Recognition of specialist skills for horizontal directional drilling
Annual Conference
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Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) has become established as an important trenchless technology with wide application in New Zealand. Like all sophisticated technologies, the benefits of HDD are best realised, and risks minimised, when staff are fully trained.
InfraTrain New Zealand is the Industry Training Organisation (ITO) for the civil infrastructure industry. In 2009, InfraTrain completed a major review of its HDD qualifications. The result was a completely updated qualification with specialist strands that recognise the skills of Driller, Tracker and Site Supervisor roles. This paper will discuss the benefits of the nationally-recognised qualification and the role the water industry needs to play to achieve them.
The National Certificate in Civil Construction Works (Horizontal Directional Drilling) provides a means by which councils, consultants and utility owners can specify a minimum standard of skills and knowledge for HDD work. However, the ITO believes that organisations specifying and commissioning HDD work need to look beyond company and equipment attributes to the skill levels of staff actually performing the HDD work. While contracts have no specified skill levels, there will be little incentive for HDD companies to upskill.