NRSWA Operative
The New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA) operative qualifications — registered through the Street Works Qualifications Register (SWQR) — cover work in the UK public highway. The statutory requirement is that an appropriately qualified operative is present for the streetworks activity being carried out, so the units you need depend on the work you do.
The operative units
Units are held individually, not as a single card-wide qualification. LA — Location and avoidance of underground apparatus. O1 — Signing, lighting and guarding. O2 — Excavation in the highway. O3 — Reinstatement and compaction of backfill materials. O4 — Reinstatement of sub-base and roadbase. O5 — Reinstatement of bituminous materials. O6 — Reinstatement of concrete slabs. O7 — Reinstatement of modular surfaces. O8 — Reinstatement of high-amenity/specialist surfaces. Which units you need is driven by the activities you actually carry out.
How to get it
Delivered by SWQR-registered training providers. Each unit is roughly a day plus assessment. In practice most utility contractors ask for LA, O1 and the excavation/reinstatement units relevant to their works — many specify LA, O1, O2, O3, O4, O5 and O8 as their standard package. Check the client's own requirement before booking.
Renewal
SWQR registration runs for 5 years and units must be re-assessed to stay registered. Contractors will normally refuse site access on an expired card, so set a reminder well before the date.