Candidate Advice Sample Exam
Candidate Advice Sample Exam
legislation examination
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
Table of contents
Advice to candidates ..................................................................................................................................... 4
SSE - Section 1: situation questions ........................................................................................... 6
SSE - Section 2: short answer questions ................................................................................... 7
OCE - Section 1: situation questions ......................................................................................... 13
OCE - Section 2: short answer questions ................................................................................. 14
1CC and 2CC - Section 1: situation questions ......................................................................................... 20
1CC and 2CC - Section 2: short answer questions ................................................................................. 22
Deputy - Section 1: situation questions ......................................................................................... 26
Deputy - Section 2: short answer questions ................................................................................. 27
Model question ........................................................................................................................................... 33
Model answer ............................................................................................................................................. 33
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
Advice to candidates
The new coal mining law exams test your ability to apply the legislation rather than just remember it. It
checks whether you understand how the law is applied in day-to-day operating mines. This type of law
exam has been used for first and second-class certificates of competency in underground coal mines
since May 2011.
The time for the exam is reduced from three hours to two. The number of questions has been reduced to
suit.
The changes were made as candidates were often getting high marks in the written exam, but doing very
poorly in the oral. They could recite the legislation, but could not apply it to the practical situations they
were examined on. Inspectors were reporting that Senior Site Executives (SSEs), who do not have an
oral exam, were not familiar with the requirements of the legislation.
The written examinations now focus on the knowledge that practitioners require to meet the requirements
of risk-based legislation.
This means study approaches have to change. Identifying the questions on the paper and learning those
off by heart no longer works. The exams change regularly. This change was required as a question used
for several months was changed and several candidates gave the answer for the old question, without
noticing the question had changed.
In order to sit for the exam you will need to study the whole of the Act and Regulations affecting the way
you work from day-to-day.
Long answer questions bringing together sections from various parts of the Act and Regulations. Think
about major tasks a mine official would do:
• investigate a serious accident
• involve the site safety and health representative (SSHR) to achieve the objects of the Act
• carry out inspections in a working section
• carry out shotfiring activities.
There are many sections of the legislation that apply. To guide the candidate, we provide prompts.
For example, the sample paper for Underground Mine Managers has a question about SSHRs. The
prompts ask about their powers and functions, their competencies and responsibility for their training. It
asks, what arrangements must be made if they are not available and what must they do if they are not
satisfied with the response from an SSE.
Please carefully read all questions. The actual exam question might ask about what an SSHR must be
told or how their identity must be displayed. Do not rely on what other people tell you was in previous
papers.
Each of the parts of the question needs to be answered to get full marks. Do not add unnecessary
information on the topic as you will not get extra marks. We work on a sampling principle.
A question like this example could also be asked in an SSE, Open Cut Examiner (OCE) or deputy exam,
but will focus on the way people in the specific position apply the law.
As we now change the exam papers regularly, you need to know the whole legislation to have a good
chance of passing.
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
There are also about 30 short answer questions. We have tried to reduce the amount of writing required.
A few of the questions may be multiple choice or just ask for a few words to complete a section of the
legislation.
The examination asks questions that apply to the position being examined. It is important to understand
the obligations of the position.
For example, a deputy or OCE candidate needs to know about the content of inspections. If the
obligations says a holder of a deputy’s certificate must be present when hot work is being carried, expect
questions about hot work. While the underground mine manager (UMM) must give the notice to the
inspector, a deputy would be expected to know the risk assessment referred to in the notice must be
carried out before the hot work is started. The deputy would also be expected to know the notice exists
and may be involved in preparing it.
Many sections of the regulation require actions by the SSE or another particular person, such as the
ventilation officer or ERZ Controller. Candidates are expected to know about these requirements if they
affect their position. The SSE has obligations around reporting an accident and not interfering with the
site. An ERZ Controller or OCE will be involved in that process and is expected to know what the primary
information requirements are when the initial report is made to the SSE.
The purpose of the exam is to see if the law that applies to the position is known. When studying for the
exam, do it from the perspective of being a person doing that position
To study for the exam, look at the plans and notices that are displayed to comply with the legislation. How
is that position involved in either displaying or reading those notices? Watch how a current person doing
the position currently carries out an inspection. The best place to study for this exam is in a well-managed
mine.
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
Under what circumstances must an SSE be replaced when absent? What responsibilities does the
replacement SSE have to take on? (5 marks)
Question 2: Notices
List 5 notices that must be given to an inspector.
You may include notices that must be given before action is taken or reports that must be made after
something has happened. Indicate whether these must be given verbally or in writing or both and any
time limits that the legislation sets. Who must give the notice? What must the notice state?
The safety and health management system must provide for certain things about personal fatigue for
persons at the mine. What provisions are required? (5 marks)
What consultation is required? How must disagreements about assessment criteria be handled? What
arrangements must be made if agreement cannot be reached? (5 marks)
If information is given or obtained about a person’s fitness for work, what restrictions apply to the use of
that information? For how long must records be kept about fitness for work? How does this differ for
different types of employees? (5 marks)
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
2 List two ways in which the objects of the act are achieved in
relation to rescue and emergency response
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
4 Which of the following are on-site activities? (Mark those that are)
a) activities carried on principally for winning coal
b) activities carried on principally for exploring for coal
c) airborne geophysical surveys
d) treating coal and disposing of waste substances
e) rehabilitating a place after coal mining operations
f) transporting product from a coal mine on public roads
g) maintaining and testing plant, equipment or machinery in connection with exploring for
coal
h) constructing and installing surface railways
Marks – 8
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
7 What level of risk must operations be carried out at for the level
of risk to be acceptable?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 5
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
15 What rights does a coal mine worker have if they believe that
their safety and health is in immediate danger?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
16 For how long must the information and data on which a risk
assessment was based be kept at the mine?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
Page 12 of 36
Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
Paper OCE - 2W
Fortunately no one was injured. The excavator operator pulled the machine back about 75 metres and all
of the trucks are now at least 100 metres away from the collapse. There is still some dribbling of material
on the end of the collapse furthest away from where the machinery was working.
Question 2: Inspections
As an OCE, list 10 requirements of the legislation which apply to your inspection of the part of the mine
between an operating excavator and a tip? The question does not apply to the area around the
excavator.
When and how often must the inspections be carried out? Who else must carry out inspections in this
part of the mine? Consider arrangements for fire, injury, fixed and mobile plant that is likely to be
operating in that part of the mine.
The report at this time is that no persons were in the vicinity at the time of the premature explosion. What
action would you take, if it has not already been taken?
You will be expected to inspect the site and investigate the incident. The SSE and mining manager are
both away from site and have as yet not been informed. What action would you take? Consider the safety
of the mine, activities that can and cannot be undertaken, reporting requirements, investigations, ongoing
safety and resumption of operations.
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
36 What level of risk must operations be carried out at for the level
of risk to be acceptable?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
39 Under the Act, which person has the obligation to train workers
so that they are competent to perform their duties?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 5
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
47 What must the SHMS provide for to deal with a person’s current
use of medication that could impair the person’s ability to carry
out the person’s duties at the mine
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 6
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
51 How often must the check for hazards on fixed and mobile plant
used at the mine be carried out?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
52 Who must carry out the check for hazards on fixed and mobile
plant used at the mine?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 6
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
3. On the main plan of the mine workings show the location of all
gas monitoring points which are required under the Coal Mining
Safety and Health Regulation 2001. (Plan will be provided, if this
type of question is included – see note)
Auxiliary fans are located at the points marked (F).
Development units are marked (DEV). A longwall face is operating in the section marked (LW). The
Upcast Shaft is marked UC.
Mark the places with a (C) where continuous monitoring of the mine atmosphere is required to detect
methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and oxygen.
Mark the places with a (P) where continuous monitoring, using the mine’s gas monitoring system, is
required to detect products of combustion in the mine atmosphere.
Mark the places with an (S) where the safety and health management system must provide for sampling
of the mine atmosphere, using the mine’s gas monitoring system; and
Mark the places with an (M) where an automatic methane detector must be located. There is no need to
indicate detectors on mobile equipment powered by battery or internal combustion engines.
40 Marks
The objective of the question is to see if the candidate can locate the required items on a realistic mine
layout. This question does not test the candidate’s skill in ventilation or mine design, but does test the
application of legislation.
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
Plan will be professionally drawn, but very basic layout to test understanding.
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
____________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 5
3. What level of risk must operations be carried out at for the level
of risk to be acceptable?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
____________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
____________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
13. What rights does a coal mine worker have if they believe that
their safety and health is in immediate danger?
Marks: 4
17. List 5 matters that the mine's safety and health management
system must provide for regarding fire?
Marks: 5
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
20. When must a health assessment be carried out for a person who
is to be employed at a coal mine?
Marks: 1
22. What action must a Site Senior Executive take when they
become aware that certified equipment used at the mine does
not meet certification requirements or is likely to create an
unacceptable level of risk
Marks: 3
26. List four things that the fire officer is responsible for at an
underground coal mine.
Marks: 4
27. How often must the operation of each airlock installed for an
entrance at the mine be tested, other than pressure tested?
Marks: 1
28. What details must be recorded about the temporary use of a self
rescuer at a mine?
Marks: 3
29. When must the emergency response strategies for mines rescue
services be capable of implementation?
Marks: 1
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
30. What are the requirements for power supply and electrical
components in an underground mine's telephone system?
Marks: 2
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
For each item, suggest an expected value that indicates a normal condition and value that indicates that
further investigation is needed.
2 marks are given for each item that must be inspected, 1 more for the normal or expected values
and 1 more for the value that causes concern.
What gases must be monitored at each of these points? What levels are set in the regulation and what
action must be taken when these levels are reached?
2 marks are given for each location, 1 more for each gas that is listed correctly, up to 10 marks, 1 more
for the level set in the regulation (up to 5) and 1 more for the action that must be taken (up to 5).
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 4
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
6 What level of risk must operations be carried out at for the level
of risk to be acceptable?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
8 Under the Act, which person has the obligation to train workers
so that they are competent to perform their duties?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
13 You have asked a coal mine worker to carry out a task. The coal
mine worker refused because of concerns about safety. You
believe that there is no immediate personal danger and you
require another person to do the same task, what must you do
and not do?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 3
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
18 What must the SHMS provide for to deal with a person’s current
use of medication that could impair the person’s ability to carry
out the person’s duties at the mine
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 8
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
25 Who must carry out the check for hazards on fixed and mobile
plant used at the mine?
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 1
26 How often must the check for hazards on fixed and mobile plant
used at the mine be carried out?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 2
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Marks: 5
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
Model question
Consultation
List 4 matters that the SSE must consult with coal mine workers about.
For each of the four, say whether the cross-section is drawn from those doing the task or
from the whole workforce.
For each of the four, say whether any part must be agreed to by a majority of the workers at
the mine.
For each of the four, indicate what must happen if there is a disagreement with the cross-
section.
For those where agreement with the workforce is necessary, what must happen if that
agreement cannot be reached?
Model answer
You can pick any four of these:
Reg 10 – Preparing an SOP
Reg 41 - Developing fitness provisions for alcohol
Reg 42 – Developing fitness provisions for personal fatigue and other physical and psychological
impairment, and drugs
Reg 171 - Trigger points for emergency evacuation
Reg 368 – Search provisions
Reg 369 - Heat stress management provisions
Act 64 - Review of principal hazard management plans and standard operating procedures
Preparing an SOP
Nature of cross section
mine’s coal mine workers involved in carrying out a task under the proposed standard operating
procedure
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
Search provisions
Nature of cross section
representatives of the mine’s coal mine workers
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Advice to candidates, sample exam papers and model answer
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