(06/01/10)
PDF Version
Title :
Jobsite
Qualification Program for Subsurface Investigation
Equipment Operators
Facility :
Savannah River Site
Point of Contact :
James R. Luhring,
803-557-4795,
james.luhring@srs.gov
Brief Description of Best Practice :
An equipment operator
qualification program was developed and implemented at the
jobsite. It consists of formal training on specific pieces
of locating equipment, including a job performance module.
One Standard was established for soils and one for
concrete.
Each Standard contains, as a minimum :
-
Position Identification (penetrating radar operator I or
II...)
-
Entry Requirements (education, experience...)
-
Medical Requirements (minimum site health req’ts., drug
testing, fitness for duty…)
-
Security Clearances (if applicable)
-
Training Requirements (classroom training modules for
each specific piece of equipment)
-
Evaluation Techniques (task qualified job performance
modules for each specific piece of equipment)
-
Qualification Process (details process, including
qualification cards signed by designated members of
jobsite management)
-
Re-Qualification Process (identifies requirements,
re-qual. frequency is 3 years)
A test wall was built, using discarded concrete from site
projects. Soil test plots were located, where known
commodities were surveyed and plotted.
These were the locations used for the job performance
evaluation portions of the Standards. They have also been
used when operator questions arise, for re-qualifications,
and for periodic assessments of the subsurface investigation
program.
Once the individual completes the requirements of the
Standard, a Qualification Card is completed, verifying they
meet the qualification Standard, and documentation
supporting that qualification is filed in the jobsite
Training Records. The individual is then allowed to operate
the specific locating equipment listed on their individual
Standards/Qualification Cards.
Why the best practice was used :
We established a
jobsite qualification program to document classroom
training, and job performance measures (task evaluations)
for each individual equipment operator for specific pieces
of equipment (manufacturers/models).
To ensure that each subsurface investigation was
performed by individuals that were trained to the
specifications and limitations of the specific locating
equipment being used.
And that individuals operating that equipment have
demonstrated proficiency in actual field conditions at the
jobsite where it is utilized. To help ensure that management
expectations for locating equipment operations are applied
in a consistent manner.
What are the benefits of the best practice :
Each individual
equipment operator understands the specifications and
limitations of each piece of locating equipment he/she is
qualified/allowed to operate.
The subsurface investigations are performed in a
consistent manner.
By qualifying locator operators to specific
equipment, the potential for missing buried commodities
during subsurface investigations due to operators being
unfamiliar with certain functions or limitations of specific
equipment models is minimized.
The qualification program documents individual
qualifications to the knowledge and performance standards
established for each individual piece of locating equipment.
What problems/issues were associated with the best practice
: Prior to the development
of this qualification program, the training and
qualification of locator equipment operators was controlled
within an individual work group at the jobsite. The
operators performed their functions well, but there was no
formal qualification program to document performance to a
standard. Some
operators attended specific equipment manufacturer training,
at locations chosen by the manufacturers. Some received
onsite manufacturer representative instructions on the
operation of their equipment. Others were trained by those
operators, and self-study programs to specific equipment
operating manuals.
How the success of the best practice was measured :
The qualification program includes both knowledge and
performance modules. The individual locator operator is
qualified to an individual Standard, so that standard can be
retrieved and their qualification to a specific piece of
locating equipment verified. The re-qualification requires
the individual operator to demonstrate proficiency on a
regular basis. The individual’s qualification standard(s) is
maintained in the jobsite training/qualification database,
so it has been accessible for task-based observations,
management-focused observations or any other internal or
external assessment initiative.
