Bookings are now open for the new Safety Health and Environmental Awareness (SHEA) Drains and Sewers Scheme. Developed by Energy & Utility Skills in partnership with the National Association of Drainage Contractors (NADC), the new training programme is designed for anyone in the drainage sector from front line operators through to supervisors and managers.
According proper recognition to the Drainage Contractor Industry as part of the utility sector has been part of NADC’s mission for many years, and the delivery of a SHEA Drains and Sewers Course by Energy & Utility Skills has been a core aspiration for the Association. This scheme represents an important landmark in the development of drainage contracting as a professionally trained, managed and delivered service. The scheme will also be adopted as a compulsory qualification for all NADC members in due course.
As with all schemes in Energy & Utility Skills’ SHEA portfolio, the new SHEA Drains and Sewers scheme is partnered with CSCS, giving the cardholder access to operational sites.
Carole Bishop, Head of Registration Services at Energy & Utility Skills, commented:
“We are pleased to announce this scheme is ready for candidates to start training. The scheme embeds best practice in health and safety and environmental awareness and supports the HSE’s essential principles for good health and safety performance. By partnering with NADC, we have together ensured the content is directly relevant to those operating in drainage and sewer works, making it easy for everyone taking the training to understand the relevance to their day job, supporting a safer workplace.”
Peter Stacey, one of the Founders of NADC and President of the Association, said “From the time NADC was formed some 12 years ago we have placed contractor safety at the heart of the Association and it is a huge milestone that the SHEA Drains and Sewers Course has now been delivered. Our aim is that the whole industry benefits from this key training to protect contractors, their customers and the general public alike. The SHEA Drains and Sewers Course is also a demonstration of the standing of our industry alongside, and as equal to, other industries in the utilities sector. I would like to thank all those who have contributed to making SHEA Drains and Sewers a reality.”
Julian Wynn, Chairman of the Management Board of NADC and Director of Water Drainage Management at FM Conway, said “Having worked in this industry for over 20 years both as a small and medium independent contractor as well as working in recent years for a major corporate, I know that proper training in health and safety is of paramount importance for everyone in our industry. It is a huge step forward that there is now an industry-specific SHEA course which is accessible to all contractors regardless of shape or size. I urge everyone who works on the front line in our industry to undergo this vital training. When I joined NADC one of the major attractions was to help work towards common standards across the industry, as already exist in other parts of the utility sector.”
The new training programme complements the existing SHEA schemes already in place for water, power, gas, waste and resource management, telecommunications and cross-country pipelines, making a complete set for the utilities sector. Registration on EUSR reduces duplication of training for individuals working across multiple sites, saving them and their employers time and money. It is also quick and easy to become registered for any of the other SHEA schemes as the core content is the same and it just requires training on the additional industry contextualised module.
Details of the SHEA Drains and Sewers scheme can be found here. Queries can also be directed to the EUSR Support team which is available Monday – Friday, 8.00am – 5.00pm via email: eusr@euskills.co.uk or on 0121 745 1310.