WAMITAB trainer and assessor, Linda Waite, tells us about an alternative way for a vehicle recycler to achieve their Technically Competent Manager (TCM) by undertaking the WAMITAB Level 4 Certificate in Waste and Resource Management.
This qualification forms part of the CIWM/WAMITAB Operator Competence Scheme and is the second way of achieving your TCM (Technically Competent Manager) status. It is ideal for new entrants to the waste industry that may want to progress onto a degree; graduates preparing to work in the industry; operatives, team leaders, supervisors or managers or experienced workers seeking a formal qualification that will give them TCM status.
Once the individual is registered with WAMITAB, they can attend the training sessions that will help them achieve the qualification. Learners must complete all five of the mandatory units designed to ensure individuals understand health and safety, environmental protection, principles of sustainable waste and resource management, legislation for the operation of waste management facilities, and stakeholder communication and other non-legislative factors.
Learners must then select optional unit(s) designed to tailor the qualification to their job role or chosen career. These units cover the following medium risk topics: inert landfill, land remediation, thermal processing, biological treatment, physical treatment, mechanical biological treatment, metal recycling, end of life vehicles, WEEE, storage of hazardous waste and land spreading.
This qualification is ‘open entry’, meaning that learners interested in undertaking the WAMITAB Level 4 Certificate in Waste and Resource Management do not require any other qualifications or levels of attainment. It is delivered using the classroom-based ‘taught and tested’ route, so you do not need to be employed in a suitable position to undertake this qualification; it is ideal for new entrants, graduates or experienced workers that want to develop their career within the waste and resource management industry through further learning. It is a flexible qualification that can be tailored to meet the requirements of specific job roles (such as site manager, supervisor or team leader) in the sector or a particular organisation.
This qualification will support the sector to overcome significant skills gaps as 65% of all new business start-ups in the energy production and utilities sector in 2009 were created in the waste management industry, giving an indication of the rapid growth this industry has experienced and the potential demand for this qualification in the future.
For the first unit (H&S), you will learn about the main requirements under health and safety legislation within this industry, all about hazards, risks and control measures and how to apply them, accident investigation and reporting, controlling contractors whilst on your site, the safe use of vehicles, plant and equipment, and the requirements of a permit to work. Once this training has been completed, you will answer specific questions based on what you have learned.
The next unit is about Environmental Protection. In this unit, you will learn how to comply with an environmental permit, what systems are needed to protect the environment, how to assess the potential harm to the environment, how to minimise the risk of fire on a waste site, and how our industry could have an impact on the environment.
Next, you will look at the Principles of Sustainable Waste Management. You will learn about waste hierarchy, what sustainable waste management means, and what transfer and treatment facilities are used for.
The next unit will teach you about the legislation that covers this industry. It includes the Acts of Parliament and Regulations and Codes of Practice. You will learn about criminal liabilities, planning legislation, permitting legislation, what your legal responsibilities are within this industry, what an EWC code is, how to complete a waste transfer note and consignment note, what hazardous waste is, the definition and classification of waste, and landfill acceptance procedures.
The last mandatory unit is stakeholder communication and other non-legislative factors affecting our industry. You will learn who the key stakeholders are including our regulators; and what their role is within our industry, how non-legislative factors may affect this industry, the responsibilities for data collection, reporting, storage, and retention in relation to a waste site, and finally, the skills and training required on a waste site.
Once you have done the mandatory units, you will then have a choice of optional units to choose from. You will need to pick a minimum of one to learn about. The choices are: managing a physical treatment processing facility, managing a biological treatment processing facility, managing a thermal treatment processing facility, managing land remediation activities, managing an inert landfill, managing a mechanical biological treatment facility, managing an end-of-life vehicle facility, managing a metals recycling facility, managing a hazardous waste storage facility, and managing land spreading activities.
If you would like to find out more, please call Linda on 07814 932225 or send her an email at lindawaite1@aol.com
To read Linda’s previous articles on ATF Professional, click on the following links:
www.atfpro.co.uk/is-your-atf-wamitab-ready
www.atfpro.co.uk/wamitabs-mroc2-assessment-and-its-purpose-for-the-vehicle-recycler
