Bitsafe Training Programme

A. Introduction

The BitSafe course has been designed to accommodate all levels of employees with diverse cultural backgrounds. The purpose of the course is to provide them with a broad understanding of the hazards associated with the various tasks that are performed in the bituminous industry. Every effort has been made to incorporate practical examples and demonstrations in order to complement the theoretical aspects of the course, in order to increase the learners’ understanding of the topic.

B. Programme content

1. Trainer nomination and selection

In order to ensure effective delivery of the material it is imperative that the trainers are selected correctly. The following are guidelines to assist you in selecting your trainers:

Trainer Profile

Experience in the blacktop Industry
Must have worked with the various products, applications and processes
Must be literate and have numeracy skills
Be fluent in English
Above average presentation skills
Ability to relate theory to practical situations and examples

All trainers will be trained according to set criteria and will be required to pass a competency test before being certified.
Companies will be provided with a more comprehensive checklist to ensure the correct selection of trainers. Companies who do not have suitable employees can nominate candidates outside their employ to be trained as external trainers.

2. “Train-the-Trainer”

Internal trainers
Internal Trainers must meet the requirements of the Trainer Profile and will have to attend the ‘Train-the-Trainer’ course to attain certification to train fellow employees. These Trainers will be required to present a module of the BitSafe course and will be evaluated against set criteria in order to determine their suitability to present the BitSafe course. Those deemed competent will receive a certificate of competency from the Asphalt Academy. This certificate will be valid for a period of two years.
External trainers
Company’s who do not have their own trainers can make use of an external provider. The external Trainer must have the same profile and be certified in the same process as the internal trainer.

3. BitSafe Course Content

To facilitate the coordination of the training with operational schedules, the course has been divided into 13 Modules covering the following topics:

Module 1 Understanding the industry that you work in
Module 2 (a) Hazards - General
Module 2 (b) Hazards – Fire prevention
Module 3 Health and safety awareness
Module 4 Reducing the risk
Module 5 Treatment of bitumen burns
Module 6 Our environment
Module 7 Loading of liquid bitumen
Module 8 Transport of bitumen
Module 9 Sampling and testing
Module 10 Storage
Module 11 Disposal of bituminous waste
Module 12 Application of bituminous binders (optional)*

The course material will give employees a broad overview of the bituminous industry, but will focus on the safety aspects of each activity related to the handling of bituminous binders with respect to the associated hazards and risks thereof.

The training material is complemented by a video that reinforces the core safety message. The Trainer will be required to arrange site visits, practical demonstrations and use practical examples in order to enhance the delivery and understanding of the material.

Individual and group assessments form an integral part of the material within each module. This will also reinforce the learning process.

4. Distribution of training packs

After completion of the ‘train-the-trainer’ course, each Trainer will be in receipt of a training pack which will consist of:

Trainer’s manual and CD with all the training materials including the PowerPoint presentations and post training assessments;
Introductory DVD, Bitumen Burns DVD and Safety Induction DVD; and
Sabita Manual 8.

In addition to the above training pack, each Company will need to order:

Posters;
Training manuals for each of their employees and
First aid kits.

5. Setup of training schedule

Once the training packs have been received by the Company, a training schedule should be setup to cover all the modules over a two-year period.

6. On-the-job training and assessment

The intention is that the training should take place at the work place to complement the theoretical component of the training. Following on from the training, the trainees will be assessed on-the-job by the trainer or an outside assessor. This is done to ensure that the learners have understood the material and to demonstrate his competency.

7. Course feedback to Sabita

Feedback from the trainers and the trainees is vital to the success of the programme. This will be encouraged via evaluation forms completed by

Trainees, pertaining to
- course content and suitability
- trainer
Trainers, pertaining to
- course content
Company, pertaining to
- assessing the performance of Trainers
- overall suitability of the programme.

Sabita in turn will use this feedback to further enhance the course material and delivery.

8. Sabita certification

A record must be kept for each employee indicating that he has attended the relevant BitSafe modules and has been assessed accordingly. On the successful completion of all the modules, the employee will receive a Sabita certificate. The Asphalt Academy will keep a database of all persons who have been certified.