Diploma in Explosives Management

This qualification is designed to provide career-focussed education to equip successful candidates for the effective and safe management of human capital in organisations operating in a hazardous explosives environment. Such environment requires suitably qualified people to play a major role in enhancing performance, ensuring legislated safety and health standards and minimising risk factors in the manufacture and utilisation of primary and secondary explosive articles, maintaining fine tolerances of quality assurance practice at work through effective applied management practices and technical explosives knowledge and competence in the explosives industry. This qualification provides an initial learning progression path in recognised national and international standards of professional explosives management processes and practices to achieve applied competence at levels defined by relevant legislation governing the explosives industry and certification standards of explosives managers set by the Department of Labour.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

This qualification may be achieved in part or completely through the Recognition of Prior Learning, which includes formal, informal and non-formal learning and work experience. A learner wishing to be assessed towards this qualification may arrange to do so without attending any further training or education. The assessor and the learner will jointly decide on the most appropriate method to be taken.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement is

• National Senior Certificate (NSC) granting access to Diploma studies.

This qualification consists of compulsory modules at Levels 5, 6 and 7 totalling 372 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at Level 5: 120 Credits

• Financial Accounting Principles, Concepts and Procedures, 12 Credits.
• Introductory Financial Accounting, 12 Credits.
• Quality Management IA, 12 Credits.
• Ethical Information and Communication Technologies for Development Solutions, 12 Credits.
• End-User Computing I (Theory),12 Credits.
• Economics IA, 12 Credits.
• Explosives I, 12 Credits.
• Business Management IA, 12 Credits.
• Practising Workplace English, 12 Credits.
• Management IA, 12 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at Level 6: 156 Credits

• Organisational Research Methodology, 12 Credits.
• Business Management IB, 12 Credits.
• Explosives IIA, 12 Credits.
• Health and Safety Management IIB, 12 Credits.
• Health and Safety Management IIA, 12 Credits.
• Management IIA, 12 Credits.
• Management IIB,12 Credits.
• Management IB, 12 Credits.
• Explosives IIB, 12 Credits.
• Explosives IB, 12 Credits.
• Quality Management IB, 12 Credits.
• Economics IB, 12 Credits.
• Research Methodology, 12 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at Level 7: 96 Credits

• Management IIIB, 12 Credits.
• Explosives Industrial Practice III, 12 Credits.
• Explosives Industrial Practice IIIB, 12 Credits.
• Quality Management Systems IIIB, 12 Credits.
• Quality Management Systems IIIA, 12 Credits.
• Explosives IIIB,12 Credits.
• Management IIIA, 12 Credits.
• Explosives III, 12 Credits.

1. Contribute constructively to the achievement of goals of the enterprise.
2. Apply technologies pertaining to pyrotechnics and commercial explosives used in South Africa (SA) explosives industry.
3. Interpret and apply legal and safety requirements in an explosives environment.
4. Apply quality management principles when supervising staff in the working environment.
5. Combine explosives and managerial technologies, skills and knowledge with the principles of entrepreneurship to ensure innovative improvements in the workplace.

Associated Assessment Criteria are applied in an integrated manner to the Exit Level Outcomes.

1.

• Develop groups, teams and individuals to enhance performance.
• Create, maintain and enhance effective working relationships.
• Lead individuals, groups and teams to achieve enterprise goals.
• Facilitate the change in an enterprise.
• Identify the need for change in the enterprise.
• Identify ways of responding to a need for change.
• Supervising manufacturing, reporting of results and doing product and process development involves the ability to work effectively with production and other personnel.
• A plan for continued professional growth, which includes self-knowledge of strengths and weaknesses, awareness of role of professional bodies and keeping abreast of relevant literature will contribute to the full personal development of each learner.

2.

• Demonstrate an understanding of the various types of pyrotechnics and its applications.
• Supervise the safe manufacturing, filling, transport and storage procedures of pyrotechnics.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the history, development and use of commercial explosives in SA.
• Supervise the manufacturing of commercial explosives.
• Designated development tasks and production needs to be performed within time limits using the equipment effectively.

3.

• Demonstrate an understanding of the Explosives Act, regulations and other explosives related regulations.
• Interpret and apply the Explosives Act and regulations.
• Ensure the safe manufacturing and handling of explosives and explosives filled items.
• Compliance with the health and safety legislation, good laboratory and manufacturing practice and established workplace safety protocols will ensure that science and technology is used effectively and critically showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others.

4.

• Perform relevant Quality Assurance and Quality Control procedures to ensure that processes remain within designated limits.
• Apply principles of a variety of relevant quality control/quality assurance programs such as International Organisation for standardisation (ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and ISO guide 25).
• Quality control charts are constructed and interpreted.
• Appropriate corrective protocols are adhered to in response to test results.
• Data from measurements and analysis has to be organised, analysed and critically evaluated using computers when necessary.
• Results have to be communicated effectively using visual and language skills in written and oral format.
• Integration of related systems including quality systems is crucial in interpreting and assessing of results and identifying problems in the workplace.

5.

• Demonstrate an understanding of the interrelated dependence of various processes and procedures by means of a work related mini project.
• Identify opportunities for improvement and the impact on the world as an integrated and open system.
• Analyse the main and other relevant problem areas and develop solutions to the constraints.
• Do a viability study from both a technical and financial point.

Integrated Assessment

Formative Assessment is done by means of activities in study guides, self-assessment questions in study guides and self-assessment assignments as well as written assignments that have to be submitted for assessment. The assignments are either in the form of multiple-choice questions (MCQs), short questions, essays, or a combination, depending on the level of study. MCQs are largely used at first level. Students must submit at least two assignments for each module. The marks obtained for these assignments contribute a minimum of percentage towards the final mark for the module. The remaining mark is made up of the examination mark. Feedback on activities and self-assessment questions are provided in study guides and tutorial letters. Individual feedback on assignments is provided by assessors in marked assignments while general feedback on these assignments is provided in tutorial letters. Summative Assessment is conducted by means of a two-to three-hour examination per module. Feedback on Summative Assessment (examinations) is provided to individual students upon request.