SAQA All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Weld carbon steel work-pieces using the shielded metal arc welding process in the down-hand position. 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
243063  Weld carbon steel work-pieces using the shielded metal arc welding process in the down-hand position. 
ORIGINATOR
SGB Welding 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-  
FIELD SUBFIELD
Field 06 - Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology Engineering and Related Design 
ABET BAND UNIT STANDARD TYPE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL CREDITS
Undefined  Regular  Level 2  NQF Level 02  15 
REGISTRATION STATUS REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 		 2018-07-01  2023-06-30  SAQA 06120/18 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2024-06-30   2027-06-30  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This unit standard replaces: 
US ID Unit Standard Title Pre-2009 NQF Level NQF Level Credits Replacement Status
12241  Weld workpieces with the shielded metal arc welding process in the down-hand position  Level 2  NQF Level 02  20   

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD 
This unit standard is for a learner within the fabrication and welding fields.

A person credited with this unit standard is capable of:
  • Describing the shielded metal arc welding process.
  • Selecting, setting up and conducting pre-operational checks of shielded metal arc welding equipment.
  • Preparing workpieces prior to welding.
  • Welding workpieces.
  • Inspecting welded work piece for defects in compliance with drawing specifications.
  • Caring for and storing welding consumables and equipment.

    This unit standard will contribute to the full development of any learner by providing recognition, further mobility and transportability within the field. The knowledge, skills and understanding demonstrated in this unit standard are essential for social and economic transformation and upliftment within the fabrication and welding environment. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    It is assumed that the learners are already competent in:
  • Communication and mathematical literacy at NQF level 1
  • Prepare workpieces for welding
  • Basic engineering practices unit standard
  • Safety Health and Environmental (OHS Act)
  • Worksite practices 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
    Scope:
  • Material type to be selected from the range of carbon steels (plate only), applicable to the material groups 1, 2, 3 or 11 [according to ISO (TR) 15608).
  • Material thickness: Minimum - 1,6mm.

    Context:
  • All work undertaken must comply with Occupational Health and Safety Act.
  • All work done must comply with worksite practices.
  • All work done under consistent supervision.

    Level:
    Level (for level 2)

    A learning programme leading to the award of this unit standard should develop learners who demonstrate:
  • Ability to carry out moderate tasks that are familiar.
  • Ability to offer a clear choice of routine responses.
  • Basic operational knowledge base as indicated in the embedded knowledge component and that are readily available.
  • An understanding of known solutions to familiar problems with little generation of new ideas.
  • Ability to work under direct supervision with some responsibility. 
    		•

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Describe the shielded metal arc welding process. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    The importance of correct assembly of the shielded metal arc welding equipment, and the consequences of incorrect assembly, are explained with reference to the vendor requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Basic and major components of the shielded metal arc welding equipment are identified and the explanation of function and purpose is correct in terms of manufacturer's requirements and standards. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Parts and components correctly identified and the implications for incorrect identification are explained. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Terms and definitions used are consistent with generally accepted welding terminology as recorded in international welding standards. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Parts include: Suitable power source, earth clamp, electrode holder and welding cable.
     

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Select, set up and conduct pre-operational checks of shielded metal arc welding equipment. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Verification of identification and selection of shielded metal arc welding equipment as specified on welding procedure specification. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Identification and rectification of hazards relating to welding process in accordance with standard work site practices. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Pre-operational checks are carried out in accordance with manufacturer's specifications. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Resources to include: manufacturer's operational manual, worksite practices and safety and environmental issues.
     

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Prepare workpieces prior to welding. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Workpieces prepared prior to welding as specified on drawing and worksite procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Dimensions and alignment checked as specified on drawing. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Workpiece tack welded in position as per drawing specifications. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Safety precautions adhered to. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    Inspect workpiece prior to welding. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Resources include - Worksite procedures, tools, equipment, safety requirements, and materials.
     

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4 
    Weld workpieces. 
    OUTCOME NOTES 
    Despite the minimum material thickness as specified in the range statement, learners have to display sufficient competency to prepare the groove prior to welding. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Welding electrodes selected as specified on welding procedure specification. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Workpiece welded in position. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Safety precautions adhered to during welding process. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Workpiece cleaned after welding as per worksite practices. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Scope:
  • Material type to be used: May be chosen from the range of carbon steels (plate only), applicable to the material groups 1, 2, 3 or 11 [according to ISO (TR) 15608).
  • Material thickness: Minimum - 1,6mm.

    Resources include:
  • Welding equipment, tools, protective clothing and equipment, welding procedure specification, materials, etc.

    Welding positions include:

    Fillet welding:
  • Flat

    Groove welding:
  • Flat and flat-rotated
     
    		•

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 5 
    Inspect welded workpiece for defects in compliance with drawing specifications. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    All residues slag and spatter removed as specified in cleaning procedure. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Welded workpiece conforms to job specifications. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Inspection methods and procedures selected are conducive to specifications. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Documentation completed as reflected in worksite practices. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Procedures include:
  • Worksite practices, inspection methods, and cleaning procedures.
  • Welded joints acceptance criteria to be in accordance with national and/or international welding standards.
     
    		•

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 6 
    Care for and store welding consumables and equipment. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Tools and equipment cared for as per manufacturer's specifications and stored as per worksite practices. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Tools and equipment stored to conform to worksite practices. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Welding consumables stored in accordance to worksite practices. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Tools and equipment stored to conform to worksite practices.
     


    UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS 
  • Anyone assessing a learner against this unit standard must be registered as an assessor with the relevant ETQA.
  • Any institution offering learning that will enable achievement of this unit standard must be accredited in terms of the criteria laid down by the relevant ETQA.
  • Moderation of assessment will be overseen by the relevant ETQA according to the moderation guidelines in the relevant qualification and the agreed ETQA procedures. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE 
    Names and functions of:
  • Equipment.
  • Welding consumables, as stipulated in the welding procedure specification, where applicable.
  • Welding consumables (misuse; mishandling; baking procedures).
  • Personal protective equipment.
  • Various groupings of metals.

    Attributes, descriptions, characteristics and properties:
  • Properties and grouping of different steels.
  • Common defects.
  • Safety hazards associated with welding.
  • Welding processes.
  • Characteristics of electricity.
  • Weld-ability of different types of steels.
  • Shrinkage, residual stress, distortion.

    Sensory cues:
  • Smell indicating overheating equipment.
  • Observing, listening during welding operations.

    Purpose of:
  • Shielded metal arc welding.
  • Safety checks.
  • Reporting incidents and conditions.
  • Checking completed weld.

    Processes, events, causes and effects, implications:
  • Causes of hazards and responses to them.
  • Causes of defects and responses to them.
  • Overview of fusion welding processes.
  • Implications of not preparing workpiece before welding.
  • Shrinkage, residual stress, distortion.

    Procedures and techniques:
  • For eliminating, isolating or minimising welding hazards.
  • Procedures for preparing materials before welding.
  • Safety procedures.
  • Quality procedures.
  • Recording and reporting procedures.
  • Maintenance procedures.
  • Inspection and testing.
  • Storage procedures.
  • Baking procedure.

    Regulations, legislation, agreements, policies, standards:
  • Health and Safety.
  • Safe working in the fabrication shop.
  • National and international standards related to the inspection of completed work.
  • International standard for the grouping of metals.

    Theory: rules, principles, laws:
  • Applicable to properties of materials.
  • Weldability of steels.

    Relationships, systems:
  • Relationship between grades, section thickness and mechanical properties of steel and welding parameters.
  • Relationship of the mechanical properties of welded joints with carbon content and cooling rate following welding. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME 
    N/A 

    UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES 
    N/A 


    Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO): 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING 
    Identify and solve problems:
  • Recognise hazards and defects and respond appropriately. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING 
    Work effectively with others:
  • Participate in efforts of workgroup. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING 
    Organise and manage myself and my activities:
  • Plan sequence of operations based on job instructions and set up equipment appropriately. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING 
    Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information:
  • Interpret information off job instructions and make decisions based on that information.
  • Identify hazards and defects and take appropriate action. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING 
    Communicate effectively:
  • Report outcome of work to appropriate personnel. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO SCIENCE 
    Use science and technology effectively and critically:
  • Electrical and mechanical principles.
  • Characteristics of materials.
  • Principles of expansion and contraction. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING 
    Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems:
  • Explain the role of shielded metal arc welding in the fabrication process. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA 
    N/A 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this unit standard was Reregistered in 2012; 2015. 

    UNIT STANDARD NOTES 
    This unit standard replaces unit standard 12241, which is "Weld carbon steel work-pieces using the shielded metal arc welding process in the down-hand position", level 2, 20 credits.

    Notes to assessors:

    Assessors should keep the following general principles in mind when designing and conducting assessments against this unit standard:
  • Focus the assessment activities on gathering evidence in terms of the main outcome expressed in the title to ensure assessment is integrated rather than fragmented. Remember we want to declare the person competent in terms of the title. Where assessments at title level are unmanageable, then focus assessment around each specific outcome, or groups of specific outcomes.
  • Make sure evidence is gathered across the entire range, wherever it applies. Assessment activities should be as close to the real performance as possible, and where simulations or role-plays are used, there should be supporting evidence to show the candidate is able to perform in the real situation.
  • Do not focus the assessment activities on each assessment criterion. Rather make sure the assessment activities focus on outcomes and are sufficient to enable evidence to be gathered around all the assessment criteria.
  • The assessment criteria provide the specifications against which assessment judgements should be made. In most cases, knowledge can be inferred from the quality of the performances, but in other cases, knowledge and understanding will have to be tested through questioning techniques. Where this is required, there will be assessment criteria to specify the standard required.
  • The task of the assessor is to gather sufficient evidence, of the prescribed type and quality, as specified in this unit standard, that the candidate can achieve the outcomes again and again and again. This means assessors will have to judge how many repeat performances are required before they believe the performance is reproducible.
  • All assessments should be conducted in line with the following well documented principles of assessment: appropriateness, fairness, manageability, integration into work or learning, validity, directness, authenticity, sufficiency, openness and consistency.

    This unit standard may be obtained through RPL. The learner should be thoroughly briefed on the mechanism to be used and support and guidance should be provided. Care should be taken that the mechanism used provides the learner with an opportunity to demonstrate competence and is not so onerous as to prevent learners from taking up the RPL option towards gaining a qualification. 
    		•

    QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
      ID QUALIFICATION TITLE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL STATUS END DATE PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
    Core  58722   National Certificate: Engineering Fabrication  Level 2  NQF Level 02  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  As per Learning Programmes recorded against this Qual 
    Core  57881   National Certificate: Welding Application and Practice  Level 2  NQF Level 02  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  As per Learning Programmes recorded against this Qual 
    Elective  59689   National Certificate: Mechanical Engineering  Level 2  NQF Level 02  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  As per Learning Programmes recorded against this Qual 
    Elective  59729   National Certificate: Mechanical Handling (Rigging)  Level 2  NQF Level 02  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  As per Learning Programmes recorded against this Qual 
    Elective  66449   National Certificate: Foundry Operations  Level 3  NQF Level 03  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2013-11-07  MERSETA 
    Elective  67329   National Certificate: Inshore Maritime Operations  Level 3  NQF Level 03  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2015-06-30  TETA 
    Elective  59669   National Certificate: Mechanical Engineering: Fitting  Level 3  NQF Level 03  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  As per Learning Programmes recorded against this Qual 
    Elective  59750   National Certificate: Mechanical Engineering: Pipe-Fitting  Level 3  NQF Level 03  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  As per Learning Programmes recorded against this Qual 
    Elective  49795   National Certificate: Rail Construction and Maintenance  Level 3  NQF Level 03  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  TETA 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    1. MSC Artisan Academy (Pty) Ltd T/A Master Artisan Academy SA (EAST LOND 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.