Rules, authorisation and certificates in the subject

Some trades are surrounded by personal authorization – a formal permission you must have before you can even perform the work independently. The stone carver and stone technician trade is not a regulated trade in that way. Instead, there are a number of tasks where the law requires that you have passed certain courses or have a valid certificate before you can start. Here we go through the typical ones.

§Not an authorisation trade — but regulated

The fact that the trade does not require an authorisation does not mean you can do as you please. The working environment legislation, the building regulations and the requirements for specific equipment apply in full. You will encounter several of the requirements already during your training, because they form part of the mandatory certificates included in the programme.

§Statutory certificates you typically encounter

Throughout your education and working life, you encounter a number of certificates tied to specific equipment or special work tasks. They are there for safety reasons, and without them you may not operate the equipment or perform the task.

• 01Setup of roller and bucket scaffolding — course certificate required before you are allowed to erect and use this type of scaffolding
• 02Forklift (certificate B) — required to operate a regular forklift often used to move heavy stone pieces
• 03Work with epoxy and isocyanates — special safety course required because these substances can be health-damaging
• 04First aid in vocational education — basic life-saving and general first aid
• 05Basic fire fighting — so you can respond correctly at starting fire.

§When you work on protected and heritage buildings.

As a stonemason you often work with restoration of old buildings and monuments. Here special considerations and rules apply because protected buildings are protected and changes require permission. It is typically the client or the responsible architect who handles the permits but as a skilled worker you should know the framework and work in compliance with it.

§Product documentation and standards

Building materials must in many cases meet common European standards and this also applies to natural stone and stone products included in construction. As a stone technician you work according to drawings dimensions and specifications and you must be able to document that what you deliver meets the agreement. Always ask your master or the project responsible if you are in doubt about what requirements a specific product must meet.

“The papers are not bureaucracy for bureaucracy's sake — they are you and your customer's insurance that the work has been performed properly.”