SSA Professional Standards for Accreditation describe the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, and abilities expected of an individual to gain entry to and meet the ongoing minimum expectations of the SSA Registered Soil Practitioner-Erosion and Sediment Control (RSP-ESC) accreditation.
These Professional standards include the Standards listed here, as well as the values, attitudes and behaviours as listed in the SSA Code of Conduct for Accredited Members of IECA and SSA, and Code of Ethics for Accredited Members of IECA and SSA.
| Standard 1: Legislation, regulations and standards as they apply to erosion and sediment control | ||||
| Standard 1.1 Legislation and regulations – Expert Knowledge Required | ||||
| 1.1.1 | Knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation and regulations at all levels of government. | |||
| 1.1.2 | An understanding of the legal requirement to take all reasonable and practicable measures to prevent or minimise environmental harm. | |||
| 1.1.3 | Knowledge and understanding of personal and organisational responsibilities under relevant legislation and regulations. | |||
| Standard 1.2: ESC Standards – Expert Knowledge Required | ||||
| 1.2.1 | Knowledge and understanding of best practice guidelines and recommended practices for the operation of land disturbing activities. | |||
| Standard 2: Fundamentals in soil science | ||||
| Standard 2.1 Basic physical, chemical, and biological soil properties – Specific Understanding Required | ||||
| 2.1.1 | An understanding in the context of erosion and sediment control of physical, chemical and biological soil properties and characteristics influencing erodibility and revegetation. | |||
| Standard 2.2 Soil classification and formation – General Understanding Required | ||||
| 2.2.1 | Awareness of the current Australian or New Zealand Soil Classification (as relevant to the candidate’s area(s) of operation). | |||
| 2.2.2 | Ability to recognise topsoil and subsoil horizons in a soil profile and the characteristics in each that might influence erosion and sediment control and revegetation. | |||
| 2.2.3 | Ability to describe the fundamental physical properties of a soil profile. | |||
| 2.2.4 | Understanding of influences on soil formation (parent material, topography, landscape processes, vegetation, climate). | |||
| Standard 2.3: Sampling methods – General Understanding Required | ||||
| 2.3.1 | Understanding of soil sampling programmes and how to interpret such a programme in the context of erosion and sediment control. | |||
| Standard 2.4 Understanding physical, chemical and biological soil test results as they relate to erosion and sediment control and revegetation – Specific Knowledge and Understanding Required | ||||
| 2.4.1 | Specific knowledge and understanding of soil testing, data interpretation, and management implications for ESC. | |||
| Standard 3: Soil erosion processes and sediment movement | ||||
| Standard 3.1 Erosion processes – Expert Knowledge Required | ||||
| 3.1.1 | Knowledge and understanding of different forms and causes (processes) of erosion and erosion types. | |||
| 3.1.2 | Knowledge and understanding of sheet, rill, tunnel, and gully erosion and factors affecting erosion rate and presence. | |||
| Standard 3.2 Sediment movement and deposition – Expert Knowledge Required | ||||
| 3.2.1 | Knowledge and understanding of soil and site factors affecting sediment mobility, transport, sediment delivery ratio, sediment capture, sediment deposition and sediment yield. | |||
| Standard 4: Estimating erosion rates of soils in the context of risk assessment | ||||
| Standard 4.1 Risk Assessment / Models and equations for estimating sediment generation – Specific Understanding Required | ||||
| 4.1.1 | Knowledge and understanding of the use and limitations of commonly used and contemporary models and equations for estimating erosion, soil loss rates, sediment generation and yields. | |||
| 4.1.2 | Knowledge and understanding of models and equations for estimating erosion, soil loss and sediment generation as risk assessment tools, including common model/equation parameters describing site properties and their influence on each other, such as rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, soil surface cover, slope length and gradient, and conservation practices. | |||
| 4.1.3 | Knowledge and understanding of undertaking a sediment yield risk assessment for a land disturbing activity. | |||
| Standard 5: Fundamentals of erosion and sediment control | ||||
| Standard 5.1 Erosion control vs sediment control – Expert Knowledge Required | ||||
| 5.1.1 | Knowledge and understanding of the principles and importance of erosion control vs sediment control. | |||
| Standard 5.2 Fundamental principles of erosion and sediment control – Expert Knowledge Required | ||||
| 5.2.1 | Knowledge and understanding of how to assess site constraints and opportunities and select and apply appropriate controls to reflect these aspects. | |||
| 5.2.2 | Knowledge and understanding of effective planning for erosion and sediment control and early installation of control measures. | |||
| 5.2.3 | Knowledge and understanding of the fundamental differences between structural and non-structural erosion control measures and the benefits and effectiveness of the options. | |||
| 5.2.4 | Knowledge and understanding of why it is important to minimise the time and extent of land disturbance. | |||
| 5.2.5 | Knowledge and understanding of the importance of assessing and managing site soils to inform erosion and sediment control and soil reuse. | |||
| 5.2.6 | Knowledge and understanding of site water/drainage management practices. | |||
| 5.2.7 | Knowledge and understanding of why it is necessary to maximise sediment capture. | |||
| 5.2.8 | Knowledge and understanding of effective and progressive rehabilitation and associated soil management requirements. | |||
| 5.2.9 | Knowledge and understanding of how to inspect and maintain control measures. | |||
| Standard 5.3 Fundamental principles of water movement and drainage – General Understanding Required | ||||
| 5.3.1 | In the context of designing erosion and sediment control measures, a knowledge and understanding of catchment hydrology and drainage including time of concentration (travel time), peak-discharge hydrographs, design storms, runoff coefficients, and soil runoff vs infiltration characteristics. | |||
| Standard 6: Erosion control measures | ||||
| Standard 6.1 Erosion controls – Expert Knowledge Required | ||||
| 6.1.1 | Knowledge and understanding of the types of erosion controls, their purpose, benefits, application and limitations. | |||
| 6.1.2 | Knowledge and understanding of dust suppression methods and application. | |||
| Standard 6.2 Vegetation for erosion control – Specific Understanding Required | ||||
| 6.2.1 | Knowledge and understanding of the role of vegetation for temporary or permanent erosion control and of the benefits and limitations of various types of vegetation. | |||
| 6.2.2 | Understanding different vegetation species, forms, rates, application method and timing and the importance of these aspects in the context of a temporary or permanent vegetation-based erosion control strategy. | |||
| 6.2.3 | Knowledge and understanding of the various erosion control revegetation products including their purpose, benefit, application methods and limitations. | |||
| Standard 7: Sediment control measures | ||||
| Standard 7.1 Sediment controls – Expert Knowledge Required | ||||
| 7.1.1 | Knowledge and understanding of the types of sediment controls, their purpose, benefits, effectiveness, application and limitations. | |||
| 7.1.2 | Knowledge and understanding of design and associated supporting calculations for sediment treatment options including catchment characteristics, rainfall and receiving environment sensitivity. | |||
| 7.1.3 | Knowledge and understanding of the installation, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of sediment control measures. | |||
| 7.1.4 | Knowledge and understanding of coagulation and flocculation processes and products, together with bench test procedures and delivery systems. | |||
| Standard 8: Waterways, riparian and coastal areas | ||||
| Standard 8.1 River morphology – General Understanding Required | ||||
| 8.1.1 | Knowledge and understanding of river morphology – including bed, banks, channel, slope, pool, riffle, floodplain, secondary channel, oxbow, terrace. | |||
| 8.1.2 | Knowledge and understanding of river processes (hydrogeomorphology). | |||
| Standard 8.2 Human changes to river morphology – General Understanding Required | ||||
| 8.2.1 | Knowledge and understanding of channel design techniques for management of river and stream systems. | |||
| 8.2.2 | Knowledge and understanding of impacts of works and erosion and sediment controls on hydrogeomorphology. | |||
| Standard 8.3 Erosion and sediment control in and around watercourses – Expert Knowledge Required | ||||
| 8.3.1 | Knowledge and understanding of the suitability and applicability of various methods, techniques and products for works in and around watercourses. | |||
| 8.3.2 | Knowledge and understanding of temporary watercourse diversion options and applications. | |||
| Standard 8.4 Erosion and sediment control in the coastal and/ or tidal zone – General Understanding Required | ||||
| 8.4.1 | Knowledge Understanding of the suitability and applicability of various methods, techniques and products in the coastal and/or tidal zone. | |||
| Standard 9: Erosion and Sediment Control Plans | ||||
| Standard 9.1 Site management – Expert Knowledge Required | ||||
| 9.1.1 | Knowledge and understanding of topsoil stripping, stockpiling, handling and replacement including retention of biological life. | |||
| 9.1.2 | Knowledge and understanding of using risk assessment tools to guide the planning of erosion and sediment control. | |||
| 9.1.3 | Knowledge and understanding of the economics and practicalities of erosion control vs sediment control to guide plan preparation. | |||
| Standard 9.2 Key elements of a plan for erosion and sediment control – Expert Knowledge Required | ||||
| 9.2.1 | Knowledge and understanding of the key components of an erosion and sediment control plan. | |||
| 9.2.2 | Knowledge and understanding of selection processes for erosion and sediment controls considering project type and scale and specific site conditions and characteristics. | |||
| 9.2.3 | Ability to prepare and review an erosion and sediment control plan for a site and for specific phases of work. | |||
| Standard 10: Site inspection and maintenance | ||||
| Standard 10.1 Site inspection and maintenance and monitoring – Expert Knowledge Required | ||||
| 10.1.1 | Ability to determine cause/s of an erosion and/or sedimentation problem on site. | |||
| 10.1.2 | Ability to evaluate the suitability of installation and the maintenance requirements of erosion and sediment control products and techniques. | |||
| 10.1.3 | Ability to evaluate the suitability and effectiveness of a strategy applied to a given site for erosion and sediment control | |||
| 10.1.4 | Ability to update plans and advise on improving on-ground erosion and sediment controls following inspections including selection, design (sizing), installation, maintenance and removal. | |||
| 10.1.5 | Ability to effectively communicate the results of a site inspection to achieve improvements (where necessary) in erosion and sediment control practice | |||
| 10.1.6 | Ability to develop an effective erosion and sediment control monitoring plan / strategy and to act on the monitoring outcomes with interpretation of the monitoring results. | |||
| 10.1.7 | Understanding of, and the ability to demonstrate, the difference between sampling methodologies, and use of information on turbidity, visual assessments, and measurements of suspended solids. | |||