have been searching to no avail, anyone know where i can sit this test to get a epic card to enter quarries, have been offered 2 bits of driving but required for both.
im in staffordshire / derbyshire, but will travel for test if needs be
we did ours in-house as part of the dcpc course…maybe that can be done with an independant trainer??
bigmatt2806:
have been searching to no avail, anyone know where i can sit this test to get a epic card to enter quarries, have been offered 2 bits of driving but required for both.
im in staffordshire / derbyshire, but will travel for test if needs be
emagister.co.uk/calderford_t … 012028.htm
but I expect there are training cos closer to you given the number of quarries in Derbyshire! The one day EPIC course gives card valid five years and also one DCPC module so its a double whammy!
Contact your local quarry, they should know who can put you through it. My local quarry is run by Cemex and they are quite happy to put non Cemex employees through it to gain access to their sites.
It’s been renamed MPQC skills card.
bigmatt2806:
have been searching to no avail, anyone know where i can sit this test to get a epic card to enter quarries, have been offered 2 bits of driving but required for both.
im in staffordshire / derbyshire, but will travel for test if needs be
I assume you are near me then, give one of the local quarries a ring, Tunstead,Ballidon or Dowlow. They should be able to tell you where a course is being held.
When you do the multiple choice “test” (term used as loosely as possible), do the mixer questions at the end and you’ll get that qualification aswell. I did it and I’ve never had a seconds mixer training in my life, and mixer part of training day was skipped because there were no mixer drivers in the room.
If you like badly written safety films you’re in for a treat; The Tarmac groups “I’ve had a near hit” is so bad it’s hilarious.
There’s an awful film made by Readymix with Penny “I was a rally driver” Mallory and some snivelling woman who blatantly reads a script about her daughter going under a mixer…
Have fun 
We did our Epic through Bardon Aggregates at Croft quarry on a saturday, be prepared to try and stay awake for 7 hours. Not saying it was boring but one chap (not one of our drivers) did fall asleep half way thru. 
I did mine at houghton in ribblesdale quarry through hansons very hard to stay awake but they fed us chilli halfway through.
Simon.
cant remember where i did my one but havent even had to take it out of my wallet anytime ive been in a quarry mind you theyve usually been more intrested in getting the generator off to get the power back on to get the crushers and tarmac plants back up and running
andrewv8:
We did our Epic through Bardon Aggregates at Croft quarry on a saturday, be prepared to try and stay awake for 7 hours. Not saying it was boring but one chap (not one of our drivers) did fall asleep half way thru.
I did mine there to came away with a bump on my head where i nodded off and hit the table ooppss
Did mine at Leapers Wood, cost £100!! through Tossmac,never been asked to show it,never been out of my wallet 
Dad’s the only one on our firm who’s had to show his card, but it was to a Hanson safety bod taking pics after an artic fell over.
Only place I’ve had to show it is Winsford Salt mine. They ask for it everytime, wouldn’t mind but you dont get out of the cab until you walk up for your tickets…Maybe they think you might try a game of chicken with a loading shovel if not Epic trained 
The quarries you intend driving in should have Epic courses organised, I’d advise you to enquire through their transport manager.
BB
Our lot are considering leaving the MPA (EPIC). A good idea in my opinion; they introduce some useless skills cards that don’t mean Jack ■■■■ and decree that only their people can “teach” the course and charge for it. Safety glasses, hi viz pants, and now side underrun bars for tippers ffs. When I drove plant I had to be assessed despite the fact I’d already been CITB trained to a higher standard than their crap. One assessor was obsessed with operators taking their machines over the weighbridge; He did that at a Tarmac plant and burst all the tyres He used to get hot under his hardhat because I used to take my boots off to drive my Cat shovel (floor was polished )
andrewv8:
We did our Epic through Bardon Aggregates at Croft quarry on a saturday, be prepared to try and stay awake for 7 hours. Not saying it was boring but one chap (not one of our drivers) did fall asleep half way thru.
I also did mine at croft on a saturday,possibly the same day andrew as it was my mate that kept falling asleep i had to keep knudging him to wake him up,but it was 7 hours of complete bordom…they could have cut it down by an hour if they didnt didnt go round all 25 drivers telling us who they were how many kids they had how long they had been drivng,and what their chuffing hobbies were .
mrfh480:
they could have cut it down by an hour if they didnt didnt go round all 25 drivers telling us who they were how many kids they had how long they had been drivng,and what their chuffing hobbies were .
They tried that on with us but none of us would cooperate so he didn’t bother in the end. The only reason it’s there as far as I can tell is to try and pad the course out to 7 hours so it is valid for the driver CPC.
Paul
Had my card 4 years now havnt had to use it , done mine at Smiths of Bletchington ,
truckeygar:
Had my card 4 years now havnt had to use it , done mine at Smiths of Bletchington ,
Best bit was the company sandwiches You must’ve got your card shortly before your wagon left 