The design of the ACAPMA Petroleum Contractor Registration Scheme was endorsed by the working group earlier this week. This approval clears the way for the new scheme to be finalised in time for launch at ACAPMA’s annual conference at the Gold Coast on 24 September 2015
Over the past 2 months ACAPMA has worked to finalise a design for the first release of the proposed Petroleum Contractor Registration Scheme (PCRS).
This PCRS is being developed to provide a mechanism for the recognition of petroleum contractors according to demonstrated level of work competencies – ranging from the provision of trades for store maintenance to the conduct of large scale works involving maintenance/upgrade of underground petroleum storage systems.
In order to be recognised under the PCRS, contracting businesses will be required to provide copies of relevant insurance policies and pass a straightforward credit reference check that will be managed by ACAPMA.
Once this business review is completed, all field staff will need to undergo an online course developed by ACAPMA to familiarise staff with safe working practices and the relevant legislation covering the performance of contract works on a retail fuel site.
Satisfactory completion of this General Awareness course will provide Tier 1 recognition under the PCRS.
Higher levels of recognition will be afforded to those workers who can provide evidence of having completed recent competency-based training in areas such as hot works, confined space work and permit writing.
“The motivation for the establishment of this scheme is primarily to fill a gap between the accreditation programmes operated by the oil and grocery majors and the need for a similar scheme for the rest of the industry”, said ACAPMA CEO Mark McKenzie
The design of this scheme was approved during a working group meeting held in Melbourne earlier this week. ACAPMA’s training personnel are now building the General Awareness training course that will support this scheme and members of the Secretariat are also finalising the procedures for registration of scheme participants.
The approval of the design of the PCRS earlier this week is a major milestone and means that ACAPMA is now on track to formally launch the national scheme at its’ Annual Conference later this year.
“The opportunity to fast-track Release 1 of the PCRS to September has been made possible by the generous donation of time by the members of our working group – which comprises past members of the APICSA Executive, representatives of petroleum equipment suppliers and representatives from some of Australia’s largest oil companies”, said Mark.
Participants interested in learning more about the scheme are encouraged to attend the Annual Conference which will be held on the Gold Coast between 22 and 25 September 2015.
