Telecommunication's training: what is it and who is affected?

On 1 July 2018, the TELCO training standard came into force, as a result of the agreement reached by the main Spanish companies operating in the telecommunications sector. Since that date, workers in the sector must have completed mandatory training courses according to the specific risks of the type of work they perform and have the corresponding training certificates for control through the Business Activity Coordination processes.

TELCO defines the following specific training programmes for workers in the sector:

Telco Operations:

• Aimed at operational workers in the Telecommunications sector.
• Type of tasks: Telecommunication operation and installation positions.
• Duration and mode: 6 hours, face-to-face.
• Updating: not contemplated.
• This training can be validated with the specific part of "Works in Telecommunications Installations" of the second cycle of the training of the Metal Sector Agreement.

Alturas Telco 1 Training:

• Aimed at workers who carry out work at heights (feet over 2 metres high) on manual ladders, fixed ladders, scaffolding, wooden/concrete poles and roofs with protection.
• Type of tasks: wiring work, on equipment located at heights.
• Duration and mode: 6 hours, classroom-based, theoretical-practical (3+3).
• Updating: 3 years.

Alturas Telco 2 Training:

• Aimed at workers who carry out work at heights (feet over 2 metres high) on antenna towers (lattice and tubular), masts and unprotected roofs.
• Type of tasks: work on mobile networks.
• Duration and mode: 16 hours, classroom-based, theoretical-practical (4+12).
• Updating: 3 years.

Telco Electrical Risk:

• Aimed at workers whose non-electrical activity is carried out in the vicinity of electrical installations with accessible live parts or who carry out tasks specified for Authorised Workers, according to RD 614/2001. This course will qualify workers as "Authorised" to carry out work with electrical risks.
• Type of tasks: work in the vicinity of electrical panels, in transformation centres, electrical substations, bare overhead lines, buried electrical lines, etc. Low-voltage manoeuvring, testing, measuring and checking work.
• Duration and mode: 6 hours, classroom-based, theoretical-practical (5+1).
• Updating: 3 years.

Telco Confined Spaces:

• Aimed at workers who work in confined spaces.
• Type of tasks: work in Record Chambers (CC.RR.), Underground Enclosures (RST), etc.
• Duration and mode: 6 hours, classroom-based, theoretical-practical (2+4).
• Updating: 3 years.

Before the definitive entry into force of the TELCO standard, workers who have previous training in PRL can take advantage of different adaptation periods:

• If the training is prior to 31 December 2015, it will be valid only until 31 December 2018.
• If the training is after 1 January 2016 and before 1 July 2018, it will be valid for three years.

Finally, the TELCO standard establishes that the entities providing the training must be approved by AENOR or AUDELCO.

At Eurocontrol we have the AENOR approval that authorises us to provide training at national level in the TELCO Operations, TELCO 1 and 2 Training at Heights and TELCO Electrical Risk programmes.