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MATS: Basic Tower Climbing & Rescue Scheme open for applications

The Basic Tower Climbing & Rescue scheme is a skills-based scheme designed to support the safety of those individuals who work on masts and towers in the telecommunications and broadcast industry.

Earlier this year we launched the scheme which was developed in collaboration with the industry group ‘Mast and Tower Safety’. The scheme is due to go live for registrations on 1 January 2020. It provides a framework to support consistency and relevance in training provision and assessment of competence. The scheme covers the minimum training and assessment required for those working safely on masts and towers and incorporates the relevant requirements of HSE legislation.

Energy & Utility Skills is now inviting applications from Training Providers, Employers and businesses wishing to be approved to deliver this scheme from January 2020.

Carole Bishop, Head of Registration Services, Energy & Utility Skills, said:

“After more than a year in development, in collaboration with the industry group Mast and Tower Safety, we are now accepting approval applications from Providers to deliver our new Basic Tower Climbing and Rescue Scheme. This new scheme, launching for delivery from 1 January 2020, provides a framework to support consistency and relevance in training provision and assessment of competence in the telecommunications and broadcast industry; it covers the minimum training and assessment required for those working safely on masts and towers as well as relevant requirements of HSE legislation.”

Approval process

The MATS Basic Tower Climbing & Rescue scheme approval process consists of two parts:

  1. Provider Approval

Provider approval undertaken to ensure that each provider has the appropriate facilities, resources, policies & procedures in place to be able to support individuals undertaking Energy & Utility Skills Schemes.

  • Complete and submit a Provider Self-Assessment Report (SAR) and provide the required evidence
  • We will carry out a review of your application and request any additional documentation
  • We will carry out an approval visit and provide a copy of our visit report setting out any required actions
  • We then ask you to sign our Provider Approval agreement

  1. Scheme Approval

Scheme approval is gained when you have demonstrated that you have the appropriate approach, staff, process and procedures to deliver, assess and review individuals undertaking your Tower Climbing & Rescue programme.

  • Complete and submit the MATS Basic Tower Climbing & Rescue Self-Assessment Report (SAR) and provide the required evidence:
    • meeting the generic training programme criteria – via a reference document or cross-referencing to existing documents
    • meeting the MATS-specific training programme criteria – via a reference document or by cross-referencing to existing documents
    • demonstrating how the content of your programme for both the initial 3-day training programme and the 1-day renewal training programme meets the requirements of the standards – mapping doc (see Appendices A and B)
  • We conduct a review of your programme application and documents as a desktop activity
  • We will request additional documents evidence where required
  • We identify whether you will require a visit
  • We confirm our approval of your training programme along with any actions we need you to undertake

To find out more about scheme approval, click here.

  • Important note: you must submit both the initial 3-day training programme and the 1-day renewal programme together for approval purposes – not one without the other.

Where can I find support?

Find out More

If you are already a provider and would like to deliver this scheme, please see our guidance in the Approval and Delivery section of our website.

If you have any queries relating to EUSR or the evidence requirements for any of our schemes or programmes, please contact the EUSR Support team. We are available Monday – Friday, 8.00am – 5.00pm via email eusr@euskills.co.uk or tel: 0121 745 1310 (select option 1).