you store cylinders inside a shed the requirements are very different and very strict.

If you have any queries, please contact David Crosby on 0425 768 094

Box Hill Institute of TAFE: Fixed Training Days—Cert IV in Extractive Industries Operation

Chris Terry, Box Hill Institute of TAFE

The program will be delivered on site at Box Hill Institute of TAFE, Box Hill Victoria on the campuses of Elgar, Nelson or Whitehorse using a Computer based knowledge delivery of tutorials, assignments, training tasks and Internet Websites and a skills assessment on site in the Candidate’s workplace.

Please contact Chris to confirm your interest or for further information. Chris Terry Program Coordinator INS and Extractive Industries Elgar Campus Box Hill Institute of TAFE
Ph: (03) 9286 9389
Mob: 0402 317 167

Certificate III in Extractive Industries Audit

Geoff Foster, OTTE

The Construction Material Processors Association recently expressed concerns to the Office of Training and Tertiary Education (OTTE) about the quality of some training delivery for existing worker trainees in the industry. After investigating complaints from several employers, OTTE is now conducting compliance audits for providers who deliver this qualification.

The first provider audited was found to be non-compliant and has been required to put a rectification program in place. Other audits are now proceeding.

The audits focus on the key issues for successful traineeship delivery such as:

• The existence and quality of individual training plans. (Not one size fits all).
• Evidence of individual pre training reviews and/or Recognition of Prior Learning assessments.
• Evidence that training delivery occurred, including visits to workplaces.
• Evidence that trainees are receiving the 3 hours per week release from normal work duties for the purposes of training, as mandated by the Approved Training Scheme for the traineeship.
• Use of suitably qualified staff for delivery and assessment.
• Adequate assessment instruments and procedures.
• Sufficient evidence of delivery/assessment to support the issue of qualifications for those who have completed the course.

These key indicators of quality training provision in apprenticeships and traineeships should be considered by employers when selecting a Registered Training Provider.

Any employer who believes there is a problem with delivery of their traineeships should firstly discuss this with their training provider. If issues are unresolved then contact your local Apprenticeship Field Officer – their contact details can be found at www.otte.vic.gov.au/apprenticeships/field.htm or by contacting the Apprenticeship Administration Branch on 1300 722 603.

Full information on apprenticeship and traineeship training requirements for both employers and training providers can be found in the apprenticeships and traineeships section of the OTTE website at www.otte.vic.gov.au

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