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5. 2010 HSC Notes from the Marking Centre — Construction

2010 HSC Notes from the Marking Centre — Construction

Contents

• Introduction
• Section II
• Section III

Introduction

This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 course in Construction. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2010 Higher School Certificate examination, indicating the quality of the responses and highlighting their relative strengths and weaknesses.

This document should be read along with the relevant syllabus, the 2010 Higher School Certificate examination, the marking guidelines and other support documents which have been developed by the Board of Studies to assist in the teaching and learning of Construction.

Teachers and candidates are reminded that if candidates are undertaking the 240-hour VET Industry Curriculum Framework in Construction and they want to undertake the HSC examination in Construction, they need to be entered separately for the examination through Schools Online (Administration) by the due date that is published in the Higher School Certificate Events Timetable.

General comments

Teachers and candidates should consider that examiners may ask questions which require candidates to respond by integrating their knowledge, understanding and skills developed through studying the course and those gained through work experience.

Candidates need to be aware that the marks allocated to the question and the answer space (where this is provided on the examination paper) are guides to the length of the required response. A longer response will not in itself lead to higher marks. Writing in excess of the space allocated may reduce the time available for answering other questions.

Candidates need to be familiar with the Board’s Glossary of Key Words which contains some terms commonly used in examination questions. However, candidates should also be aware that not all questions will start with or contain one of the key words from the glossary. Questions such as ‘how?’, ‘why?’ or ‘to what extent?’ may be asked or verbs may be used which are not included in the glossary, such as ‘design’, ‘translate’ or ‘list’.

Section II

Question 16

In better responses, candidates clearly demonstrated an understanding of the use of safety/lockout tagging. Some candidates incorrectly confused electrical safety tagging of power cords with safety/lockout tagging.

Question 17

Most candidates demonstrated an understanding that the earth leakage circuit breaker is used to prevent electrocution.

Question 18

Most candidates demonstrated some understanding of signage. In better responses, candidates gave clear examples and explained the purpose of signs. In weaker responses, candidates made generalised statements such as ‘signage makes you safe’.

Question 19

1. Most candidates provided strategies that were well articulated and that would clearly minimise waste. In weaker responses, candidates were unclear of a strategy that could be applied to minimise any form of waste.
2. Most candidates named some form of environmental impact. In better responses, candidates clearly defined short-term and long-term effects. In weaker responses, candidates either named only short-term effects or long-term effects or wrote responses that were very general about harming the environment.

Question 20

1. Most candidates extracted some information from the stimulus provided. In better responses, candidates clearly set out the calculations required. In weaker responses, candidates poorly interpreted data, made incorrect calculations and only responded to parts of the question.
2. Many candidates struggled with units of measurement particularly when converting millimetres to metres.
3. In better responses candidates gave a number of clear factors that related to the storage of aggregate. In weaker responses, candidates responded with just one factor or struggled with the question.

Question 21

1. The majority of candidates correctly identified a physical hazard. In better responses, candidates described the actual hazard.
2. In better responses, candidates considered the wider issues of the management of chemicals on a site. In weaker responses, candidates generally only referred to the use of a MSDS.
3. Most candidates struggled to apply the Hierarchy of Risk Control to a hazardous process. Many candidates either gave a theoretical answer or described a method to carry out that hazardous process. In better responses, candidates applied the sequence of the Hierarchy of Risk Control to the example provided.

Question 22

The majority of candidates identified different types of communication methods. However, many had difficulty in demonstrating the appropriateness of the communication methods between different people in the construction industry. In better responses, candidates provided examples that were relevant to the situation described.

Question 23

Candidates generally demonstrated an understanding of the 240V impact power drill or the 240V electric plane by identifying the use of the tool. In better responses, candidates demonstrated an understanding of the use, the training required and the limitations of the tool selected. In weaker responses, candidates struggled to outline the training required or the limitations for the power tool selected.

Section III

Question 24

Most candidates demonstrated a good understanding of the need for OHS Safety Construction Induction courses or the White Card course and site inductions. Many candidates reflected on how to prevent injuries.

In better responses, candidates recognised the strong relationship between the OHS Act and its impact in reducing injuries. In these responses, candidates made reference to asbestos disposal, materials handling and working at heights. Manual handling was understood well.

Candidates linked the relationship between the changes in the workplace culture and the duty of care required by all construction workers. They explained how Work Cover has developed Codes of Practice and imposed fines and penalties to create a safer work environment and improve equipment.

In better responses, candidates discussed the mandatory reporting of accidents and the controlling of risks and hazards. These answers provided examples of the developments in tools and small plant; for example, nail guns which are required to have a two-stage firing process.

In weaker responses, candidates briefly listed examples of actions that have created a safer workplace, such as Safe Work Method Statements and Material Safety Data Sheets. Some candidates failed to demonstrate an understanding that OHS legislation has led to a reduction in the number of accidents.

Question 25

1. Most candidates named and provided information about a levelling device. In weaker responses, candidates confused the safe use of equipment by the operator and the care required for the levelling device.
2. The majority of candidates identified two levelling devices and described their features.
   
   In better responses, candidates compared and contrasted the equipment and discussed this in the context of the example provided. The laser level, the automatic level or the spirit level were familiar levelling devices to many candidates who answered this question well. In weaker responses, candidates confused the features and user requirements of the two devices selected.
3. In better responses, candidates accurately extracted information from the stimulus material provided. They made good use of this information to sequence an appropriate method to set out the excavation site. These candidates related the characteristics and functions of the device selected and its specific requirements for this site.
   
   In weaker responses, candidates repeated information from earlier parts of the question and provided a confused sequence of actions. They understood how to take a level reading, though they could not relate this to the site or subsequent actions.

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