Highway Electrical Sector Scheme

The Highway Electrical Industry, in conjunction with other disciplines in the Highways Sector have developed the National Highway Sector Schemes. These are quality management schemes that have been developed, as a partnership, by all sides of the highway industry to interpret ISO 9001 as it applies to a particular highway activity for industry within the United Kingdom. These schemes cover the full range of equipment and services required on the highway and for those covering installation and maintenance services, there is a strong emphasis on competency. There is, currently, a total of 19 schemes of which the Highway Electrical Sector is one. This sector covers Public Lighting, Traffic Signals, Traffic Signs, Cameras and other electrical and electronic equipment found on the highway.

Each scheme has a technical advisory committees made up of stakeholders within the industry to provide advice to UKAS, the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. The technical advisory committee interprets ISO9001 in relation to the requirements of their particular activity and comes to a consensus on the minimum levels of workmanship, services, products, testing, and the training and competency of employees needed to meet specification requirements as well as auditors' qualifications. The details are contained in the individual sector scheme documents.

The Highway Electrical Sector Scheme has undergone this process and its stakeholders include ASLEC, the ARTSM, the Department for Transport, the Highways Agency and the Institution of Lighting Engineers. ASLEC is the administrator for the Scheme. The main elements of the scheme relating to competency are:

• Training
  All employees must be trained to a training specification that contains the syllabus for courses which will provide the required knowledge for the range of operatives working in the industry. Courses will be fully certified by the awarding body Lantra Awards.
• Competency Qualification - N/SVQ
  All operatives will be required to be assessed against the occupational standards for highway electrical works and obtain an N/SVQ qualification appropriate to their occupation.
• Registration of Organisations
  All organisations are required to register with the Highway Electrical Industry Registration Board for the Registration of Authorised Persons. The qualification requirements for registration are that the organisation must be either registered to the Sector Scheme for Highway Electrical Works or alternatively comply with the competency elements of the sector scheme.
• Registration of Employees
  Once the Organisation has been registered, it is able to register their employees and an ECS card will then be issued. The core requirements for registration are that the employee must have undergone the ECS Highway Electrical version Health & Safety test and have been assessed by his employer as competent. This assessment is an ongoing process which ensures that the employee's competence is maintained.

All enquiries and applications should be made to www.ASLEC.org.uk