UKCG and NDTG reach agreement on training standards.
Following lengthy negotiation with the National Federation of Demolition Contractors and the National Demolition Training Group, UKCG has today launched a revised Health & Safety training standard that focuses on the level of health and safety training required by those who direct, manage, supervise or undertake construction related activities on UKCG sites. This standard is designed to support UKCG’s work in increasing competency and improving leadership in health and safety by developing knowledge and skill. This is an impressive achievement by the NFDC and NDTG and will go a long way to ensuring recognition of demolition specific training standard across the wider construction industry.
The standard requires employers to establish a programme for ensuring their employees are working towards the training standard. UKCG intends to monitor the uptake of this training and, over time, will require everyone working on UKCG sites in a leadership role to have undertaken training to meet the standard.
“This standard has been put together with support from contractors and their supply chain. It offers employers robust guidance for identifying the most appropriate training for employees at all levels,” says John Morgan, Safety Director at Kier Group and Chair of the UKCG Competency Working Group. “The challenge now is to cement this training into common industry practice.”
“UKCG would like to see all construction employers embrace the standard and begin training their workforce to meet it,” says UKCG director Stephen Ratcliffe. “Once the level of training has reached a critical mass, UKCG will be mandating this across all its sites.”
“Effective Health & Safety training is a cornerstone of competency,” comments Philip White, Chief Inspector for Construction at HSE. “In developing this standard UKCG has laid out a clear path for organisations to follow.”
