Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:
- organisational safety and emergency response procedures for caving activities
- the key contents of caving codes, in particular those issued by the Australian Speleological Federation (ASF) including:
- minimal impact caving code
- code of ethics
- minimal impact techniques specific to the caving environment and why these are important to cave conservation:
- avoiding sensitive areas and not accessing restricted areas
- keeping to well used or marked tracks
- avoiding disturbance to cave fauna, nests and bones
- taking care with hand and foot placement
- avoiding or minimising eating in caves, or eating over containers to avoid spillage
- removing all general and human (toileting) waste
- features of different types of local caves and cave formations sufficient to understand the overall characteristics of the cave setting and its particular hazards
- trusted sources and technologies used to access cave maps and guides for the region or locality
- characteristics of different types of cave maps, their different uses and advantages and disadvantages:
- detailed cave maps
- developed long sections
- maps with wall details and labels
- symbols contained on cave maps and what they represent, and other information found on maps:
- scale
- map legend
- magnetic declination
- markers
- gradient
- distance
- tracks
- water depth
- cross sections
- significant cave features including speleothems
- map and compass techniques used to:
- calculate bearings
- orientate map to surroundings
- determine location and maintain a designated route
- techniques used to estimate distance travelled within caves
- types of navigation aids found in caves and how these can assist with navigation:
- track markers
- built infrastructure
- natural cave features including speleothems, water direction and air flow
- purpose, features, and correct fit for safety, of personal protective equipment for cavers to include:
- clothing
- footwear
- gloves
- caving helmets
- headlamps
- techniques used during cave traverses to include those for:
- squeezing
- crawling
- rock scrambling
- stooping
- chimneying
- bridging
- walking through stream passages
- communication protocols used between cavers to include:
- calls
- hand signals
- whistles
- typical hazards associated with horizontal caving activities, and techniques used to safely negotiate these:
- falling rocks, water, debris
- slippery or unstable terrain
- narrow passages
- sharp edges
- vertical squeezes
- darkness
- unstable roof and floor
- rising waters
- elevated carbon dioxide levels.