1 Street Works Qualification Registration and Reassessment

2 Working on the Highway The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA) requires undertakers to ensure that work to install, renew, maintain and inspect underground apparatus in the street is controlled by competent people. To meet these requirements, undertakers have to make sure that an operative, with the appropriate qualification(s), is on site when works are in progress.

3 Working on the Highway In addition, a suitably qualified supervisor must supervise street works in most cases. The supervisor does not need to be on site at all times, and can supervise more than one set of works. A supervisor qualification does not qualify the holder to work as a qualified operative or vice versa.

4 Working on the Highway A person may only act as a trained operative or supervisor for the type of work for which they hold the relevant qualification. Therefore, it may be necessary for a number of people with different qualifications to be involved with the work during its various stages. There is no limit to the number of qualifications held by one person.

5 Current position Operative accredited units O1 Excavation in the road/highway (001, 002 & 003) O2 Excavation, backfilling & reinstatement – cold lay (001, 002, 003, 004, 005 & 006) O3 Reinstatement – hot & cold lay bituminous materials (001, 002, 006 & 007) O4 Reinstatement of concrete slabs O5 Reinstatement of modular surfaces and concrete footways (001, 002 & 009)

6 Current position Supervisor accredited units S1 Monitor excavation in the road/highway (001, 010 & 011) S2 Monitor excavation, backfilling & reinstatement – construction lays (001, 010, 011, 012, 013 & 014) S3 Monitor reinstatement – hot & cold lay bituminous materials (001, 010, & 014) S4 Monitor reinstatement of concrete slabs (001, 010 & 15) S5 Monitor reinstatement of modular surfaces and concrete footways (001, 010 & 016)

7 New Regulation SI 2009 No The Street Works (Qualifications of Supervisors and Operatives) (England) Regulations 2009 New –New qualification and registration for SLG units 2 and 10 –Registration of existing unit 2 and 10 qualifications –Accreditation reassessment every 5 years

8 New accreditations Signing Lighting & Guarding 002 and 010 –New accreditations for operatives and supervisors who solely undertake signing, lighting and guarding activities –Registration process for new qualifications is the same as existing process –Cost is shown on the SWQR website –Once registered they will be subject to the same 5 yearly re- assessment process as all other NRSWA qualifications

9 New accreditations Existing Signing Lighting & Guarding qualifications Anyone with operative or supervisor qualifications for signing lighting & guarding from one of the approved awarding bodies must register the qualification by 5 th April 2011 (if they wish to exercise their right to use the qualification). Failure to register by 5 th April 2011 will result in the qualification being invalid for registration Proof of qualification will be required with the application for registration

10 Reassessment If an operatives or supervisors registered street works qualification expires after 5 th April 2011 the operative or supervisor will have to site a qualification reassessment paper. The reassessment process has been introduced to make sure that operatives and supervisors maintain their level of skill and understanding since they registered or re- registered. –The pass rate is 80% –Tests will take 20 minutes for each unit

11 Reassessment Process –Tests will be multiple choice and open book –Test can only be taken at a register reassessment centre –Candidates will be required to show proof of existing registration –Candidates will be required to show proof of identity –No training will be done at assessment centres –The cost of reassessment is still to be worked out –Candidates will know results before leaving the centre

12 Reassessment Process The reassessment certificate will also be registered before a renewal street works card is issued The window for re-registration is 6 months before and 6 months after expiry of the earlier registration.

13 Information An electronic copy of the Statutory Instrument is available online at: – The DfT guidance note explaining the changes and how they will affect you can be found at: – orksqualifications/ orksqualifications/

14 Thank you Christopher Perkins