RPL for Certificate IV in Explosive Ordnance Operations

Certificate IV in Explosive Ordnance Operations takes 15 units. Through Recognition of Prior Learning, each unit is assessed on evidence of work you have already done rather than on training you sit through.

What the assessment looks at

Every unit sets out what you must be able to do and what you must know. An assessor works through them one at a time, asking the same question each time: does this person's evidence show they can do this reliably, in a real workplace, recently enough to count?

You can read the full requirements for DEF40320 on the national training register. They are public, and worth a look before you spend anything — if the units describe work you have never done, RPL is not your route.

Evidence worth gathering before you start

• Photos of completed jobs, ideally showing a few stages of the same job, with their original dates intact.
• Job sheets, dockets, work orders or site diaries covering a spread of jobs.
• Supervisors, employers or clients who will confirm specifically what you did.
• Any licences or tickets you already hold.

How the guided process works

You work through the 15 units one at a time, talking about jobs you have actually done. You can speak rather than type. Add photos as you find them, and stop whenever you like — progress saves itself, and most people spread this over weeks while they dig out records. At the end you have an evidence portfolio your RTO's assessor can work through.

What this does not do

It does not assess you, and it cannot promise you DEF40320. An assessor at a registered training organisation makes that decision and may require further evidence or training. What a complete portfolio buys you is a fair assessment rather than a rejection over paperwork.

See what DEF40320 involves →

The 15 units you complete, chosen from these 31

You do not do all 31. Certificate IV in Explosive Ordnance Operations is 2 core units, which everyone does, plus 13 chosen from the 29 electives below. Read both lists before you spend anything — it is the fastest way to tell whether RPL is your route. If most of this describes work you have done, you have a case to make. If whole sections describe work you have never touched, an assessor will say so, and doing the course is the honest answer.

Core units — everyone does these

• DEFEXO001 — Work safely with explosive ordnance
• TLID1001 — Shift materials safely using manual handling methods

Electives — you choose from these

• BSBSUS411 — Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices
• DEFEXO003 — Establish and maintain the safety and security of explosive warehouses and workshops
• DEFEXO021 — Breakdown explosive ordnance
• DEFEXO065 — Prepare and arm weapon systems
• DEFEXO082 — Apply a knowledge of explosives
• DEFEXO103 — Dispose of non-explosive dangerous goods
• DEFEXO104 — Operate an in-service remote positioning vehicle
• DEFEXO105 — Contribute to disposal of explosive ordnance
• DEFEXO108 — Conduct military demolition operations
• DEFEXO109 — Lay and clear booby traps
• DEFEXO110 — Lay and clear mines
• DEFEXO111 — Conduct underwater explosive demolitions
• DEFEXO112 — Detect, record and collect evidence
• DEFEXO115 — Supervise military explosive task
• DEFEXO116 — Control military explosive operations
• DEFEXO126 — Conduct post blast analysis
• DEFGEN007 — Conduct risk assessment in a Defence environment
• DEFGEN008 — Treat risk within Defence at an operational level
• DEFGEN010 — Supervise equity and diversity in the workplace
• DEFMIL024 — Conduct military searches
• DEFMIL082 — Perform military high-risk search
• HLTAID011 — Provide First Aid
• MSL974019 — Perform chemical tests and procedures
• PUAFER004 — Respond to facility emergencies
• TLIB3006 — Carry out inspection of vehicles designed to carry special loads
• TLIC3063 — Operate vehicle carrying special loads
• TLID2016 — Load and unload explosives/dangerous goods
• TLID3015 — Identify and label explosives/dangerous goods
• TLIF4007 — Implement and coordinate accident-emergency procedures

Each unit breaks down further into elements and performance criteria — the specific things you have to be able to show. The guide works through them one unit at a time and asks about jobs you have actually done, rather than making you read the register yourself.

Related qualifications

Same training package, and a common second choice for people who find this one is not quite their trade:

• Certificate IV in Defence Paralegal Services (DEF40722, 14 units)

When you are ready, see what DEF40320 costs and what the guide asks you for, or read what counts as evidence and how RPL compares with doing the course.