Competence: Health and Safety Training Focus
General Health and Safety
A number of organisations run ‘entry level’ health and safety training courses. Although general health and safety awareness training does not have to be conducted by an approved organisation it is important to check the trainer’s credentials to ensure they themselves are competent to carry out the training.
Basic training courses can be provided by the examining organisation or by a third party such as a consultancy. Examples of general health and safety training include:
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) Managing Safely course, designed for managers and supervisors.- The IOSH Working Safely, designed for workers
- National Examining Board for Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) Awards.
- The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in the Workplace.
- CIEH also provides qualifications in a number of other subjects such as fire safety, stress and more industry-specific topics.
- The British Safety Council (BSC) also provides entry-level courses on a number of topics.
Interactive training packages such as DVD/CD-ROM and online packages can sometimes be the preferred option for low-risk businesses with home workers and office workers with access to a computer.
Food Safety
CIEH is the primary source of training in food safety, with qualifications aimed at everyone from food handlers to catering business owners and people involved in auditing food premises.
Professional Health and Safety
The intention for most Health and Safety Professionals is to become a Chartered Member of IOSH however relevant qualifications must be obtained. There are a number of routes to Chartered Membership but they mainly consist of either academic or on the job qualifications.
For workers, the academic route will normally start with the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health followed by the NEBOSH National Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health. Alternative academic routes include British Safety Council qualifications and some university or adult learning courses, providing they are recognised by IOSH.
The work-based route is mainly through a National and Scottish Vocational Qualification (NVQ/SVQ) Level 5 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Practice. Following this the candidate must also work through a system of Initial Personal Development (IPD) and Continuous Personal Development (CPD) followed by a peer interview.
Once Chartered Membership is attained, if a Health and Safety Professional wants to work as a consultant then they can apply for registration on the Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register (OSHCR).