The Complete Guide to NRSWA Streetworks Training

What is the NRSWA?

The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA) is there to protect local authority public roads and highways workers, and to educate those who want to work or supervise in this environment in following the best, safest codes of practice. The Act incorporates clear guidelines and regulations which must be followed to keep street works safe. Roads covered are those with a maximum speed of 40mph on a dual carriageway, 60mph on a single carriageway, anywhere in the UK.

Every street works site must have at least one qualified operative, present at all times. And, since the start of 1993, only properly qualified employees have been allowed to work on a public street or road.

Those who complete this training will have the skills and knowledge to work on these roads to the high standards which NRSWA sets. And, for the avoidance of doubt, the term street works broadly refers to work carried out to construct, maintain and repair streets.

NRSWA courses, typically provided over 18 units split into nine course topics, are aimed at both operatives and supervisors and tailored accordingly. Organisations paying a levy to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) should be able to claim a proportion of the costs involved.

Awarding organisations for NRSWA training include City and Guilds, CABWI, the awarding body for the water and utility industries, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and Lantra, which leads the way for training in the land-based industries.

Candidates who complete an NRSWA course are put on the Street Works Qualification Register (SWQR) and given a relevant ID card. Qualification is for five years, and the certificate and card show which training units have been completed, alongside the work someone is qualified to do on the roads.

Courses usually combine practical activities with learning in the classroom and are assessed with set tasks plus a timed online exam for every unit.

Who should do this training?

NRSWA operative courses are for anyone wanting to do physical work on the UK’s roads. This includes:

• Backfill
• Reinstatement
• Excavation
• Signage
• Guarding
• Use of tarmac and cold-lay materials

Meanwhile, supervisor training is clearly for anyone who wants to undertake that role, which involves planning, monitoring and supervision of the street works and operatives. (They don’t themselves do any of the physical work.) Every working site needs a minimum of one supervisor, although they don’t need to be there all the time, so can be responsible for more than one site at a time.

Having both qualifications means someone can work as an operative at one site and a supervisor at another. But they can’t do both roles at a single site at the same time.

Street works NRSWA training from Pragmatic

At Pragmatic Consulting, we offer a range of NRSWA street works training, varying in length from a half-day to two days, with dates available throughout 2024. Courses include:

• NRSWA Signing Lighting and Guarding (Operatives)

This one-day course at our Stoneleigh Training Centre, Warwickshire, gives operatives the skills to erect signage, lighting and guarding when working on the highways. There are theory-based and practical assessments, with successful completion leading to a certificate and Street Works card, valid for five years.

• NRSWA Signing Lighting and Guarding (Supervisor)

Ask us for further information about this one-day course. It’s similar to the training above but, clearly, aimed at giving supervisors the expertise to monitor operatives who put signage, lighting and guarding in place, in line with NRSWA and the awarding bodies’ standards. Delegates learn how to identify dangers and assess risks, so they can go on to take responsibility for employees’ safety and that of the public during roadworks.

At the same time, we offer refresher training for supervisors and operatives who want to renew their qualifications and stay abreast of the latest industry developments. These are two-day courses; get in touch for more details – we have dates for the operatives’ training at Stoneleigh all year.

• Location and Avoidance of Underground Apparatus

Again, drop us a line about this half-day course, which trains both operatives and supervisors in avoiding cables in line with NRSWA guidance, for their own and others’ safety.

At Pragmatic, we’re leading providers of specialist training for the construction and utilities sectors. Contact us or book online to book a place for yourself or an employee.

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