Competence of Safety and Health Practitioners in the UK

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Competence of Safety and Health Practitioners in
the UK

• Rob Strange - Chief Executive
• The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health
  (IOSH) - UK

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Two ways of legally defining competence

• In statutory legislation
• By definition in civil law

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Statutory Requirements for Competence

• Management of Health and Safety at Work
  Regulations 1999 (enacted under the Health and
  Safety at Work (etc.) Act 1974)
• Every employer shall appoint one or more
  competent persons to assist him in undertaking
  the measures he needs to take or comply with the
  requirements and prohibitions imposed upon him by
  or under the relevant statutory provisions.
• A person is regarded as competent for this
  purpose when they have sufficient training or
  experience or knowledge and other qualities to
  assist in undertaking the measures required.

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Civil Law Requirements

• Civil law definitionSkibbs vs Gibson 1964 A
  competent person is someone who knows what they
  are looking for and can recognise it when they
  see it.

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National Occupational Standards in OSH Practice

• Recognised in UK national occupational standards
  framework however these have no legal standing
  as such. Have not been tested in a court of law.

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How IOSH fits in

• IOSH, as a professional body recognised by
  Royal Charter as being the premier body for OSH
  Practitioners in the UK, is allowed to set its
  own standards for practice but has chosen to use
  the UKs national standards to underpin its
  membership categories.

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IOSH requirements

• The IOSH categories of membership, for
  individuals, are based on a combination of
  knowledge, skills and experience and all three of
  these elements of competence are assessed.

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Chartered Members

• IOSH members who have degree level
  qualifications and have been assessed by IOSH
  for skills and experience via an Initial
  Professional Development (IPD) Programme are
  deemed competent to give professional advice.
• They are given the title
• Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner
• Although they use their Institution
  designation on business cards etc. (CFIOSH or
  CMIOSH)

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Technician Members

• Technician Members have a secondary level
  certificate in health and safety, offered by
  awarding bodies recognised by the UK Educational
  Frameworks.They are also assessed for experience
  in a health and safety role before being allowed
  entry to the Technician Member category. These
  members are competent to fill a day-to-day role
  in OSH and can use the designatory letters
  TechIOSH.

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Ongoing Competence

• All members using IOSH competence titles (CFIOSH,
  CMIOSH and TechIOSH) are required to undertake
  Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to
  maintain their professional accreditation. An
  on-line CPD scheme, via the IOSH web-site, was
  introduced earlier this year.

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The future.

• Health and Safety practice is no longer seen as a
  role for well-meaning, but unqualified, amateurs
• Those involved professionally in health and
  safety, at whatever level, should be able to
  demonstrate their initial competence (via a
  combination of qualification, experience and IPD)
  and their ongoing commitment to maintaining this
  competence, via CPD activities
• The world of work is a safer and healthier
  place because of this commitment!