Core Units of Competency: Safe, Compliant Roof Tiling Practice
What the core units cover
Core units describe the mandatory knowledge and skills every roof tiler must demonstrate: working safely at height, planning and preparing for roof work, handling and storing roofing materials, interpreting plans and specifications, measuring and setting out, fixing tiles and accessories, and maintaining quality while working to the relevant standards and site requirements. Questions test whether you understand why a procedure exists, not just the sequence of steps.
Concepts you must know
- Hierarchy of control: eliminate the hazard, substitute, engineer (guardrails, scaffolds, edge protection), administrate (SWMS, signage), then PPE as the last line of defence. A question offering "wear a harness instead of installing guardrails" is a trap.
- Fall protection: roof pitch, edge protection, void and skylight covers, anchor points and the difference between fall restraint and fall arrest.
- Load and access limits: not exceeding scaffold duty ratings, ladder angle (roughly 4:1), and keeping access clear.
- Setting out: gauge, batten spacing, headlap, side lap, coursing to the eaves and ridge, and how tile dimensions plus pitch determine batten centres.
- Substrate and flashing: sarking, battens fixed to manufacturer and standard requirements, and correct sequencing of flashings before tiling.
- Communication and records: SWMS, incident reporting, and refusing unsafe work.
Traps in questions
Watch for absolute words ("always", "never") and for options that skip a control level. Distractors often confuse side lap with headlap, or treat PPE as a control rather than the last resort.
Rule of thumb
If an option removes the hazard or isolates it, it usually beats an option that only protects the worker. When in doubt, choose the control highest in the hierarchy.
Worked example
A question asks the first action when a tiler finds an unguarded skylight on a roof. "Tie off to a nearby anchor" protects one worker only; "cover or barricade the opening and report it" eliminates the hazard for everyone and is the correct answer.