NATIONAL HIGHWAYS RESPOND POSITIVELY TO WPA LOBBYING ON PLANT OPERATOR COMPETENCY STANDARDS

National Highways Respond Positively to WPA Lobbying on Plant Operator Competency Standards
Thanks to lobbying by the Wood Protection Association (WPA), access to highways fencing contracts for preservative-treated wood has been expanded.
Compliance with the National Highways Sector Scheme 4 (NHSS4) Quality Scheme is a mandatory requirement for any business wishing to supply treated wood for highways projects. This Scheme Document outlines all the conditions wood treatment businesses must meet to achieve NHSS4 certification within the scope of ISO 9001 accreditation.
One of these conditions required treatment processes to be supervised by a plant operator with an NVQ in Wood Preservation. However, the unavailability of this NVQ course in recent years created a barrier to entry and competition.
Thanks to the efforts of the WPA management team, National Highways has addressed this issue by publishing a new edition of the SS4 Scheme Document. This edition offers an alternative route to verifying plant operator competency, aligning with the WPA Code of Practice: Standards of Training.
Neil Ryan, WPA Benchmark Quality Scheme Administrator, commented:
“This is a very positive step for our industry, which should open the door for more ISO 9001 accredited wood treaters and WPA Benchmark quality scheme members, in particular, to expand their business and supply quality-treated wood for highways contracts.”
What is NHSS4?
NHSS4 – Preservative Treatment and Supply of Treated Timber is a quality scheme used alongside ISO 9001 to ensure that treated wood for highway fencing complies with the Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works (MCHW) – Specification for Highway Works Volume 1 – Series 300 (fencing) or 2500 (noise barriers) and BS 8417:2024 Preservation of Wood – Code of Practice (CoP).
Who Needs to be SS4 Compliant?
Anyone supplying highway fencing for use on England’s National Highways strategic road network must be ISO 9001 accredited with wood preservation to SS4 requirements within scope. Additionally, other infrastructure owners may also require their suppliers to comply with NHSS4.
WPA’s Responsibilities Under NHSS4
The WPA performs several key roles under the NHSS4 Scheme Document, including:
•Providing and maintaining the WPA Standards of Training Code of Practice (CoP), to which all training for treatment plant operators must comply. This compliance is independently assessed.
•Maintaining a Register of Competent Treatment Plant Operators, accessible by ISO 9001 assessors accredited by UK Accreditation Services and other treated wood quality scheme auditors.
•Representing WPA members on the NHSS4 Advisory Committee.
Responsibilities of ISO 9001 Accredited Wood Treaters
ISO 9001 accredited wood treaters are responsible for:
•Conducting alternative training (to NVQ) according to the WPA Training Standards CoP for treatment plant operators or supervisors.
•Providing written verification of compliance with this CoP when required.
•Keeping plant operator training evidence, such as training certificates stating the training complies with WPA CoP standards.
Want to Find Out More?
For more detailed information, contact Neil Ryan at neil@thewpa.org.uk.