Southwest
Environmental LimitedSouthwest
Environmental Limited| London |
| 02076 920 670 |
| Exeter |
| 01392 927 961 |
| Manchester |
| 01612 970 026 |
| Bristol |
| 01173 270 092 |
With regards to Waste Operations it is important to ensure the correct technical competence for your operators, it is important to give the right training there are a number of Institutes that offer training for specific operations.
WAMITAB was established in 1989 with a remit to determine and advise on policy and standards of education, qualifications and training for all employees in the Waste Management Industry. WAMITAB is the awarding body for the waste management industry in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and joint awarding body, with SQA, for qualifications in Scotland.
Chartered Institution of Wastes Management the leading professional body for waste and resource management.
When the environmental permitting regulations were first introduced the EA (Environment Agency) made various allowances for site operators who were moving from paragraph exemptions to environmental permits. These worked by assuming that the operator was competent as they had been running a permitted site for a number of years, and so a window of 1 year was given for they to get an NVQ qualification for the management of their site.
If you applying for a new permit you will have to either nominate a technically competent manager, perhaps a consultant or to immediately start on training.
Training to achieve technical competence is not overly demanding, and just about anyone can successfully complete the training. Do not let the word "technical" put you off! The NVQ route is best for those with less academic confidence and involves building up a folder of information over a number of weeks, each chapter of the folder covers different aspects of your operation, one chapter may focus on acceptance of wastes for example, and contain a method statement, and a waste transfer form amongst other things.
SWEL Environmental Consultants do not provide training for WAMITAB, this has to arranged via WAMITAB they will advise on which units of study you will have to take. Different Permits will require a different set of units to be studied, if you all ready have some units it may be possible to "top-up" exist units to bring your self to an appropriate level of technical competence.
Below is a request from the Environment Agency during a Permit Application:
Please provide evidence that you have registered for the appropriate WAMITAB award (MROC10b).
Please note that you must either –
Complete the EPOC within 4 weeks of commencing the permitted activities and complete the full award within 12 months OR
Complete the 4 critical units of the MROC10b within 4 weeks of commencing the permitted activities and complete the remaining 2 units within 12 months.
Most people register for the EOPC, you can do that here it is a 2 day course with a test at the end, we have never heard of anyone failing the test.
For some the EPOC will be all you require. But in the case of the above example (bio-logical waste) you may need to take extra units. For that you will need to contact a training provider. We use Talbot Training Services, but other providers are available.
You can use a search box on the home page to generate a list of centers that offer your extra units training, and get in contact with them. Example search result.
The critical units are:
The below section was written by a machine.
Demonstrating technical competence is a non-negotiable requirement for any organization operating under a waste-related environmental permit in the UK. The Environment Agency (EA) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) require permitted sites to be under the direction of a "Technically Competent Manager" (TCM) to ensure that waste operations are conducted safely and in accordance with the law.
Primary competence refers to the initial qualification required to manage a waste facility. For most operations, this involves achieving a Certificate of Technical Competence (CoTC) through an NVQ-style assessment or a specific CIWM (WAMITAB) 4, 6, or 12-unit qualification. These certifications ensure that the manager understands the core principles of:
Once primary competence is achieved, the technically competent person must keep their knowledge up to date by passing a Continuing Competence Test (CCT) every two years. This biennial assessment covers legislative changes, health and safety updates, and environmental protection standards. Failure to maintain continuing competence can lead to the suspension of a site's permit or legal enforcement action.
A TCM must be present on-site for a specified percentage of the site's operational hours. For most Standard Rules permits, this attendance requirement is typically 20% of operational time, with a cap of 48 hours per week. For bespoke permits, the attendance requirement is often determined by the site's operational risk and compliance rating score. If a site receives a high compliance rating score due to permit breaches, the EA may increase the required attendance hours for the manager.
Navigating the transition from an exemption to a full permit often hinges on securing the right technical authority. At SWEL, we provide professional oversight and guidance to ensure your team achieves and maintains the necessary technical competence. With a track record of over 900 projects across the United Kingdom, our consultants provide the expertise required to integrate technical competence with broader environmental compliance audits and operational management plans.