Asbestos Removal Industry Competency Scheme Level 2 (ARICS)

A recognised and accredited alternative to the NVQ assessment for determining competence is now available. ARCA have introduced the Asbestos Removal Industry Competency Scheme (ARICS).

Following the completion of the piloting scheme with Operatives and Supervisors, ARCA are able to provide its members with access to the 2 day assessments, which upon successful completion will enable individuals to prove they have the practical skills and theoretical knowledge to work in the asbestos industry via a certificate of competence issued by the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health (RSPH).

The qualifications are recognised by the Qualification and Curriculums Authority (QCA). In addition, Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) will issue a CSCS asbestos operatives or supervisors card in recognition of their competence.

Here are 7 things you need to know about the ARICS scheme:

One – Who is it for?
To begin with operatives’ and supervisors’ but development of the managers’ qualification is now in progress.

Two – What do they have to do?
Operatives and Supervisors will undertake practical and theoretical assessments at one of our assessment centres.

Three – Where and when are the assessments being held?
Starting at Rayleigh this month (Aug 2010) with Carrington and Oxford coming on-line Sept/Oct and Glasgow Oct. and finally Burton in Feb. 2011.

Four – Why should I do the ARICS assessments?
How do you currently prove your operatives and/or supervisors are competent? This assessment will assess their knowledge and practical ability and give you a bench mark for competency in the Asbestos industry. It’s not a mandatory requirement, but it does provide you with the simplest route in proving your staff are competent.

Five – How will the ARICS assessments be undertaken?
For operatives it’s a 2 day assessment at our assessment centre and supervisors it’s 1 day at the assessment centre followed up with 1 day of assessment on site.

Six – How much does it cost?
Operatives and supervisors assessments are £550 (ex VAT) for ARCA Members and £700 (ex VAT) for non-members, plus £50 certification fee (payable to RSPH) .

Seven – Isn’t this the same as training and do I still have to do annual refresher training?
There is no training delivered to the individual when assessments are undertaken. It’s an assessment of their ability. This is where the individual proves they have the knowledge, understanding and experience to do the job, which by definition is competency. Annual refresher training still has to be undertaken as that’s a legislative requirement. The competency assessment qualification will be valid for 5 years.

Detailed information about the scheme can be found as a downloadable document from www.arca.org.uk/competency in the attached Scheme information document.