The qualifying course for safety coordinator
To carry out the crucial ones CSP duties (Safety Coordinator in the Design Phase) e CSE (Coordinator for the Execution of Works) on construction sites, it is essential to satisfy the professional requirements defined by thearticle 98, paragraph 1, of Legislative Decree 81. These include:
- relevant qualifications (such as degrees in engineering, architecture or related diplomas);
- previous work experience in the construction sector;
- participation in specific training and refresher courses on workplace safety.
As anticipated at the beginning, today our focus falls precisely on the training path to obtain the qualification which consists of a course from the duration total of 120 hoursstructured in various forms to ensure complete and thorough preparation:
- 28-hour legal modulefocused on the legal and regulatory aspect of safety on construction sites, aimed at acquiring a detailed knowledge of the legal responsibilities of the safety coordinator, as well as the procedures and regulatory requirements to be followed to ensure compliance with current regulations;
- 52 hour Technical modulein which the technical aspects related to safety on construction sites are addressed, delving into the main risks and potential threats present in construction workplaces, as well as the preventive and protective measures to be adopted to mitigate these risks;
- Methodological/Organisational module of 16 hoursoriented to the methodological and organizational aspect of safety management, in which you learn to plan and implement effective workplace safety programs, as well as to efficiently manage human and material resources to ensure a safe and productive working environment;
- 24 hour practice partwhich includes practical experience in the field, with simulations relating to the role of CSE, as well as exercises on the preparation of the main documents for the management of the construction site, such as the PSC.
At the end of the 4 modules of the course, it is necessary pass a final test of learning to achieveCertificate of Coordinator for safety on construction sites valid for 5 years. This certificate certifies the skills and knowledge on the subject acquired by the individual and gives him the qualification to carry out both the role of CSP that that of CSE.
Unlike what happens for other professional profiles, There is no official register of Qualified Coordinatorsconsequently the professional must keep the certificate enabling and show it to the control bodies in the event of an inspection on the construction site to demonstrate that it is in compliance.
Construction site safety coordinator: how to maintain qualification?
To maintain qualification as a Safety Coordinator, it is essential to fulfill the updating obligations required by current legislation, as indicated in the Legislative Decree 9 April 2008, n. 81also known as the Consolidated Security Act.
In accordance with this decree, coordinators must complete a update program over every five-year period. This program provides a total of 40 hours of trainingwhich can be acquired mainly in two ways:
- by participating in various accredited training events such as seminars, conferences, in order to accumulate the 40 hours little by little;
- following specific refresher courses lasting 40 hours, to fulfill the training requirement quickly and quickly in a single solution.
To be valid, both training events and refresher courses must be organized by organizations such as:
- ISPESL or INAIL;
- Associations or joint bodies in the construction sector;
- the relevant professional orders or colleges;
- accredited trainers according to current regulations.
Among the latter we mention Pedagoga training body that aimed its 40-hour refresher course for Security Coordinator specifically at CSEs and CSPs, carried out entirely online in e-learningaccording to the provisions of theState-Regions Agreement of 7 July 2016.
The training program focuses on the role of the Coordinator, offering participants the opportunity to deepen, both from a theoretical and practical point of view, the methodologies of analysis and management of common risks on construction sites. Furthermore, concrete examples of drafting and managing mandatory documentation are provided, following a clear and detailed methodology.
The certificate obtained at the end of the course has a double advantage:
- allows professionals to maintain their qualification;
- allows those registered in the technical sector registers to obtain CFPs for continuous training.
We remind you that the update certificate also has a five-year validity and will be renewed over 5 years with another 40-hour course.
How is the five-year training period calculated?
The calculation of the five-year update period starts from date of obtaining the certificate qualification issued by the initial 120 hour course. Subsequently, every five-year period is calculated starting from the date of conclusion of the last refresher course of 40 hours.
Construction site safety coordinator: what does failure to update mean
In the event of a missed or incomplete update, the professional is subjected to a suspension of qualificationwhich makes it impossible to maintain the Coordinator roles already assigned and/or to accept new ones.
In this case it is essential to understand that we are not talking about a definitive “loss” of the qualification, but of a temporary “suspension” until the required training obligation is completed.
We point out that it will not be necessary to follow the initial 120-hour training course again, but only to integrate the missing refresher hours, or in any case carry out the 40-hour refresher course in its entirety for rpurchase the qualification.
Curiosities about the courses for Safety Coordinator
The training courses for safety coordinator are compatible and, in some cases, totally overlapping with the respective mandatory courses provided for another figure regulated by the Legislative Decree 81/08: the Head of the Prevention and Protection Service o RSPP.
Let's start from correspondence on the initial course, those who have completed the 120-hour course for Safety Coordinator can enjoy exemption from some of the modules provided for the initial course for RSPP, namely Module A, B and B-SP2. This means that, by integrating the training with the remaining 24-hour module C, those who have obtained the Coordinator qualification can also qualify as RSPP.
As regards, however, the refresher course, the correspondence is total. In fact, even for the RSPP there is a 40-hour course to be repeated every 5 years and, given the total overlap of the topics, theState-Regions Agreement of 7 July 2016 established that:“for the purposes of updating for RSPP and ASPP, participation in refresher courses for safety coordinator, pursuant to Annex XIV of Legislative Decree 81/2008, is to be considered valid and vice versa”.
For more information
pedago.it