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We have been providing street works training compliant with the New Roads and Street Works Act for over 20 years. All of our trainers are highly-skilled professionals with practical experience gained in industry.
What is the New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA)?
The New Roads and Street Works Act (1991) is a piece of legislation that sets out the expected standards of competency for anyone working on a public highway in the United Kingdom.
The legislation is designed to regulate and manage activities that take place on public roads. Its primary goals are to:
The act covers a broad range of activities, including excavation, installation, and maintenance of utilities such as gas, water, and telecommunications.
Why was it introduced?
The New Road and Street Works Act was put in place to regulate and manage activities that take place on or affect the highway. This includes roadworks, street works, and excavations. The act is broken down into several important sections:
Coordination and Cooperation
The Act places emphasis on the need for coordination and cooperation among utility companies, local authorities, and other stakeholders involved in road and street works, to minimise disruption to the public and ensure that works are carried out efficiently.
Licences and Notices
The Act also states that anyone intending to carry out works on the highway must obtain the necessary licences or permissions. Utilities and other organisations are required to provide advance notice of their planned works to the relevant authorities.
Specifications and Standards
Specifications and standards for the materials and methods used in road and street works are laid out to ensure that works are carried out safely and to a high standard across the UK.
Safety Measures
The Act outlines various safety measures and requires those involved in the works to adhere to specific procedures to protect both workers and the public.
Inspections and Supervision
Authorities are empowered to inspect and supervise road and street works to ensure compliance with the Act. This includes the monitoring of worksites to ensure safety procedures are followed.
Reinstatement of the Highway
The Act specifies the requirements for reinstating the highway after road and street works are completed. This is to ensure that the road or street is restored to a satisfactory condition.
Penalties and Enforcement
There are penalties for non-compliance with the NRSWA, and authorities have enforcement powers to take action against those who do not adhere to the regulations.
What does that mean for your people?
Central to this legislation is the training and certification of people working on public highways.
There are several important facets of the NRSWA:
Training
The NRSWA ensures that a licensing system for operatives and supervisors involved in street works is in operation. Proper training and certification are mandatory for individuals engaged in excavation, backfilling, and reinstatement of road surfaces.
Training programs cover topics such as excavation techniques, safety procedures, and reinstatement practices.
Certification
The Act requires that individuals working on street works must be competent and possess the relevant qualifications. Certification is a tangible demonstration of an individual’s capability to meet the standards set by NRSWA.
Anyone wishing to be a current recognised operative or supervisor for Street Works must gain the relevant Street Works qualification(s) and must register their certificates with the Street Works Qualifications Register (SWQR), under Sections 67 and 126 of the New Roads and Street Works Act.
Each qualified operative or supervisor is issued with an ID card which they may be required to produce on site to confirm their status. Street Works cards must be renewed every five years.
Adequate Staffing
All sites involving street works must have a qualified street works supervisor and a qualified operative who must always be on-site at all times during work. One person cannot act as a supervisor and an operative at the same time.
Traffic Management
NRSWA outlines guidelines for traffic management during roadworks to ensure the smooth flow of traffic and the safety of both workers and the public. Proper training is essential for those involved in traffic management activities.
How Simply Learning can help
Simply Learning is a recognised assessment centre for The New Road and Street Works Act.
There are a total of 16 units of competences: 9 units apply to operative training and 8 to supervisors. Simply Learning is approved to run all of these.
As an approved NRSWA assessment centre, we can tailor courses to suit individual candidate requirements.
Please contact us to find out more about how we can help you.
Simply Learning offer the following courses:
New Roads and Street Works Act – Location and Avoidance of Underground Apparatus (NRSWA Unit LA)
1 day course, delivered at Simply Learning – max 8 candidates
This course aims to provide a sound understanding of the techniques used to locate and avoid underground apparatus on the Highway. It complies with the mandatory requirements of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.
New Roads and Street Works Act – Re-Assessment O1 & S1
Half day course, delivered at Simply Learning- max 24 candidates
* Candidates renewing both O1 and S1 will be charged an additional £15 for the additional certificate.
This course aims to refresh your understanding of the techniques used to work safely on the highway. It complies with the mandatory requirements of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.
NRSWA Monitoring Signing, Lighting & Guarding (Unit S1) CABWI
1 day course, delivered at Simply Learning – max 2 candidates
This course aims to provide a sound understanding of the techniques used to monitor Signing, Lighting and Guarding duties on the Highway. It complies with the mandatory requirements of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.
NRSWA Operative (Units LA – O5 & O8) CABWI
5 day course delivered at Simply Learning- max 6 candidates
This course aims to provide a sound understanding of the techniques of Street Works excavation, backfill and re-instatement. It complies with the mandatory requirements of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.
NRSWA Operative Complex 1 (Units LA, O1 & O2) CABWI
3 day course, delivered at Simply Learning- max 6 candidates
This course aims to provide a sound understanding of the excavation, backfill and reinstatement techniques used to work safely on the highway. It complies with the mandatory requirements of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.
NRSWA Operator Complex 1 (Units LA, O1, O2 and O3) CABWI
4 day course, delivered at Simply Learning- max 6 candidates
This course aims to provide a sound understanding of the techniques of Street Works excavation, backfill and re-instatement. It complies with the mandatory requirements of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.
NRSWA Re-Assessment CABWI
1-2 days, depending on the number of units held, delivered at Simply Learning- max 18 candidates
This course aims to refresh your understanding of the techniques used to work safely on the highway. It complies with the mandatory requirements of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.
NRSWA Reinstatement of Concrete Slabs (Unit O7) CABWI
1 day course, delivered at Simply Learning – max 12 candidates
This course aims to provide candidates with the skills and knowledge to carry out the reinstatement of concrete slabs in accordance with the code of practice for the reinstatement of openings in the highway.
NRSWA Reinstatement of Hot-Lay Bituminous Materials (Unit O6) CABWI
1 day course, delivered at Simply Learning – max 12 candidates
This course is designed to allow the candidate to demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to carry out reinstatements using hot-lay bituminous surfacing material. The candidate will be able to prepare the pavement layer to receive hot-lay surfacing materials, to identify and select materials to be used for reinstatement, and to construct the hot-lay bituminous binder course and the asphalt surface course using the correct equipment. They will also be able to identify and dispose correctly and safely of surplus materials and materials that cannot be re-used.
NRSWA Signing, Lighting & Guarding (Unit O1) CABWI
1 day course, delivered at Simply Learning- max 6 candidates
This course aims to provide a sound understanding of the techniques used to carry out Signing, Lighting and Guarding duties on the Highway. It complies with the mandatory requirements of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.
NRSWA Supervisor (Units LA, S1 – S5 & S7) CABWI
5 day course, delivered at Simply Learning- max 6 candidates
This course aims to provide a sound understanding of the techniques used to safely monitor working on the highway. It complies with the mandatory requirements of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.
NRSWA Supervisor Complex 1 (Units LA, S1 & S2) CABWI
3 day course, delivered at Simply Learning- max 6 candidates
This course aims to provide a sound understanding of the excavation, backfill and reinstatement techniques used to work safely on the highway. It complies with the mandatory requirements of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.
There are many benefits to training your team.
Our friendly and experienced team is always on hand to answer any questions you might have or help you decide which course is best for your candidates. Please contact us or visit page for more information.
