CPA Bulletin

www.cpa.uk.net CPA Bulletin > August 2018 31 specific certification requirements e.g. such as localized health and safety training. The ECOL project initially started with four countries and since expanded to ten EU countries including Norway, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Ireland and finally the UK, represented by the CPA’s Crane Interest Group - one of the core members of ESTA. France attends as an affiliated country and Canada has subsequently joined the ECOL project. The aim is to initially developing common standards for mobile crane operation which once completed and launched, will seek to incorporate crawler, tower and other crane versions in the future using the same structure and format. ESTA have formed the ECOL Foundation, which is an independent foundation that will manage the educational, examination and registration processes of the ECOL. It consists of a supervisory board, management board and expert board, made up of members from ESTA and ECOL participating countries. The ECOL project has receiving funding under Erasmus +, a European funding programme for adult education and the Foundation further intend to have the ECOL programme, when completed, registered and recognised within the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) at Level 2 across Europe. The Foundation intend that the attaining of an ECOL certificate does not mean experienced and qualified operators with appropriate certification will need to retrain as depending on circumstances, mapping processes from each country may allow direct access to obtaining a certificate, undertake the examination only or undertake ‘top-up’ training as required. This requirement will be defined at the ECOL launch stage. A working group consisting of members from the relevant countries - with CPA staff representing the UK crane sector - have been devising the training syllabus, assessment methods and delivery requirements over the past three years. The training syllabus was originally based on the UK’s CPCS learning outcomes from which over eighteen working group sessions have been contextualised and amended to suit operational and legal requirements for the participating countries. In essence, those seeking ECOL certification would need to undergo a training programme devised by an approved training organisation, based on the ECOL syllabus. The training duration for novice mobile crane operators has been set for a duration for 240 hours with entry open to those at least 18 years of age, medically fit and holding a relevant EU driving licence bearing category C. Experienced operators holding approved certification may bypass the core training as required. The training can be undertaken in the national language but in order to pass the examination process, the operator will need to understand basic English in order to communicate outside their national border as well as communicating with the ECOL organisation. The training organisation needs to be registered with the Foundation and meet minimum specifications for training delivery. On completion of any training, the operator needs to undertake the examination process. This is conducted by Foundation- approved organisations that meets a minimum specification, with a key requirement that any organisation that has been involved with the training of the operator cannot conduct any part of the exam. The examination is divided and conducted into three elements: • Knowledge exam • Language (English) exam • Practical exam In principle, the knowledge test comprises of a series of sixty technical-based questions requiring written answers whilst the English language exam is a set of twenty multi-choice questions that check the operator’s English language knowledge on crane terminology. The practical exam consists of series of assignments for which a minimum number must be attempted. There are a variety of ten assignments to reflect subtle operating differences in each country of which eight have to be taken as part of the examination. There are time limits on each element of the exam and is conducted by approved examiners who need to meet a given criteria set by the Foundation. On completion of the examination, the result is forwarded by the examination organisation to the Foundation who, after ensuring that examination procedures were followed, would inform the operator of the result and if passed, issue the ECOL certificate which initially will be paper-based. The ECOL certificate issued by the Foundation will be valid for a maximum of 5 years and during this period, the operator will log their operating hours via a mobile phone app-based system ‘Skillrecord’, adopted initially by the National Occupational Council of Canada. To renew the ECOL certificate, it is proposed that the operator logs a minimum of 500 hours (to be confirmed) recorded per annum. The Foundation has recently appointing an independent external auditor to check the quality and functions of the approved training and examination organisations. The pilots for the training, examination and supporting processes are currently underway and it is expected that the launch of the ECOL programme should be ready by January 2019. Meanwhile, a mapping programme needs to be arranged to determine how UK scheme cardholders (such as CPCS) bearing mobile cranes can access an ECOL certificate, and how ECOL certificate holders can attain UK-based plant cards. Further information on the ECOL programme can be attained at www.ecol-esta.eu TRAINING: 4