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NETWORK / 25 / MAY 2016 and in 2012 received its Global Wind Organisation accreditation. The turbine on site allows employees the vital opportunity to practise procedures such as an emergency evacuation. Despite technological advances, working at height will continue to be a big issue for network companies, and one that needs proper attention, not just at the start of an employee's career but throughout. Capital says the biggest risk to safety is complacency, and regular training is the only way to guard against it. Emergency Evacuation As part of the trip to Capital's site, Network was given the opportunity to perform an emergency evacuation from the Vestas wind turbine. See pictures, left, for proof that our intrepid correspondent was there! UK fatality statistics, 2005- 2010, all industries Injured by an animal Slips, trips or falls on same level Drowning or asphyxiation Injuries not classified by kind Strike against something fixed or stationary Other kind of accident Contact with electricity or electrical discharge Trapped by something collapsing/overturning Contact with moving machinery Struck by moving vehicle Struck by moving, incl. flying/falling, object Falls from a height 5% 4% 4% 3% 2% 2% 24% 17% 16% 9% 9% 5% O ur industries are complicated and o en dangerous; technical roles take years to learn and decades to perfect. Energy & Utility Skills helps employers attract new talent, develop their workforces and assure a high level of com- petence across their business. The employ- ers we work with have an opportunity to revolutionise the training their employees receive. Our members are leading the way by collaborating to develop new appren- ticeship standards under the government's Trailblazer initiative. Who better to design training that works for employers than the employers themselves? A recent partnership with G4S and Gates- head College (supported by Energy & Utility Skills) saw 72 a pprentices recruited and accepted onto the new Smart Metering Trailblazer Appren- ticeship. All aged 16-18, the apprentices will be working towards the government's tar- get of around 53 million smart meters in all homes and small businesses in Great Brit- ain by the end of 2020. With our industry's heavy regulation and rigorous health and safety standards to adhere to, introducing new employees into the power industry can be challenging, particularly those as young as this. However, with the support of fund- ing from the Energy & E" ciency Industrial Partnership, G4S and Gateshead College worked hard to put additional safeguards in place to support the learners and ensure successful outcomes. Additional health and safety measures, an increased number of mentors and tailored wellbeing packages have all been introduced to support learners to succeed. So, how do we ensure this employer-led training meets required quality levels? The Energy & E" ciency Independent Assess- ment Service (EEIAS) has developed a rec- ognised and respected mark of quality for training within the energy and utilities sec- tor. This Quality Framework benchmarks learning and assessment material against employer-deš ned, best practice, criteria. The EEIAS's provider approval process and product approval process together assure quality at both an organisational and programme level; providing a mechanism for employers to use to verify the quality of in-house delivering as well as a tool for pro- curement of external training provision. Nick Ellins, chief executive, Energy & Utility Skills Group S K I L L S R I S K TA L K B A C K Injured by an animal Slips, trips or falls on same level Drowning or asphyxiation Injuries not classified by kind Strike against something fixed or stationary Other kind of accident Contact with electricity or electrical discharge Trapped by something collapsing/overturning Contact with moving machinery Struck by moving vehicle Struck by moving, incl. flying/falling, object Falls from a height 5% 4% 4% 3% 2% 2% 24% 17% 16% 9% 9% 5% TA L K B A C K