Higher Occupational Certificate: Road Incident Management Co-ordinator

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to operate as a Road Incident Management Co-ordinator.

A Road Incident Management Co-ordinator co-ordinates the implementation of integrated transport or other related road incidents management plans, assesses and analyses incidents and establishes and co-ordinates incident management teams.

A qualified learner will be able to

• Access and analyse road incidents and develop incident management plans.
• Establish, resource and co-ordinate joint incident management teams.

Rationale

There is a need in South Africa for a comprehensive approach to crisis planning and a framework for national, local and private agencies to effectively and collaboratively manage road incidents and accidents by using a core set of concepts, principles, procedures, processes, terminology and standards through the establishment of an Incident Command System (ICS) as a standardised approach to the command, control, and coordination of all-hazard emergency responses.

The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) is mandated by the National Transport Policy (1997) to implement incident management programmes on the entire national road network of South Africa. SANRAL confirmed the need for the development of a qualification for Road Incident Management Co-ordinators as an integral part of the overall Road Incident Management System (RIMS) Strategy (in accordance with ISO 39001 Road Traffic Safety Management Systems) for the country.

Road incident scenes are very dangerous places to work. Too many responders are injured or killed every year at road incident scenes. Training of Road Incident Management Co-ordinators is essential to ensure a common integrated and co-ordinated approach to road incident management processes. Such incident management processes will contribute to the efficient and effective responses and reduce the risk of secondary incidents. Road incidents impact on the safety of everybody using the road. Very often a primary incident, if not cleared and resolved quickly, also results in a secondary incident which directly and indirectly affects society. Furthermore, prolonged delays in resolving road related incidents also directly impacts on the economy as it affects delivery times of goods being transported as well as productivity in general of those being prevented to arrive at destinations on time.

This qualification will therefore benefit the sector, society, and the economy alike by providing qualified learners with the knowledge and skills to effectively respond to road and related incidents.

Typical learners to be attracted to this qualification include school leavers or any other person with an interest in community services, coordination of activities and working outdoors.

Learners will benefit from this qualification as successful completion will provide learners with access to employment opportunities in the transport sector (especially SANRAL) as well as other sectors involved in the broader area of disaster management (such as the National Defence Force and municipal services) as the knowledge and skills gained will enable learners to coordinate other emergency incidents such as fire and rescue. The skills and knowledge will also enable the qualified learner to coordinate events other than emergencies, thereby increasing job opportunities within the community and contributing to the full development of the learner.

Professional registration is not a requirement. This qualification was not developed as part of a specific career pathway, but learners wishing to further their career in this field of study and with an increased focus on law, would be able to do so by enrolling for an Occupational Certificate: Road Traffic Safety Officer.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

• Learners will gain access to the qualification through RPL for Access as provided for in the RPL Policy of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations. RPL for access is conducted by accredited education institution, skills development provider or workplace accredited to offer that specific qualification/part-qualification.
• Learners who have acquired competencies of the modules of a qualification or part-qualification will be credited for modules through RPL.

RPL for access to the external integrated summative assessment

Accredited providers and approved workplaces must apply the internal assessment criteria specified in the related curriculum document to establish and confirm prior learning. Accredited providers and workplaces must confirm prior learning by issuing a statement of result.

Entry Requirements

Any NQF Level 4 qualification.

This qualification is made up of compulsory Knowledge, Practical Skills and Work Experience Modules

Knowledge Modules

• 226302-002-00-KM-01, Introduction to Road Incident Management, Level 5, 4 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-KM-02, Principles and Concepts of Road Incident Management, Level 5, 3 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-KM-03, Road Incident Management Communication and Communication Technology, Level 5,

6 Credits.

• 226302-002-00-KM-04, Fundamental Principles of Dealing with Dangerous Goods, Level 3, 9 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-KM-05, Concepts and Principles of Chain of Events, Level 5, 10 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-KM-06, Principles of Data Collection, Level 5, 3 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-KM-07, Road Incident Management Systems Programme Management, Level 5, 6 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-KM-08, Road Safety Audits, Level 5, 3 Credits.

Total number of credits for Knowledge Modules: 44

Practical Skill Modules

• 226302-002-00-PM-01, Assess and Analyse an Incident, Level 5, 3 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-PM-02, Develop an Incident Management Plan, Level 5, 6 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-PM-03, Establish Joint Management Team Processes, Level 5, 3 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-PM-04, Conduct a Post Incident Assessment (PIA), Level 5, 2 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-PM-05, Establish a Joint Incident Command Post (JICP), Level 5, 5 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-PM-06, Identify and Apply Health and Safety Precautions Related to Dangerous Goods, Level 3, 10 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-PM-07, Co-ordinate the Implementation of an Incident Management Plan, Level 5, 5 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-PM-08, Isolate and Secure a Scene, Level 5, 4 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-PM-09, Preserve Evidence on A Scene, Level 5, 4 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-PM-10, Provide Support Structure, Level 5, 3 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-PM-11, Set Up Sectors, Level 5, 3 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-PM-12, Gather, Assess and Use Data for Resource Deployment, Level 5, 2 Credits.

Total number of credits for Practical Skill Modules: 50

Work Experience Modules

• 226302-002-00-WM-01, Incident Assessment and Analysis Procedures and Processes in Specific Environment, Level 5, 10 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-WM-02, Processes and Procedures for Coordinating and Managing Incidents, Level 5, 10 Credits.
• 226302-002-00-WM-03, Processes and Procedures for Identifying and Dealing with Dangerous Goods, Level 3, 6 Credits.

Total number of credits for Work Experience Modules: 26

1. Evaluate an incident and secure the area, applying standard methods and techniques in the context of the district, provincial and national environment.
2. Establish a joint incident management team and coordinate the implementation processes and responsible use of resources applying standard methods and processes.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

ELO1: Evaluate an incident and secure the area, applying standard methods and techniques in the context of the district, provincial and national environment.

• Accurately describe all aspects of the actual incident, including environmental conditions, road conditions, location, possible hazards and all other relevant and required factual information in accordance with legal requirements.
• Correctly classify incidents in terms of their nature and types of services required for the specific type and accurately identify class of incident according to nationally accepted guidelines and standards.
• Analyse and capture the whole incident scene and identify the required zones of activity, services and resources in line with occupational health and safety standards and nationally accepted guidelines relating to incident management.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

ELO2: Establish a joint incident management team and coordinate the implementation processes and responsible use of resources applying standard methods and processes.

• Adequately define the construction, command and control lines of the joint incident management team to ensure an effective response and safety measures for all.
• Describe the roles and responsibilities of the incident safety officer for various incidents according to the road incidence management system (RIMS) policy framework and procedure manual.
• Evaluate the implementation of the incident management plan and suggest appropriate recommendations and alternatives to deal with unforeseen changes in conditions and eventualities.

INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT

Integrated formative assessment.

The skills development provider will use the curriculum to guide them on the stipulated internal assessment criteria and weighting. They will also apply the scope of practical skills and applied knowledge as stipulated by the internal assessment criteria. This formative assessment together with work experience leads to entrance in the integrated external summative assessment.

Integrated summative assessment.

An external integrated summative assessment, conducted through the relevant QCTO Assessment Quality Partner is required for the issuing of this qualification. The external integrated summative assessment will focus on the exit level outcomes and associated assessment criteria.

The assessment will be conducted through a written assessment to evaluate both theory and practical skills at decentralised approved assessment sites within a period of one day. The assessment will be evaluated and moderated by assessment specialists registered with the AQP.

Qualifying for external assessment

To qualify for an external assessment, learners must provide proof of completion of all required modules by means of a statement of results and statement of work experience as well as proof of successful completion of the following subjects and modules or alternative programmes where applicable including Foundational Learning Competence.