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National Highways Sector Scheme 4: Treatment plant operator competency

05 November 2024

National Highways respond positively to WPA lobbying on plant operator competency standards

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​Thanks to lobbying by WPA, access to highways fencing contracts for preservative treated wood has been opened up.

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​​​Compliance with the National Highways Sector Scheme 4 (NHSS4) Quality Scheme is the mandatory precursor for any business wishing to supply treated wood for highways projects. The Scheme Document sets out all the conditions that must be met by a wood treating business to achieve NHSS4 certification within the scope of ISO 9001 accreditation. Having the treatment process supervised by a plant operator with the NVQ in Wood Preservation was one of those conditions. This is all well and good when there are training providers offering this NVQ but when the course is no longer available, as has been the case for the last few years, the requirement serves only as a barrier to entry and competition.

 

Thanks to work by the WPA management team, National Highways has recognised this and recently published a new edition of its SS4 Scheme Document offering an alternative route to the verification of plant operator competency which is aligned with the WPA Code of Practice: Standards of Training.  ​​

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​​​​Commenting on this development Neil Ryan, WPA Benchmark Quality Scheme Administrator says:

 

"This is a very positive step for our industry which should open the door for more ISO 9001 accredited wood treaters and WPA Benchmark quality scheme members in particular, to expand their business and supply quality treated wood for highways contracts.”

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Who needs to be SS4 compliant?
Anyone supplying highway fencing for use on England's National Highways strategic road network must be ISO 9001 accredited with wood preservation to SS4 requirements within scope. Other owners of infrastructure may also require their suppliers to comply with NHSS4.
 

What the WPA is responsible for:

Under the NHSS4 Scheme Document the WPA has a number of responsibilities to perform. These are:

  • Providing and maintaining the WPA Standards of Training CoP to which all training of treatment plant operators must comply and be independently assessed as compliant.

  • Maintaining a Register of Competent Treatment Plant Operators for access by ISO 9001 assessors accredited by UK Accreditation Services and other treated wood quality scheme auditors.

  • Continuing to represent WPA members on the NHSS4 Advisory Committee.

 

What ISO 9001 accredited wood treaters are  responsible for:

  • Carrying out alternative training (to NVQ) in accordance with the new WPA Training Standards CoP for treatment plant operators/supervisors;

  • Providing written verification of  compliance with this CoP when required  

  • Keeping plant operator training evidence. For example, training certificates stating the training is in accordance with the WPA CoP training standards.

 

Want to find out more? – contact contact@thewpa.org.uk for more detailed information.

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