NZQA registered unit standard
Title
8921 version 7
Page 1 of 5
Design blasting layouts and carry out shotfiring in an underground coal mine
4 Credits 30 Level
Purpose People credited with this unit standard are able to: determine factors which influence the layout design for blasting; determine blast design; design shot loading and firing; load and fire shots; carry out post-shotfiring procedures; and plan for dealing with deteriorated explosives, in an underground coal mine.
Classification
Available grade
Entry information
Extractive Industries > Underground Extraction
Achieved
Critical health and safety prerequisites
Unit 21281, Interpret and test for gases in an underground extraction site , or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills.
Explanatory notes
1 Performance of the outcomes of this unit standard must comply with the following enactments and codes:
Health and Safety in Employment (HSE) Act 1992;
Health and Safety in Employment Regulations 1995;
Health and Safety in Employment (Mining Operations and Quarrying Operations)
Regulations 2013; approved codes of practice issued pursuant to the HSE Act;
WorkSafe New Zealand Act 2013;
Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act 1996;
HSNO Regulations 2001 – Hazardous Substances (Classes 1 to 5 Controls),
Hazardous Substances (Identification), Hazardous Substances (Packaging),
Hazardous Substances (Disposal), Hazardous Substances (Emergency
Management), Hazardous Substances (Tracking);
Occupational Safety and Health guidelines, such as those available through http://www.business.govt.nz/healthandsafetygroup/ .
2 The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is responsible for assessing and approving hazardous substances and, where appropriate, setting controls on the way the substances are used. Any questions relating to the provisions for hazardous substances should be directed to EPA New Zealand .

New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2020 NZ Motor Industry Training Organisation
(Incorporated) (MITO).
SSB Code 101542

NZQA registered unit standard 8921 version 7
Page 2 of 5
3 All statutory and authority requirements must include the latest amendments, and any replacement legislation.
4 Definitions
Site requirements and company procedures mean the documented methods for performing work activities and include health and safety, operational, environmental, and quality management requirements. They may refer to manuals, codes of practice, or policy statements.
Industry best practice refers to those practices which competent practitioners within the industry recognise as current industry best practice. These may be documented in management plans, company procedures, managers’ rules, occupational health and safety policy, industry guidelines, codes of practice, manufacturers’ instructions, and safe working and/or job procedures (or equivalent).
5 This unit standard is intended for, but is not limited to, workplace assessment.
6 Joint assessment is required for this unit standard, which has been considered as critical by the NZ Motor Industry Training Organisation (Incorporated) (MITO) because of the high degree of risk. Please contact MITO for further information about the requirements of joint assessment.
Outcome 1
Determine factors which influence the layout design for blasting in an underground coal mine.
Evidence requirements
1.1 Product requirements are determined in accordance with company procedures.
Range coal type, coal size, coal quantity.
1.2 Factors involved in producing material to product requirements are determined and documented in accordance with company procedures.
Range face height, drill type available, hole size, burdens and spacing, sub-grade, site restrictions, initiation method, angle of holes, hole depth, permitted explosives, blasthole pattern.
1.3 Ground conditions, coal strength, water and gas occurrences, and geological conditions, are assessed in relation to the blasting layout design.
Outcome 2
Determine blast design in an underground coal mine.
Evidence requirements

New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2020 NZ Motor Industry Training Organisation
(Incorporated) (MITO).
SSB Code 101542

NZQA registered unit standard
2.1
8921 version 7
Page 3 of 5
Blast size and type of initiators to be used are determined in accordance with product required and industry best practice.
2.2 Blast design is determined in accordance with site requirements and safety considerations.
2.3 Locations of charge holes are set and documented in accordance with the blast design requirements.
2.4 Explosives and initiation are selected in accordance with job requirements, blast design specifications, geological conditions, and current regulations.
Outcome 3
Design shot loading and firing in an underground coal mine.
Evidence requirements
3.1 Position of charge holes, set out, and drilling are determined in accordance with the blast design.
Range blast-hole diameter, blast-hole pattern, blast-hole depth, spacing, charge distribution, covering of charges, alignment.
3.2 Shot loading is designed in accordance with industry best practice.
Range includes but is not limited to
– explosive type, wet or dry holes, detonators, drillers’ observations, initiation system; may include – loading equipment for ANFO (ammonium nitrate fuel oil), ANE (ammonium nitrate emulsion) pumping.
3.3 Shotfiring sequence is determined in accordance with industry best practice and desired outcome from the blast round.
Range initiation sequence, delays, sequence design, inspection of wiring, size of blast.
3.4 Safety plan for shot loading and firing is determined in accordance with blast design.
3.5 Documentation related to blast design is completed in accordance with industry best practice and/or company procedures.
Outcome 4
Load and fire shots in an underground coal mine.
Evidence requirements
4.1 Safety requirements for transportation, storage, and control of explosives are determined and documented.

New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2020 NZ Motor Industry Training Organisation
(Incorporated) (MITO).
SSB Code 101542

NZQA registered unit standard
4.2
8921 version 7
Page 4 of 5
Shot holes are checked prior to loading for fractures, closure, and presence of gases, and defective holes are redrilled.
4.3 Shot holes are loaded in accordance with the blast plan.
Range may include – prime, load, stem.
4.4
4.5
Firing sequence is checked and verified in accordance with the blast plan.
Area is cleared and final safety procedures are implemented in accordance with industry best practice.
Range personnel retired from blast area, warnings, shelter, entry, exit, blast guards, tag board.
4.6 Shots are initiated in accordance with site blast plan.
Outcome 5
Carry out post-shotfiring procedures in an underground coal mine.
Evidence requirements
5.1 Post-shotfiring safety procedures are carried out in accordance with industry best practice.
Range ventilation, gas detection, ground stability, hazards.
5.2 Procedures for misfires, where required, are initiated and carried out in accordance with industry best practice.
5.3
5.4
All clear signal is given in accordance with industry best practice.
Explosives and initiators are returned and documentation is completed in accordance with industry best practice.
Outcome 6
Plan for dealing with deteriorated explosives in an underground coal mine.
Evidence requirements
6.1 A plan for the removal and/or destruction of deteriorated explosives is determined in accordance with industry best practice.
NZ Motor Industry Training Organisation
(Incorporated) (MITO).
SSB Code 101542

New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2020

NZQA registered unit standard 8921 version 7
Page 5 of 5
Planned review date 31 December 2017
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process Version Date Last Date for Assessment
Registration
Revision
1
2
18 December 1996
18 December 1998
31 December 2012
31 December 2012
Review
Review
Review
Review
3
4
5
6
25 November 2000
19 April 2002
24 November 2005
18 March 2011
31 December 2012
31 December 2012
31 December 2012
31 December 2017
Review 7 22 August 2014 N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference 0114
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do
.
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by
NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The
CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact the NZ Motor Industry Training Organisation (Incorporated) (MITO) info@mito.org.nz
if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
NZ Motor Industry Training Organisation
(Incorporated) (MITO).
SSB Code 101542

New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2020