Current through Register Vol. 24-06, March 15, 2024
Ecology, with the assistance of the technical advisory group
created in
RCW
18.104.190, shall develop and administer a
program for continuing education for the purpose of ensuring continued
professional growth and competency of licensed operators.
(1) What is continuing education? Continuing
education is your opportunity to gain additional knowledge into subjects that
directly relate to the well drilling profession. It is designed to enhance your
knowledge, drilling skills, and keep you informed on technological advances, as
well as keeping you informed on current state and local regulations. The
ultimate goal is to ensure the highest quality of professionalism in the well
drilling industry. Continuing education is required of every person applying
for an operator's license and for every licensed operator renewing their
license. Continuing education units (CEUs) are earned by attending continuing
education programs. Continuing education programs consist of approved training,
classes, courses, workshops, offerings, correspondence instructions, or other
means of providing instruction.
(2)
How do I obtain required continuing education units?
(a) Except as provided for in this chapter,
continuing education units will only be obtained from an approved continuing
education provider (a continuing education provider is: Any person,
organization, school or other entity involved in education and have received
approval from the department for their continuing education plan and
curriculum).
(b) The department
shall maintain a current list of all continuing education providers and
programs. This list will be available on the department's web page and/or by
request.
(c) In order to receive
continuing education units you must successfully complete continuing education
programs. You must be present throughout the entire instructional period in
order to be eligible to receive full credit.
(3) How do I become an approved continuing
education provider? Persons, organizations, schools, and other entities that
provide training and education must submit a continuing education plan to the
department for approval. Upon approval of the plan, the requestor becomes an
approved continuing education provider. The department may waive the
requirement to have a continuing education plan for colleges, universities, or
other entities that have an accreditation requirement of their own.
(a) What are the required elements of a
continuing education plan? A continuing education plan must contain the
following required elements:
(i) Contact
information. Name of the person, organizations, schools, and other entities
applying to become an approved continuing education provider. Their mailing
address, telephone number(s), and e-mail address. Names of a contact person(s),
their mailing address, telephone number(s), and e-mail address.
(ii) Statement of qualifications. A statement
of qualifications consists of a summary of the provider's experience in
providing education programs; references; and lists of any licenses they hold
and/or membership in any professional organizations.
(iii) Statement of resources. A statement of
resources shall identify the location(s) of the continuing education program
and the number of individuals required to put on the program.
(iv) Statement of organization. A statement
of organization consists of a summary of how the courses will be advertised;
number and frequency of classes offered during the year; a description of the
method to be used to evaluate courses; a description of how attendance will be
verified and reported to the department; a description of the type of proof of
completion to be awarded to each student; and a cancellation policy.
(v) Statement of accountability. The
statement of accountability shall justify the cost of the class and include a
statement assuring delivery of courses by the provider.
(b) As provided for in this chapter, the
department in consultation with the technical advisory group created in
RCW
18.104.190 may waive the requirement for a
provider to have a continuing education plan consistent with the goals of this
WAC.
(4) How do I get
credit for participating in a continuing education program and report units to
the department?
(a) A person is qualified to
receive continuing education units after the program has been evaluated and
upon showing proof of attendance and completion of an approved continuing
education program. Each continuing education provider is required to provide
their students with documentation, approved by the department, showing
successful completion of the program.
(b) All operators/trainees must report their
continuing education units to the department prior to their license renewal
date.
(c) The department will keep
a record of the licensees' continuing education units as they are submitted.
You may access your record through the department's web site or request a copy
of your record.
(d) It is the
individual's responsibility to track and maintain records of their continuing
education units.
(5)
General information on continuing education:
(a) Continuing education units received
during a renewal period that are in excess of the requirements cannot be used
for any succeeding years.
Example: A driller earning twenty continuing education units
during their two-year renewal period cannot apply the six extra units towards
any future renewal.
(b) New
applicants may have continuing education units assigned for courses, workshops,
classes, or seminars attended no more than five years prior to their
application date.
(c) An individual
licensed for both water well and resource protection well construction need
only obtain fourteen continuing education units per renewal period.
(d) An individual applying for a new license
for both a water well and resource protection well operator's license need only
meet the continuing education unit requirements for one license.
(e) For new applicants or currently licensed
individuals, two continuing education units must cover Washington state
department of ecology laws and regulations provided by the department or their
designee. This section will take effect one year from the effective date of
this rule.
(6) What
topics will be approved for continuing education programs? General topics
include: Occupational health and safety; business and office skills;
interpersonal skills; technical aspects associated with well design,
construction, development, maintenance, and testing; geology and groundwater
sciences, safety, welding, HAZMAT training, first aid; and other topics
relating directly to well construction and the groundwater industry as approved
by the department. The department may also request approved continuing
education providers to cover certain topics in their continuing education plan
based on trends or observations from department compliance officers.
(7) How will continuing education units be
assigned?
(a) The following criteria shall be
utilized when evaluating programs and assigning continuing education units.
(i) The subjects' relevance to the business,
technical, and/or regulatory aspects of well drilling;
(ii) How well the subject will enhance the
knowledge, skills, and abilities required in the well drilling
profession;
(iii) Length of
program; and
(iv) Final group
selection.
The program syllabus must be reviewed in order to address these
criteria.
(b) A
program syllabus shall contain the following:
(i) Course title.
(ii) Instructor name(s).
(iii) Instructor qualifications.
(iv) Course length.
(v) Course outline, detailing specific
subject material to be taught and testing schedule.
(vi) A statement regarding how the course
pertains to the business, technical, regulatory, and safety aspects of well
construction.
(vii) A statement
regarding the goals and objectives of each class.
(viii) A statement that the class will be
open to all who desire to attend.
(ix) Admission cost.
(x) A description of textbooks, supplemental
readings, or materials such as safety equipment, calculators, or other items
the attendee will need to provide.
(xi) The date and time of the course and
driving directions.
(c)
Based on the syllabus review, each continuing education program will be
categorized into one of seven groups:
(i)
Group one - Subjects that directly relate to the business, technical,
regulatory, and safety aspects of well construction; and subjects that enhance
groundwater protection and increased professionalism within the drilling
community.
(A) Washington well construction
and licensing statutes and regulations.
(B) Construction methodology, well design,
development, maintenance, and testing.
(C) Protection of the groundwater
resource.
(D) Hydrogeology and
groundwater science.
(E) Equipment
operation and maintenance.
(F)
Computer skills.
(G)
Welding.
(H) Business management
and office skills.
(I)
Interpersonal skills.
(J)
Occupational health and safety.
(K)
Map reading skills.
(L) Local and
state health regulations.
(M) DOT
regulations.
(ii) Group
two - Subjects that will improve the industries' knowledge and understanding of
subjects related to groundwater.
(iii) Group three - Subjects not covered
under group one or two, but benefit the driller in their professional
development.
(A) Vendor specific
product/sales courses.
(B)
Pumps.
(iv) Group four -
Miscellaneous courses.
(A) College
courses.
(B) Correspondence
courses.
(C) Trade school courses
that do not fall into another group.
(v) Group five - Attending conventions (trade
show).
(A) Washington Groundwater
Association.
(B) National
Groundwater Association.
(C)
Pacific Northwest Expo.
(D) Other
state recognized conventions.
(vi) Group six - Preapproved classes.
(A) OSHA HAZWOPPER 40 hour basic course - 20
credits.
(B) OSHA HAZWOPPER 8 hour
refresher - 4 credits.
(C) Red
Cross 8 hour first aid/CPR - 4 credits.
(D) Others as approved by the
department.
(vii) Group
seven - Programs for which no credits are assigned.
(d) A program will be assigned continuing
education unit(s) based on the group that best describes the training session
and the published length of the training session.
The following is a unit value for each group:
Group one - One unit per hour.
Group two - One-half unit per hour.
Group three - One-quarter unit per hour.
Group four - Unit value equal to the education credit, not to
exceed four continuing education units per license renewal period or trainee
applicant. No more than eight for all other applicants.
Group five - One unit per convention.
Group six - As listed.
Group seven - No unit value.
(e) Operators/trainees who have attended
continuing education programs that were not previously approved may receive
continuing education units by providing an application to become a provider and
class syllabus form to the department.
(f) Individuals may receive continuing
education units for preparing and presenting classes as follows:
(i) No continuing education units will be
assigned for class preparation/presentation to nondrilling audiences.
(ii) One continuing education unit per hour
of presentation and one CEU per hour of preparation time. Continuing education
units allowed for preparation time are limited to no more than twice the time
it took to present the course. Example - One hour class, no more than two hours
preparation time allowed. Total three CEUs.
(g) All continuing education programs must be
open to anyone who wants to attend. This requirement does not preclude a
provider from imposing reasonable requirements for attendees such as, but not
limited to, fees, space limitations and providing their own safety
equipment.
(8) What is
the department's role in providing continuing education?
(a) The department shall approve all
continuing education programs and assign continuing education units required by
this chapter. The technical advisory group shall assist the department in their
evaluation by reviewing continuing education programs and recommending
assignment of continuing education units on classes referred to them by the
department.
(b) The department will
provide technical support including those meeting the requirements in
subsection (5)(e) of this section, in the form of speakers and materials for
use in continuing education programs to approved continuing education providers
upon request and at their sole discretion.
Statutory Authority: Chapter 18.104 RCW. 06-23-121 (Order
06-08), § 173-162-085, filed 11/21/06, effective 12/22/06. Statutory
Authority: Chapter 18.104 RCW and
RCW
43.21A.080. 98-08-031 (Order 97-08), §
173-162-085, filed 3/23/98, effective
4/23/98.