The Ultimate Route
Changes in Professional Progression for Safety Practitioners
Recent Government policy changes to encourage the improvement of skills and professional advancement have been introduced through the regional Funding Agencies and supported by NEBOSH, IOSH and City and Guilds. This has resulted in a review of the value to employers of academic health and safety qualifications to the relevant professional institutions, individuals and businesses. The principal observation of the Employment National Training Organisation (ENTO), who are responsible under the guidance of the Health and Safety Executive for strategy development of health and safety practitioners, was that academic qualifications provide the theoretical information but do not prove that a person can put the acquired knowledge into practice by competent performance in the workplace.
Realistic Linkage between Academic & Competence Awards
However this can be achieved by Training Providers integrating NEBOSH or other relevant academic qualifications with NVQs in Health and Safety at Level 3 e.g. NEBOSH National / International Certificate or equivalent and NEBOSH Diploma/OHS Degree with NVQ 4 in Occupational Health and Safety Practice.
Students who are not carrying out the practical application of their studies during the academic course have five years to achieve the NVQ but most students on Diploma Level 6 programmes are already employed as active health and safety practitioners.
Changes in style, content and assessment methods for Health and Safety NVQs have recently been agreed between City and Guilds and IOSH. The new ENTO standards have now been approved by QCA (The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) and City and Guilds have been accredited as an ‘Awarding/Examining Body’. In the recent review it was recognised that the previous NVQs in Health and Safety involved unnecessary repetition of Performance Criteria which led to approved Assessment Centres labouring candidates with submission of evidence which involved a lengthy completion timescale often 18 months to 2 years and massive portfolios for assessment. Level 4 candidates are often very experienced practitioners and in future the structure and assessment methods will be based on a simpler process governed by Professional Interviews by Internal Verifiers based on Unit Performance Criteria and supporting Knowledge requirements which is proved qualifications, courses etc and self study.
Approach to NVQ Assessment
Assessors and Verifiers will carry out and may record Professional Interviews to provide evidence to the External Verifier how units have been achieved.
‘Evidence’ for Level 4 is by providing examples of day to day work e.g. Policies and Workplace procedures, Communication, Development of a Positive Safety Culture ,Training Skills, Risk Assessment and Control, Proactive and Reactive Monitoring, Emergency Procedures and Keeping up to date with applicable legislation, HSE guidance and good practice.
Appointed Assessors and Verifiers must be qualified and experienced Safety Practitioners and hold the relevant Training and Development qualifications.
Candidates will normally attend a half day induction session on a one to one basis with the Internal Verifier of the approved Provider i.e. City and Guilds who will explain how achievement of the qualification should be planned and achieved.
Chartered Member by Academic Route
Progression to CMIOSH is achieved by NEBOSH Level 3 qualification and thence to Level 6 Diploma or a degree qualification preferably in Occupational Safety and Health. On achievement all candidates are required to progress through the Initial Professional Development (IPD) route whilst also maintaining their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) on the IOSH On-Line system. IPD requires the member to complete selected Units from the ENTO (Employment National Training Organisation) Occupational Health and Safety Units to prove that they can put the theory gained in the Underpinning Knowledge programmes into competent performance in the Workplace.
When IPD is fully achieved the person will be invited to attend a membership upgrading Panel where they will be required to give a short presentation followed by an interview. On successful completion the person will become a Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. To maintain the CMIOSH status CPD must be continual to achieve 20 points per two year period. This can be reported to the IOSH ‘on line’ CPD system. Go to www.iosh.co.uk.
