Latest News & Articles

Water Regulations Review Delayed

Review of the Water Regulations has been delayed and will probably not happen in during 2010 or be complete until late 2011 or early 2012.

Peter Jiggins of the Water Availability and Quality department of Defra said that a Water Fittings Regulations review was probably some time off, as it would have to await the outcome of a white paper on broad environmental perspectives to be published in Ap...

Apprenticeship funding has been secured for 2010-2011

We are really pleased to have secured apprenticeship funding for 2010-2011.

We are beginning by offering the Water Engineering framework, and wish to expand into the relevant Gas Industry frameworks as soon as we appoint someone into our new Gas Training Manager role.

The Water Engineering framework covers all aspects of the water industry and currently exists at Level 2 and Level 3. Form mo...

HSE prosecute employers for working at height accidents

There have been three prosecutions by the HSE in recent days relating to people falling in the course of their work activities.

These three cases all highlight the serious risks attached to working at height and the need to ensure that safe systems of work are in place at all times. They also demonstrate that companies contracting out dangerous work are still responsible for ensuring that contr...

WIRS cut off dates are looming

Significant dates are approaching with regard to the Water Industry Registration scheme.

Those registered, or needing to be registered on the Experienced Worker route within the scheme need to be aware of the following:

• The deadline for new "experienced worker" registrations is 30th June less than 2 weeks away
• All "experienced worker" cards cease to be valid on 31st December this year...

The launch of our street works courses is coming soon

Merit Skills is in the process of working with City and Guilds to gain accreditation to deliver street works qualifications.

We hope to be ready to deliver courses in July 2010.

Course outlines can be found on our New Roads & Streetworks training pages

If you would like to know when we publish our first course dates please email us with your contac...

Street Works Qualifications Update

New Street Works Qualifications Regulations come into force on 10th April 2010. These regulations introduce the requirement that supervisors and operatives must be reassessed every five years to confirm that they are still competent before they can re-register and continue to carry out street works.

From 6th April 2010 an operative or supervisor can re-register with SWQR for another five years ...

WaterSkills offers new products following successful BPEC approval

WaterSkills is pleased to be able to offer BPEC/WRAS Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 Training and Assessment course following approval from BPEC.

This course is primarily aimed at practicing plumbing operatives who already have knowledge of hot and cold water systems, it will also be appropriate to water inspectors and anyone else who is involved with the installation, desig...

Plant hire company fined £200,000 for health and safety failings

A plant hire company has been fined £200,000 for health and safety failings that lead to an employee falling five metres to his death.

HSE prosecuted the company who admitted breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety At Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practic...

Water UK publish new water supply hygiene document

Water UK have recently published a new version of their Principles of Water Supply Hygiene document.

This document sets out the principles to be considered by water undertakers when drawing up their own operational procedures for maintaining wholesome and safe water supplies. This replaces the last version written in 1996 and offers more comprehensive guidelines than the previous version, incl...

Daly Flow Technologies praise WaterSkills

One of WaterSkills most recent projects has been to provide consultancy on a joint project between Information and Performance Services Ltd & Daly Fluid Technologies for the exchanging and upgrading of approximately 75 water meters on Sir Bani Yas Island off the coast of Abu Dhabi. Pipe sizes ranged from 100mm to 300mm and included materials such as Asbestos Cement, Ductile Iron, PVC & early black...

WaterSkills makes a splash in the newspaper

The team at Merit Skills had there moment of fame in the Peterborough Evening Telegraph. The team were interviewed to mark the launch of their new company Merit Skills Ltd and the brand WaterSkills.

The article "Water a Great Way to Start a Training Firm" was published on 23rd March 2010.

The launch of Merit Skills along with the article has been positively received by both customers and in...

Merit Skills becomes an Energy and Utility Skills member

Merit Skills is pleased to have become a member of Energy and Utility Skills. Energy and Utility Skills is the Sector Skills Council for the gas, power, waste management and water industries. They work with employers to identify qualifications and training needs, develop (with training providers) relevant skill-based training programmes, maximise investment opportunities for the sector, undertake ...