In an addition to the existing consultation on Operator Competence requirements, the Environment Agency have published details on a new (second) consultation regarding the amount of hours that Technical Competent Managers need to attend permitted sites.
The consultation comes as a result of needing to simplify the requirements for both waste industry operators and the regulators and to provide greater clarity on the TCM requirements. Currently TCM's are required to attend operational permitted sites for 20% of the operational hours. However, changes need to be made to better support those poorer performing sites where increased management time will benefit the activities and operations by rectification of compliance breaches, working through corrective actions and reducing risk by way of procedural setting an management of skills and competencies.
Changes also need to be made where TCM's are providing Technical Competence for a number of sites. Operators must consider:
how much time the TCM is spending at different sites, taking into account their commitments to other operators;
how the TCM will respond to incidents and emergencies on site;
the travel distance and travel time the TCM has to travel to and from each site to cover attendance each week.
The consultation is now available to view and you are encouraged to have your say on the consultation. All the information can be found by clicking this link: Operator Competence Consultation
The consultation runs until 14 December 2023 - Please have your say today before its to late.
Lynda Smith
