DOTTS Newsletter – August 2023 – Issue 2

What have you missed? DOTTS round-up of activity, achievements and industry news

This month we are sharing updates on new OTP competencies that are available on Sentinel and also changes to existing competencies and what this now means for you.

It Takes Two to Tandem

Last month saw team DOTTS add to their growing fleet with a purchase of a second CASE 988 from Philip Shovlin Plant Hire.

What does this mean for you?

Not only are DOTTS are able to provide Tandem Lift courses for both Operator and Crane Controllers, but by now having a second machine we are enabling learners as much time in the seat or with the machine as possible throughout training – we deliver our courses with emphasis on practical, ensuring quality and value for our learners.

An Update on ALO (OTP 04) – So What Do We Know?

NR and Sentinel have released a new competence “Control of Any line open” which is to replace any current “in-house” tickets for individuals who undertake ALO planning and ALO Co-ordinator activity on the infrastructure. In the past six weeks, team DOTTS have delivered 8 of these 1 day courses so far.

What do we know?

OTP04 does not differentiate between co-ordinators and planners, therefore learners attending the one day course are expected to digest all content for undertaking both roles on the infrastructure. However, there is a substantial amount of information that is required prior to the course with A LOT of pre-course reading around COP0032 as well as throughout the course covering co-ordination and planning scenarios.

DOTTS have now made a decision to run ALO courses over two days instead of one, as to do the course over 1 day is doing sponsors/learners a disservice. DOTTS also want to ensure our reputation for providing quality training remains in tact and work with our clients to ensure they have a much safer andcompetent workforce.

So what does this mean for you?

If undertaking ALO with DOTTS, we will be offering a two-day exclusive course for 6 delegates, whereby we focus on coordination on day one, and more in-depth planning scenarios on day two, which may involve some practical training with our Plant and equipment to support learners in as close to real life scenarios as possible.

To continue to provide value, there is only a small incremental increase to the course price when undertaking it over two days and discounts shall be offered on group bookings.

What are DOTTS doing to support this change?

DOTTS are members of ARTP and a special interest group for Plant whereby issues around industry training for OTP is fed back to NR. DOTTS are voicing our concerns and shall continue to inform all our subscribers accordingly of any updates in relation to ALO.

What are the Pre-Requisites to be a Slinger on the Infrastructure?

The current arrangements for the OTP slinger competence appear to be misunderstood.

For any individuals wanting to pursue Slinger training for OTM or PTMP, all learners must undertake the CPCS A40 slinger course, which is a stand-alone industry course for it to be awarded on sentinel as a competence alongside PTS.

However, where OTP is concerned, anyone requiring Slinger training for OTP must hold OTP Core and a valid host machine i.e. MC DPV, MC MEWP or MC MH before progressing with Slinger on sentinel.

What does this mean for you?

As OTP Core has now moved to an E-Learning module, this must be undertaken prior to attending a host machine controller course. MC MEWP and MC DPV are the shortest host courses being 1 day in duration, these will allow progression to Crane Controller Lorry Loader. To progress to Crane Controller Excavator Crane then the 2 day MC MH course must be undertaken. Any of these courses can be booked upon suitable receipt of an OTP Core e-learning certificate. OTP Slinger is a 2 day course and is the pre-requisite module for becoming a Crane Controller.