Frequently asked questions about the Telco 2021 Agreement
This section includes the list of questions received by the member companies or users of the agreement, in order to create a standardized response based on the Telco Sector Training Agreement currently in force.
Last update: February 2023.
As an organization, you can join the agreement through the DigitalES website, where you will find the model form to be completed, signed and returned to the DigitalES association.
The list of companies certified to provide Telco training can be found on the websites of AENOR and Audelco, official certifiers of the TELCO Training Agreement.
The refresher courses can only be given by companies approved for the corresponding TELCO course type, and no additional approval is required.
For the RENEWAL audit, the practices to be verified during the audit may be from the corresponding refresher courses for each type of course to be renewed.
For initial audits or certificate extension to new programs, they must always be complete courses.
In order for training companies to be able to renew the certification of courses, the minimum number of students must be three workers.
No. If they are not listed, it is because they are NOT approved and therefore cannot provide TELCO training. It is a fact that not all companies in the approval process pass the audits.
Yes, companies with their own Prevention Service can provide TELCO OPERATIONS training to their employees (exclusively), but to do so they must previously adhere to the Telco 2021 Agreement.
TELCO OPERATIONS courses given by companies or their own Prevention Services that are not members of the Telco 2021 Agreement will not be admitted.
TELCO OPERATIONS training is required for all workers performing telecommunications installation and maintenance work in Telco environments as of July 1, 2021.
Only in the case of the following two CEM training courses, both lasting 20 hours:
- Second cycle of training in PRL in the metal sector in construction sites (20 hours): Telecommunications installations.
- C.21 Telecommunication Infrastructure Installation, Maintenance and Repair Work (the partial load is 8h in digitalization and 6h in ICT).
VET institutes will be able to provide Telco Agreement training from 2022 onwards, as long as these institutes are approved to do so.
The list of companies certified to provide Telco training can be found on the websites of AENOR and Audelco, official certifiers of the TELCO Training Agreement.
The OBJECTIVE of the course is: To provide basic OHS training in the TELCO sector. Identify the origin and causes of the risks associated with the sector. To know the rules and preventive measures to develop the activity safely; for example, in installations on facades, poles, manholes, mobile towers, communication towers, roofs-roofs, telecommunication equipment rooms, etc.
It is therefore mandatory, and applies to any telecommunications activity carried out in these environments, with the activity criterion taking precedence. It would NOT apply, for example, to work performed from a computer, clearing work, refueling, painting and quality or prevention audits for work in progress, among others.
At the bottom of this page you will find a non-exhaustive list of when it applies and when it does not.
Yes, as long as the course content meets the training needs of the job. Remember that the training company must be certified by AENOR/AUDELCO to carry out the course, or in the case of SPP/SPM, they must be adhered to the TELCO Agreement.
See here the list of companies adhered to the Telco Agreement.
The SPP/SPAs define the training related to prevention linked to Article 19 of Law 31/95 on Occupational Risk Prevention that applies to their companies. It may be the case that some companies outside the TELCO sector request validation as SPP/SPA to verify that TELCO Operations is understood as basic job training art. 19. In such cases, it will be necessary to issue a certificate stating that the SPP/SPA validates such training as legally required by art. 19 of Law 31/95 on Occupational Risk Prevention. This justification is feasible and is considered valid by AENOR and AUDELCO as evidence before a Statutory Audit.
As of May 1, 2022, the TELCO OPERATIONS course will only be valid in the classroom mode, not being valid those taught after this date in virtual classroom mode, nor in e-learning and/or distance learning mode.
No. The TELCO OPERATIONS training does not expire, nor does it need to be recycled, as long as it has been provided by a company approved by AENOR or Audelco to provide Telco training.
However, companies that are part of the State Metal Agreement must take a refresher course every 4 years, as established in the III Metal Agreement.
The Telco 2.0 Agreement courses expire after three years, with the exception of the TELCO OPERATIONS training, which does not expire (see question #14), and the employee must take the corresponding refresher courses before the training expires.
Once they have expired, a maximum of 6 months is available for refresher training, during which time the worker will NOT be eligible to work in accordance with this standard.
After 6 months from the expiration of the TELCO agreement training, the employee must complete the corresponding initial (full) training.
No. Professionals whose Telco training has expired will not be allowed to work until they have completed refresher courses or initial training, as appropriate.
The TELCO OPERATIONS course does not involve updates over time, but that does not prevent our workers from continuing their training in those risks that are inherent to their activity, in fact the rest of the courses included in the TELCO catalog has Recycling every 3 years and, in the event that such retraining is not carried out within 6 months after the expiration of the course, the course should be carried out again in full.
Under this premise, with TELCO training, it is possible to prove, with the training certificate, the basic risk training in the position and the continuous updating of all the necessary training for the workers in our sector.
No. TELCO HEIGHTS RESCUE training is aimed at work related to “TELCO ALTURAS 2: Towers, Masts and Roofs” and at least one of the workers present during the performance of such work shall be required to have training in Height Rescue.
The formation of RESCATE ALTURAS TELCO will not be requested on a mandatory basis until July 2024.
As of July 2021, at least one of the workers present during the performance of work corresponding to TELCO ALTURAS 2 may be required to have rescue training, but this does not have to be strictly TELCO ALTURAS RESCUE training.
As of July 2021, training must be provided for TELCO HEIGH RESCUE.
Workers must always and in all cases have TELCO OPERATIONS training. In addition:
- In the case of roofs with perimeter protection and without risk of falling from heights, workers must have “TELCO ALTURAS 1” training, provided that they are not working on masts (in which case “TELCO ALTURAS 2” would apply).
- In the case of roofs without perimeter protection, with risk of falling from heights, workers must have “TELCO ALTURAS 2” training.
- In any case, workers with “TELCO ALTURAS 2″ training will be able to work on both types of roofs, except in the case of using ladders, scaffolding, etc. (TELCO ALTURAS 1” would apply).
Equipment should be per center. In other words, each center must have the necessary equipment to be able to provide training with all the guarantees. It is not valid to use a mobile unit to make up for the lack of centers; if the organization has an approved mobile unit, it is already a center in itself with its equipment.
The Alturas 3 refresher training course has been in place since November 2023.
For ANETVA / IRATA training to be valid for Telco 3, the entity must be approved at least to be able to teach TELCO 2.
Yes, they should be trained in TELCO HEIGHTS 3: VERTICAL to work in a Telecommunications environment.
Yes, it is valid. It will expire 3 years from its date of issue, until 1/07/2024. After that date, only TELCO 3 ALTURAS: VERTICAL WORK will be admitted.
Qualified workers do not need to undergo TELCO ELECTRICAL RISK training, as they are qualified by their company based on their “accredited professional or university training or certified experience of two or more years” which is above and beyond the Telco training.
Note: The TELCO ELECTRICAL RISK training is not valid with the electrical training of the Metal Agreement, based on RD 614.
The training companies will have to establish the appropriate means to prove the attendance to the totality of the hours of the TELCO courses.
The training certificate provided to the employee must include this information as a condition for its validity.
Instructors must have:
- Minimum ORP training: 50h Basic Level
- 2 years of experience providing training in special risks (Confined Spaces, Heights and Electrical Risk).
- For TELCO OPERATIONS, required: Two years experience as Senior Technician in PRL.
- For ALTURAS TELCO III and RESCUE AT HEIGHTS:
- To be accredited as a TELCO I, TELCO II and EECC TELCO Trainer.
- To accredit a minimum of 4 years total experience as a worker and trainer of rope access and positioning techniques, with a minimum of 1 year in each of them (work and training), completing the experience up to a minimum of 4 years between both sections (work and training).
- 1 year experience as a Trainer in Access and Positioning Techniques using ropes in Training Centers.
- Accreditation of First Aid Course.
- Qualification or training in Access and Positioning Techniques using ropes based on RD2177/2004 of at least 35 hours of duration, carried out in Training Centers specialized in the subject.
Experience can be evidenced through a CV, work life, etc.
More questions and queries
You can send us your doubts or questions through the following email, talento@digitales.es, with the subject line CONSULTA ACUERTO FORMATIVO TELCO.
Non-exhaustive list of Exceptions to ‘Telco Operations’ training:
1.- Software installation/upgrade work (not requiring hardware installation)
- Project management, construction management and/or engineering
- Health and Safety Coordination
- Quality inspection
- Occupational Risk Prevention Audits
- Software changes or updates
- Equipment integration (when performed from control rooms and no access to equipment rooms is required)
2.- Tasks
- Exterior and interior cleaning in Telco environments
- Clearing
- Air conditioning (not associated with equipment)
- Fire maintenance
- Pest elimination
- Civil Works adaptation tasks in offices (RD1627)
- Telco facilities adaptation tasks such as painting, plasterboard, asbestos removal or debris removal
- Refueling
- Transport of materials
- Work with self-propelled cranes
