What are street works qualifications?

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Street works – the excavation of roads and footpaths to access existing cables, pipes and ducts, to install new infrastructure – are those carried out by utility companies such as gas, water, electricity and telecommunications companies; other organisations can also carry out street works under licence.

 

The Street Works Regulations 2016 prescribe the qualifications that are needed by street works operatives (those undertaking excavation and reinstatement work) and supervisors (those monitoring such activities) in England. Certificates – or cards – are issued after a successful assessment is achieved in an assessment centre approved by one of four Awarding Organisations: Lantra, CABWI, SQA and City and Guilds. These must be refreshed by individuals every five years. Individuals can undertake this assessment with or without undertaking prior training.

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To note, the focus of this review is primarily England, but it is also important to hear about your experience in Scotland and Wales.

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What are street works qualifications?

• LA – Location and avoidance of underground apparatus

 

O-series certificates, for operatives only

• O1 – Signing, lighting and guarding

• O2 – Excavation in the highway

• O3 – Reinstatement and compaction of backfill materials

• O4 – Reinstatement of sub-base and road base in non-bituminous materials

• O5 – Reinstatement in cold-lay bituminous materials

• O6 – Reinstatement in hot-lay bituminous materials

• O7 – Reinstatement of concrete slabs

• O8 – Reinstatement of modular surfaces and concrete footways

 

S-series certificates, for supervisors only

• S1 – Monitoring signing, lighting and guarding

• S2 – Monitoring excavation in the highway

• S3 – Monitoring reinstatement and compaction of backfill materials

• S4 – Monitoring reinstatement of sub-base and road base in non-bituminous materials

• S5 – Monitoring reinstatement in bituminous materials

• S6 – Monitoring reinstatement of concrete slabs

• S7 – Monitoring reinstatement of modular surfaces and concrete footways

 

The training and accreditation working group, part of HAUC (Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee) has drawn up a large question bank which is then used in the accreditation process. The current system comprises a knowledge exam based on the question bank set by the working group, and a practical element.

 

As the Street Works qualifications regime has been in place since the 1990s, this research aims to better understand the merits and drawbacks of the current street works qualification landscape. We’d also like to hear alternative routes that will still meet the aims of the regime of ensuring safety of workers and road users.