City-and-Guilds - Level 2 Award in Working in Medium Risk Confined Spaces course syllabus.

Category: Confined-Space

Level: Intermediate

Working in confined spaces exposes an individual to a multitude of potential hazards, some of which threaten injury and, in some instances, death. It follows then that specialist training and assessment is required to equip those undertaking work in these environments with the necessary skills and competencies to assess risks, control hazards and perform respective work in a safe mode.

With the collaboration of the Health & Safety Executive, Energy & Utility Skills (EU Skills), employers and the private training fraternity, new generic NOS for working in confined spaces were created, with emphasis on a risk-based approach to working in confined spaces.

City & Guilds and CABWI, with a remit from EU Skills and Water UK, then developed the qualifications being delivered here within the suite of the 6150, initially with a water sector focus, but also now for any industry. For the first time qualifications for working in confined spaces are underpinned by NOS and therefore attest to competency in this health & safety critical discipline.

On successful completion of a respective 6150 qualification, employees and contractors alike will have an instantly recognisable qualification attesting to competence. Similarly, the qualification

number 6150 with its context will provide employers with assurance that employees in this health and safety critical discipline have been assessed against the national standard.

Re-assessment of the 6150 is encouraged every three years for all candidates to ensure continuing competency for working in confined spaces.

All of the qualifications within the 6150 are stand-alone and, aside from the Emergency Rescue (6150-05 & 6150-55), there is no requirement to undertake any of them in any particular order. It is

simply down to candidate and/or business requirements.

If the candidate is successful with the High Risk (6150-03 or 6150-55) then the competencies associated with Low Risk (6150-01 or 6150-51) and Medium Risk (6150-02 or 6150-52) are

automatically conferred and candidates do not need to undertake these qualifications, though they may want to.

If a candidate is successful with the Low Risk (6150-01 or 6150-51) then they will need to progress through the Medium Risk (6150-02 or 6150-52) and High Risk (6150-03 or 6150-53) to be deemed competent in those risk levels.

A candidate wishing to be assessed on the Emergency Rescue (6150-05 or 6150-55) is required to have successfully completed the High Risk (6150-03 or 6150-53) and hold a valid certificate. It will be the centre’s responsibility to ensure that this is the case, as per standard quality assurance, centres have a responsibility to perform an initial assessment to ensure candidates have retained the required level of knowledge from 6150-03/53.

This course is aimed at anyone working in medium risk confined spaces such as sewers, vessels, tanks and chambers, who need to enter and possibly disconnect and traverse away from the winch system. The course is competence based and requires delegates to show a sound understanding of safe working practices and emergency arrangements including the use of a variety of entry and safety equipment.

The Level 2 Award in Working in Medium Risk Confined Spaces (6150 02/52) contains the following:

Prepare to work safely in medium risk confined spaces

Enter and exit confined spaces safely

Prepare and use escape breathing apparatus in accordance with manufacturers’ specifications

Use equipment and tools safely and in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions

Follow procedures and work safely

Deal with emergencies

Use appropriate behaviour for working in medium risk confined spaces in the water industry

Use general knowledge for working in medium risk confined spaces in the water industry

Continued assessment process with final written question paper and practical assessment leading to City and Guilds accredited certification on successfully passing.