CSWEA Plant Maintenance Technologist Certification Program

1
CSWEA Plant Maintenance Technologist
Certification Program

• Gary B. Scott, CPMM
• Glenbard Wastewater Authority
• CSWEA Illinois Section Safety Chair
• WEF Safety, Security Occupational Health
  Committee
• Phone [phone] x124
• E-mail GSCOTT_at_GBWW.ORG

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WEF/ABC/CSWEA Goal

• EPA State Section license programs exist for
• Collection System Operators
• Cross-Connection Inspectors
• Water and Wastewater Treatment Works Operators
• Industrial Waste Disposal
• Water and Wastewater Laboratory Technicians
  (Voluntary)
• Biosolids Land Application
• CSWEA participated in ABC Voluntary Laboratory
  Certification Program -- Early 90s --
  Discontinued in 1997. Many in Wisconsin still
  have these reciprocal certifications.
• In 2007 WEF in partnership with ABC proposed a
  standardized
• Plant Maintenance Technologist certification
  program for
• Drinking Water and Wastewater Maintenance
  Technicians.

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Who is ABC ?

• Association of Boards of Certification
• Organized in 1972 to assist states and provinces
  with environmental certification programs
• An organization devoted entirely to certification
  issues
• Ensure the competence of Operating, Maintenance
  and Laboratory personnel in environmental control
  agencies.

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What Has ABC Done ?

• Assist agencies develop valid certification exams
• Water Treatment, Distribution and Backflow
  Prevention
• Wastewater Treatment Operations and Collection
  Systems
• Industrial Waste Disposal
• Laboratory Analysis
• Biosolids Land Application
• Water/Wastewater Plant Maintenance (In
  Development)
• Who uses ABC exams?
• Over 90 Certifying Authorities
• 45 US States, 10 Canadian Provinces, and 10
  International Clients
• Over 150,000 licensed Water and Wastewater
  Operators, Laboratory Analysts, Backflow
  Prevention Testers, and Biosolids Land
  Applicators since 1972.
• 35,000 examinees take an ABC developed test per
  year

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Industry Recognized Maintenance Programs

• Society for Maintenance and Reliability
  Professionals
• Certified Maintenance and Reliability
  Professional (CMRP)
• Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society
  (ISA)
• Certified Automation Professional (CAP)
• Certified Control System Technician (CCST)
• Certified Industrial Maintenance Mechanic (CIMM)
• NONE of these are recognized by WEF, EPA, or IEPA
  for examination equivalency, or license
  reciprocity.
• WEF expresses guarded optimisms that the State
  Sections of EPA will initiate licensing programs
  for Maintenance Technicians based on the
  developed ABC certification
• exam program, and will provide reciprocity.

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Maintenance Technologist Program Development

• ABC Technical Subject Matter Expert Committee
  guided development of the program
• Committee composed of
• Maintenance Technology Experts WEF Affiliates
• Maintenance Supervisors DOL Programs
• Skilled Labor Trainers DOL Programs
• Development of Program (4 Part)
• Conduct Job Analysis
• Need-to-Know Criteria
• Question Development
• Write, Review and Validate Questions
• Exams
• Develop Multiple Exams From Validated Questions
• Class Levels I-IV (Lowest to Highest)

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Job Analysis

• Subject Matter Expert Conferences Held
• Identify specific job tasks
• Identify required knowledge and abilities
• Nationwide Maintenance Survey Conducted
• Frequency of performance
• Seriousness of inadequate/incorrect performance
• Need-to-Know Criteria
• Identified most critical and frequently performed
  tasks and all capabilities required

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Need-to-Know Criteria

• Identifies the subjects Maintenance Technologist
  needs to know to successfully carryout their job
  tasks.
• 
  Technician Class Level

I II III IV
Equipment Operations and Maintenance 70 68 58 45
Electrical and Instrumentation 5 7 10 15
Math 10 10 12 15
Safety and Administration 15 15 20 25
9
Question Development

• Questions were solicited for exam
• National outreach
• Representative of job tasks
• Linkage of questions to job analysis results
• All questions have been validated
• Verified Technical Accuracy
• Confirmed References
• Verified Calculations

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Exam Development

• Exam workshops -- ABC Validation and Examination
  Committee (VE)
• Subject Matter Expert Workshops
• Reviewed bank of validated questions
• Selected appropriate questions for exam
• Developed multiple exams from questions
• ABC Maintenance Technologists exams are available
  NOW!
• For Class I and Class II exam validation testing
  as of January 1, 2009
• For Class I and II Certification examinations in
  March 2009
• For Class III and IV validation testing -- Spring
  of 2009
• For Class III and IV Certification examinations
  Fall 2009

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CSWEA Plant Maintenance Technologist
Certification Program

• Outlook for Testing/Licensing Program
• Availability on voluntary basis (CSWEA - IL)
• WEF Proposes Acceptance/Adoption by EPA State
  Sections
• Prelim discussions with IEPA Favorable
• Solicit discussions with Wisc. DNR and Minn. PCA
• Benefits
• CSWEA Individual Members
• -- Skill Development and Recognition
• Employers
• -- Staff Career Development and Retention
• CSWEA
• -- Enhanced Training Offerings IL, WI, MN
• Costs Minimal
• CSWEA Applicant Registration/Certification Fees
• Estimated 50 per examinee

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CSWEA Plant Maintenance Technologist
Certification Program

• CSWEA Program Adoption Status
• Proposed to Exec-Com
• Formal CSWEA Approval Process - December
• Statement of Policies Revisions (Governance)
• Certification Valuation Survey
• Start in Illinois Section Future in Minn./Wisc.
• Program Education and Announcement
• Winter 08/Spring/Summer 2009
• Certification Process
• Certification Application Voluntary Program
• Application for Technical Certification
• Application Fee
• Review Experience/Education
• Testing Scheduled
• Authorizing Certification Documents

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CSWEA Plant Maintenance Technologist
Certification Program

• Questions ???
• Gary B. Scott, CPMM
• Glenbard Wastewater Authority
• Phone [phone] x124
• E-mail GSCOTT_at_GBWW.ORG