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NRSWA Street Works Courses
Street works · New Roads and Street Works Act 1991
NRSWA street works courses
Anyone digging in a public road or footway needs NRSWA qualified people on site. Here is exactly which units you need, how long an NRSWA card lasts, how reassessment works — and how we get your team qualified.
What the law asks for
The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 requires a qualified operative on site at all times while street works are in progress, and a qualified supervisor overseeing the job (the supervisor does not have to be there all the time). Qualifications are recorded on the Street Works Qualifications Register (SWQR), which issues the NRSWA card.
In England, NRSWA certificates are awarded by four bodies: SQA, Lantra, City & Guilds and CABWI.
The NRSWA units
There are 16 certificates. Operatives must hold LA and O1. Supervisors must hold LA and S1. Everything else you add to match the work you actually do.
Everyone
LA — Location and avoidance of underground apparatus
Operative units
O1 Signing, lighting and guarding
O2 Excavation in the highway
O3 Reinstatement and compaction of backfill materials
O4 Reinstatement of sub-base and base in non-bituminous materials
O5 Reinstatement in cold-lay bituminous materials
O6 Reinstatement in hot-lay bituminous materials
O7 Reinstatement of concrete slabs
O8 Reinstatement of modular surfaces and concrete footways
Supervisor units
S1 Monitoring signing, lighting and guarding
S2 Monitoring excavation in the highway
S3 Monitoring reinstatement and compaction of backfill materials
S4 Monitoring reinstatement of sub-base and base in non-bituminous materials
S5 Monitoring reinstatement in bituminous materials
S6 Monitoring reinstatement of concrete slabs
S7 Monitoring reinstatement of modular surfaces and concrete footways
Older cards use the previous numbering: Unit 1 is LA, Units 2 to 9 are O1 to O8, and Units 10 to 16 are S1 to S7.
How long an NRSWA card lasts, and reassessment
1
Five years. Each certificate lasts five years from the date it was awarded, and each has its own expiry date.
2
Reassessment, not the full course. To renew, you sit a reassessment, which is theory only.
3
Renew early, lose nothing. Reassess in the final year and the time you had left is added on top of the new five years.
NRSWA or NPORS street works?
NRSWA is the legal requirement for street works in the public highway. Off the highway — on private land, sites and depots — clients often accept NPORS street works cards instead, which we train and test as an NPORS accredited provider: , , and the rest of our NPORS street works courses. If your people need a CSCS card too, the Excavation and Reinstatement NVQ sits alongside NRSWA.
Not sure which you need? Tell us where the work is and who the client is, and we will tell you straight.
How we help
Tell us which units each person needs, whether it is a first qualification or a reassessment, and where your team is based. We will come back with dates and a price, on your site or at our training centre in St Helens.
NRSWA questions
Which NRSWA units do I need?
At minimum LA and O1 for an operative, or LA and S1 for a supervisor. Add the excavation and reinstatement units for the work you actually carry out.
How long does an NRSWA card last?
Each certificate lasts five years from the date it was awarded.
What is involved in NRSWA reassessment?
A theory assessment. It is designed to be lighter than the original assessment, because you have already proved competence once.
Can I renew my NRSWA before it expires?
Yes. If you reassess in the final year, the time left on your certificate is added to the new five years, so you do not lose anything by going early.
What is the SWQR?
The Street Works Qualifications Register. It records NRSWA qualifications and issues the card that shows which units you hold.