Asset Training’s registered training organisation manager Chris McCarthy sat down with Trenchless Australasia to walk through the details of its ‘Operate a hydro excavation system’ training course.
First developed in 2006 under parent company Aqua Assets, Asset Training is a safety-based Registered Training Organisation that provides training within the industrial services and wastewater management industries.
“We have grown exponentially now to the point where we have three training facilities in New South Wales, plus have the ability to deliver onsite training nationally and in New Zealand,” McCarthy said.
Under the Australian Standard (AS4233), any hydro excavation system that utilises a Class B high pressure water pump must have training completed through a dedicated RTO.
Asset Training addresses this need with its new ‘Operate a hydro excavation system’ course.
“The course is aimed towards people who perform either hydro excavation or non-destructive digging (NDD) for all manner of functions including locating and exposing underground assets,” McCarthy said.
“Traditionally, it was an excavator, a mechanical process or a person with a shovel that would perform these tasks.
“In recent years hydro excavation or non-destructive digging has become the go-to process for locating underground assets. Hydro excavation is less invasive, more efficient and reduces the risk of damage to the underground assets.”
Throughout the course, students will learn the skills and knowledge to use a Class B high pressure water pump with a gun/lance, in conjunction with a vacuum loading system for hydro excavation.
It will provide operators with a mix of theoretical and practical training encompassing knowledge, skills, safety requirements and techniques of performing a hydro excavation job safely and compliantly.
It also covers topics of workplace health and safety requirements, risks and hazards, high pressure water jetting pumps and equipment, vacuum loading systems and operational parameters.
Trainers you can trust
As its parent company Aqua Assets is an industrial services and wastewater management contractor, this gives Asset Training a unique edge as a training provider.
“As we have those roots in our parent company being a contractor, we have a really good understanding of what the requirements are for the people that are at the coalface and doing the job,” McCarthy said.
“We develop and deliver courses that not only responds to the requirements of the Nationally Recognised Training components but also delivers a real-world practicality.”
In addition to this new course, the company provides an array of courses for trenchless professionals, covering topics of CCTV pipeline inspections, vacuum loading, drain cleaning and water blasting.
“I’d like to say that we’re one of the leaders of innovation in training within our industry, because we like to push the boundaries and look for new ways and techniques to make our training more accessible” McCarthy said.
“We can provide bespoke options and tailor our training to work with utilities, municipalities, contractors and operators to understand the challenges within the industry and provide appropriate training solutions. We can ensure that we apply that in our training to make sure that it’s relevant and I think that puts us in a strong position.
“We don’t just train the industry from the outside, but we’re actively involved in the industry.”
The first ‘Operate a hydro excavation system’ courses are being run in December 2023 at Asset Training’s Newcastle office.
To book in or for more information, visit the Asset Training website.
This article featured in the December edition of Trenchless Australasia.
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