Following my overview last month of NVQs in the electronic security industry, I now want to go into greater detail on what a candidate is required to do to achieve the qualification.
The Level 2 National Vocational Qualification in Fire Security and Emergency Alarm systems is a qualification for installation and service personnel covering Intruder Alarms, Closed Circuit TV, Access Control and Fire Alarm systems. Level 2 offers a choice of units to the candidate. Some units are optional and some mandatory.
The units are:
Unit 1 Contribute to the maintenance of a safe working environment.
Unit 2 Contribute to the maintenance of effective working relationships.
Unit 3 Verify, test and prepare for hand-over of fire, security and emergency systems.
Unit 4 Make plans and arrangements for work on site.
Unit 5 Install security and emergency systems.
Unit 6 Ensure the performance of existing security and emergency systems.
Unit 7 Undertake corrective maintenance on security and emergency systems.
Unit 8 Make plans and arrangements for the installation of fire detection and alarm systems.
Unit 9 Install fire detection and alarm systems.
Unit 10 Ensure the performance of existing fire detection and alarm systems.
Unit 11 Undertake corrective maintenance on fire detection and alarm systems.
Unit 12 Test and commission fire detection and alarm systems.
Unit 13 Demonstrate the use and operation of fire detection and alarm systems.
Unit 14 Install and test security system equipment which uses data transmission protocols.
To gain the Level 2 award a candidate must successfully complete units 1, 2 and 3 which are mandatory.
Plus two of the optional units dependent on a candidates job function:
Units 4,5 (Installing security systems).
Units 6,7 (Maintaining security systems).
Units 8,9 (Installing fire detection and alarm systems).
Units 10,11 (Maintaining fire detection and alarm systems).
Units 12,13 (Commission fire detection and alarm systems).
Unit 14 is an additional unit. This means that if a candidate takes this option it does not count towards the award. It is simply given as a credit demonstrating that a candidate is competent in the area tested. Unit 14 is also part of the Level 3 NVQ, so a candidate who completes this unit at Level 2 and progresses to Level 3 will be able to claim a credit and be exempt from completing the unit at Level 3.
Therefore, to achieve the award a candidate must complete five units – the three mandatory units and two from the optional section.
No time limits
Although there are no imposed time limits for the completion of an NVQ a candidate should be able to complete the award within 18 months of commencement.
If the Fast Track approach is taken (which I will explain later) it will significantly speed up the time in gaining the award.
Having identified the units that are available, we will now look at a unit in greater detail.
Tackling the elements
The title of Unit 1 is ‘Contribute to the maintenance of a safe working environment’. This unit consists of four elements which are required to demonstrate the necessary competencies. The titles of the four elements are:
Performance criteria
If we consider the above elements we find that they are broken down into performance criteria. This is the detail which candidates are required to demonstrate to show competency.
The Range
The type of temporary access on which a candidate will be assessed is covered in the Range. This describes the types of temporary access equipment that must be covered.
In element 1.1 the range is :
Of course not all installation or maintenance personnel will use all the temporary access equipment listed so the element only requires a candidate to show competence on any two of the items listed.
Technical knowledge
As well as a candidate showing competence in the element they will also require Technical Knowledge about the element being assessed.
For element 1.1 the candidate will need to know:
Other Knowledge
Apart from technical knowledge there is also other knowledge that the candidate will be required to have.
This is:
Candidates must demonstrate to an assessor that they can achieve this element on two different dates over a period of time. Alternatively an experienced candidate can be observed once in the work place, and for the second assessment provide the assessor with suitably authenticated documentation relating to activity during the previous 12 months, which will be acceptable as one assessment.
In these cases the assessor will ask the candidate a series of questions to establish that the required level of understanding of the areas listed is sufficient. The assessor will also cover aspects of the range not dealt with through observation.
