Delegates from The Underfloor Heating Manufacturers’ Association (UHMA) and The Heating and Ventilation Contractors’ Association (HVCA) have agreed a formula for a Green SKILLcard for site operatives installing wet underfloor heating systems.
Qualification for this Card – which is essential to gain entry to Main Construction Group (MCG) sites – is at NVQ2 level. As only an NVQ1 has so far been developed for underfloor heating, it has been agreed to utilise relevant modules from existing NVQ2 courses to fill the gap.
In addition to completing these NVQ modules, operatives will require a Statement of Competence issued by their employers and confirmation of Health and Safety Awareness before a Green SKILLcard can be issued.
Welcoming the announcement UHMA Chairman Mike Lamb acknowledged the importance of the SKILLcard scheme: “UHMA is determined to keep standards high. Underfloor heating is a young industry undergoing a period of intense activity which is a situation that can draw in the unskilled – and the unscrupulous.
“We believe that there should be no compromise on skill and safety. This first SKILLcard development underlines that policy and is a step that we hope to progress up through the ranks to site management level.”