ATaC announces remote training for surveyors and analysts

ARCA announces remote training for surveyors and analysts

We have listened to feedback from members and the overriding request was for greater flexibility of when and how candidates undertake training and exams

ARCA is pleased to announce the availability of remote training for both asbestos surveyors and analysts to support their goal in achieving an RSPH qualification.

Candidates can now either undertake a full qualification at an ARCA centre over consecutive days, or if candidates’ employers can provide the necessary practical training, there is now a new option for taking the theoretical training remotely, before sitting examinations at an ARCA centre.

What does this mean?

Candidates will be able to take one day of remote training a week, that is three separate training days for surveyors and four for analysts. This gives candidates time to read further and gain practical experience in the workplace, before undertaking another remote training day.

Following this there will be an exam day held at an ARCA Centre, which will be arranged for around 10 working days after the last remote training day.

“We have listened to feedback from members and the overriding request was for greater flexibility of when and how candidates undertake training and exams,” said Satish Patel, Training Manager for ARCA.

“After July / August this year we will be arranging training one day a week to give the candidates time to consider the training in stages and gain the specific practical skills, before progressing further. This method has less impact on the business as training is spread over a number of weeks.”

Candidates now have three options available to support their goal in achieving an RSPH qualification: centre-based training and exam, remote training and exam, or exam only option.

ARCA sees increase in additional site audit bookings

ARCA a keynote speaker at Contamination Expo 2021

ARCA saw an increase in requests for additional site audits from member contractors during the first half of this year.

ARCA’s in-house auditors have supported members by undertaking 80 additional site audits in this period, that is in addition to the ARCA unannounced membership audits.

These additional external audits support contractors auditing programmes and provide a further quality control mechanism to help keep standards high.

All ARCA audits follow the same criteria so provide a consistent form of measurement, and follow the ‘Plan, Do, Check’ approach to health and safety management.

Members can request ARCA to organise additional audits by arrangement, whereby the member can ask for a specific site to be audited, or unannounced, whereby the contractor has no prior notice of an audit.

Further information on additional site audits is available online.

At this year’s event ARCA will discuss how the association has taken further steps to promote professionalism and continues to drive high standards in the asbestos industry, so supporting the safe management of asbestos. Also, to support the quality and provide added reassurance of competency of short-term asbestos removal operatives to member contractors, ARCA took the initiative to develop the first performance rating app for asbestos labour, The Asbestos Labour Feedback App, ALFA.

Join ARCA in the Keynote Theatre on Thursday 23rd September at 11.45.

Entrance is free to Contamination Expo at the NEC Birmingham on 22 and 23 September. Register online.

Steve Sadley, Chief Executive of ARCA, will highlight how ARCA requires high standards from member contractors on asbestos removal sites, as contractors need three satisfactory unannounced (no prior notice) site audits each year to maintain membership. This provides a strong level of reassurance for end-clients who have a duty to use competent contractors.