Fifty roofers from 10 different roofing companies across the country, have become the first operatives to become officially ‘accredited’ by RoofCERT, the UK’s only accreditation scheme for roofing operatives.
Managed by the NFRC and supported by the CITB, RoofCERT is professionalising the roofing industry by helping roofing operatives demonstrate their competency and for roofing contractors to upskill their teams.
To achieve accreditation, roofers must pass a rigorous knowledge test, undertake six health and safety awareness courses, and demonstrate their roofing competence via practical assessment.
The operatives will need to renew their accreditation again in three years, to ensure they keep to up-to-date with changing standards and regulations.
While there are many companies with operatives who are close to accreditation, the following companies were the first 10 to get their operatives ‘over the line’:
- Aldridge & Sons Roofing
- County Flat Roofing
- Everlast Group
- Hadfield Roofing & Cladding
- Jarvis & Womack
- NRA Roofing and Flooring Specialists
- Rio Asphalt & Paving Company
- SPV Group
- Sussex Asphalte
- Treforest Tiling.
Commenting on the accreditations, Richard Miller, head of qualifications and standards at RoofCERT, said: “These 50 roofers should be incredibly proud of themselves. They have demonstrated their technical knowledge, their understanding of six core areas of health and safety, as well as their ability and competency in their particular disciplines. They are now proven to be masters of their craft, and this should stand them in good stead for their future career. I would like to thank all the companies who have supported RoofCERT by putting these operatives through the process.
Richard added: “The construction industry is only going in one direction, and that is towards a greater focus on competency and professionalism. We know that there are going to be new regulations around building safety and greater expectations around competency down the line, and these roofers are now futureproofed for the changes to come.
“There are almost 2,000 funded places currently available for other operatives to do the same, and they should do so before the places go. We have made many changes to ensure we can still accredit roofers through the COVID-19 pandemic via methods such as e-learning awareness courses and online tests. We have seen a surge in demand for the scheme recently, and places are starting to go. So, if you are a roofing contractor thinking about putting your team through the process, or an operative who wants to prove their competency, I would urge you to join these first 10 companies and 50 roofers and sign up now.”
