ANNEX H - 2
5. In July 2009, the MoD published a requirement to demonstrate competence against the National
Occupational Standards (NOS) for Explosive Substances & Articles (ESA), where an article is any
equipment containing explosives. This requirement still applies to all people working with or
responsible for ordnance, munitions and explosives (OME)
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. Specifically, it says:
The competence of those working in Weapons, Ordnance, Munitions or Explosives (WOME)
shall be demonstrated against the standards of best practice set by the sector; these are the
National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Explosives Substances and Articles (ESA).
6. The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has also stated that, when carrying out inspections, it
plans to review the competence of personnel against the ESA standards. We anticipate that
proof of competence when working with explosives will become increasingly important in the UK.
This can be done by working to standards.
What is an Occupational Standard
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?
7.
UK National Occupational Standards (NOS) are statements of the standards of performance
individuals must achieve when carrying out functions in the workplace, together with
specifications of the underpinning knowledge and understanding.
7.1.
NOS are National because they can be used in every part of the UK where the functions are
carried out.
7.2.
NOS are Occupational because they describe the performance required of an individual
when carrying out functions in the workplace, i.e. in their occupation (as a plumber, police
officer, production engineer etc).
7.3.
NOS are Standards because they are statements of effective performance which have been
agreed by a representative sample of employers and other key stakeholders and approved
by the UK NOS Panel.
8.
All of the completed and approved OS are kept on a database – UK Standards. This is publicly
accessible and allows people to search for the different jobs they are interested in. Many
participants have found it somewhat difficult to search for the Standard or group of standards
that they seek so the awarding organisation, Homeland Security Qualifications, maintains an up
to date listing of the NOS by Key Role on its website37, which is considered to be much more
user-friendly.
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Joint Service Publiciation 482 – MOD Explosives Regulations, Edition 4, Chapter 3, Paragraph 1.10.2, Jan
2013;
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/197455/C3_Edt4_FINAL.pdf
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https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-occupational-standards
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http://www.homelandsecurityqualifications.co.uk/documents/
ANNEX H - 3
EUExcert
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Acceptance of UK NOS
9.
The EUExcert programme aims to establish a stable, firm basis and framework for vocational
education of people in the European explosives sector. Training and education institutions as
well as social partners will have a tool for competence and career planning, including new
training methods as they are developed.
10.
The intended effect of EUExcert is to enhance safe working and reduce the number of accidents
in the explosives business and establish a competitive industry. In the explosives sector in
several European countries a high proportion of the most experienced and knowledgeable
people are nearing retirement or have already retired. Consequently it is important to replenish
this expertise in this key technological area.
11.
The desired effect will be achieved through the development of a competence and qualifications
framework that it is recognised across the European community (and hopefully beyond). As
such, organisations and individuals using the system should be able to identify the required and
available skills, knowledge and understanding of explosives workers. This recognition should, in
turn, lead to enhanced mobility of explosives workers as their recognised competence should
meet a very high proportion of the regulatory requirements for an explosives worker in the state
where the work would be undertaken; it has generally been accepted that there will be an
element of local knowledge that would need to be ‘topped-up’, e.g. the national implementation
of EU legislation or other regulations/licensing requirements.
12.
The project involves:
12.1.
Mapping competency needs for the explosives industry for the European market
12.2.
Developing a competency framework that can be developed into a European
standard
12.3.
Disseminating results from the project to international stakeholders and the
explosives sector.
13.
From 2003 the EUExcert programme has completed 3 projects in the development of one or
more certificates of competence in explosives that would be recognised across Europe and
hopefully in other parts of the world. These 3 phases were EUExcert 1 from 2003-Oct 2006,
EUExDL from Oct 2006-Sep 2008 and EUExNet from Nov 2009 until Oct 2011.
13.1.
The overall aim of EUExcert 1 was to map competency needs in the industry of
explosives for the European market and in a European context, and develop a competency
framework which could be developed into a European standard. The project was successful
in developing a greater understanding of the demand of competencies in the explosives
sector, and especially the need to sustain sector specific competencies and skills when the
older generation employees as retiring from their work. The project partners developed a
deeper understanding of the impact of the present and close future situation relating to
competence loss in each partner country and at the European and international level. The
project showed that it is possible and preferable to develop a European standard for
competencies for the explosives sector.
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http://www.euexcert.org/
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