TRAINING & EDUCATION
or more systematic, guided by documented materials including task descriptions, skills and knowledge requirements, and test questions. The concept of assessing competence by gathering evidence, setting criteria, using credible assessors and using standards is applicable to the assessment of competence, irrespective of the industry sector.
CONFIDENCE IN COMPETENCE
To keep themselves and others safe and healthy at work, everyone should have at least some level of health and safety competence, we hear from NEBOSH, to find out how to
ensure your company is top of the class.
Workers with a basic understanding of health and safety will be better able to work to the requirements of their organisation’s health and safety management system and, ultimately, support the business to achieve its objectives.
Competency is generally considered to have three components: knowledge, skills and experience. The UK Health and Safety Executive provides further clarity, describing it as “the combination of training, skills, experience and knowledge that a person has and their ability to apply them to perform a task safely.”
The attainment of qualifications – through formal training and education – provides practitioners with evidence of a globally-recognised standard of their education and technical knowledge. Not only can this be valuable when job seeking, but qualifications can provide the requirements needed for professional body memberships and opportunity for Continued Professional
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Development (CPD) to support them on their career path.
COMPETENCE ASSURANCE For employers looking to create a safer and healthier place of work, the introduction of a competence assessment process can offer assurances of worker capabilities. In a number of industries, competency frameworks have been adopted; a structure that sets out and defines the competences required by individuals performing specific roles. The approach also supports a fairer and more open recruitment process.
Verifying competence during recruitment, particularly for dedicated SHE roles, will seek evidence such as qualifications and professional membership, as part of the process. At interview the employer will verify that candidates can apply this knowledge through the questions asked.
By far the most common method of assessing competence in existing staff is through observation. Observation can be unstructured
Senior management competence, given the influence this group has on safety performance, is an important issue in both hazardous and non- hazardous industries. Not only must they know about and manage the risks associated with the work they oversee, but they must also demonstrate awareness of health and safety legislation and legal accountabilities. They also have the ability to influence organisational norms and drive change to a more health and safety focussed culture.
Research from Glasgow Caledonian University found that organisations employing line managers with high levels of health and safety training – broadly NEBOSH certificate level (QCF Level 3/SCQF Level 6) – have the lowest accident rates.
Matthew Powell-Howard, Qualification Development Manager at NEBOSH, said: “Qualifications can act as a benchmark of knowledge and provide employers with a useful tool during the recruitment and continued development of their workforce. The NEBOSH National General Certificate – and its international variant – are some of the most widely held health and safety qualifications in the world. They provide a broad understanding of health and safety issues but for those practitioners with greater responsibilities there are Diploma and Masters-level qualifications to equip them with more advanced knowledge.”
Occupational safety and health professionals need to maintain and extend their competence if we are to continue creating safer and healthier work environments. Knowledge is only provisional and requires refreshing, as both technology and society evolve. Developing a structured continued development plan – increasing both technical and ‘soft’ skills – is key.
www.nebosh.org.uk www.tomorrowshs.com
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