Energy and Utility Skills National Water Hygiene Scheme
Summary
Energy & Utility Skills Limited is the Sector Skills Council for the gas, power, water and waste management industries. It provides membership, assurance and skills solutions to help employers in the utilities sector attract, develop and retain a sustainable and skilled workforce.
It’s UK-wide membership includes the major infrastructure companies within the gas, power, water and waste management industries – as well as the supply chain and contractors.
Energy & Utility Skills developed the National Water Hygiene scheme in collaboration with all UK water companies and the Drinking Water Inspectorate. The scheme is based on nationally agreed standards and provides individuals working on the water network the knowledge and behaviours to maintain the highest water hygiene practices.
The Energy & Utility Skills National Water Hygiene Scheme is a training programme – with assessment – that has for the past 15 years, delivered the knowledge, behaviours and skills necessary to keep our drinking water safe and clean in the UK.
This tried and tested industry accepted competence and quality assurance scheme is now available currently available across the UK via Energy and Utility Skills.
Contact the Energy and Utility Skills team of experts for more information on how to develop a bespoke solution of this essential scheme in your country.
Water is crucial to our daily lives. Water should be clean, clear and safe to drink.
Water can carry diseases, pathogens such as E-coli, and parasites such as cryptosporidium. Water can also become contaminated and drinking contaminated water can cause serious illness.
It is vitally important that the same high standards of hygiene practice required in food production are maintained in the water production, distribution and supply processes.
Watch this National Water Hygiene awareness video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwyU3O_jF0U
The Energy and Utility Skills National Water Hygiene Scheme is mandated by all regulated UK water companies and is key to ensuring that anyone working in contact with the public water supply, think carefully about hygiene, managing risk and understand best practice.
The e-Learning programme comprises nine modules including water as food and a carrier of disease, contamination, its consequences, and how to prevent it. Once completed the individual takes an assessment which is marked automatically – with results communicated to themselves and the employer administrator.
After passing the assessment, individuals are issued with a photo ID card detailing the date of training (known as the ‘blue card’) and registered on EUSR – a register of training and skills for the UK’s energy and utilities sector, which can be checked online, 24/7, by those who control access to operational sites and the water network.
Read more: National Water Hygiene Scheme
Individuals learners completing the e-learning and assessment have the knowledge and, importantly, behaviours to apply good water hygiene practices, which have been proven to prevent contamination, prevent the spread of disease and maintain the quality of drinking water.
All UK water companies mandate the training and registration on the National Water Hygiene scheme. Training and registration on this nationally agreed scheme, gives water companies confidence that anyone working in contact with the public water supply, thinks carefully about water hygiene, manages risk and understands best practice.
Water regulators support the scheme because it helps promote high standards of hygiene and safety, ensuring that drinking water remains clean and safe, and that consumers are protected. The scheme also promotes a public health culture.
This tried and tested industry accepted competence and quality assurance scheme is now available via Energy and Utility Skills for global deployment. Contact their team of experts for more information how to develop this scheme in your country.
Milo Purcell, Deputy Chief Inspector of the Drinking Water Inspectorate has stated “The Drinking Water Inspectorate welcomes this update to the Scheme, which covers a core competency for all those involved in the provision of water supply to the consumer’s tap. Participation in the Scheme helps promote high standards of hygiene and safety, ensuring that drinking water remains clean and safe, and that consumers are protected.”
“The updated National Water Hygiene Scheme is founded on the best practice enshrined in the water industry’s Principles of Water Supply Hygiene. It provides personnel in the sector with knowledge and awareness of the public health implications of their roles and enables water companies and contractors working on water supply systems to demonstrate their commitment to the promotion of a public health culture in delivery of routine activities.”
