IOSH, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, has responded to business trends and feedback from employers, trainers and experienced practitioners to create a new way of qualifying as a safety and health practitioner.
Bev Messinger, the Institution's Chief Executive, unveiled the NCFE IOSH Level 3 Certificate in Safety and Health for Business to a packed audience at the ICC in Birmingham, UK, venue for its annual international conference IOSH 2017.
Safety and Health for Business has been developed in collaboration with highly-respected Ofqual-regulated awarding organisation NCFE, which has a wealth of experience in designing qualifications for business.
IOSH created its course content with input from leading businesses and thought-leaders across key sectors worldwide.
Richard Orton, Director of Business Services at IOSH, said: "As the world's leading professional body for safety and health, with members at senior levels in organisations of all sizes across sectors, we're uniquely positioned to hear what businesses need and how these needs are changing so we can respond appropriately.
"Feedback and insight from employers, members and training providers continues to be invaluable. We have worked very closely with key stakeholders to develop our new qualification and ensure the knowledge and solutions it teaches are relevant in a broad range of business contexts.
"The business intelligence we receive demonstrates to us the real need for rounded safety and health professionals able to work alongside business leaders helping them achieve their goals and deliver their strategies responsibly. Linked to our competency framework IOSH Blueprint, the qualification will help organisations do what they do better, more responsibly and more sustainably."
Cost-effective and time-efficient compared to other qualifications, Safety and Health for Business is designed to be highly relevant for businesses so up-and-coming practitioners understand how their specialist safety and health knowledge and skills align with and support their organisations' business strategies and objectives.
The Level 3 qualification forms part of IOSH's plans to 'enhance' the safety and health profession, one part of its WORK 2022 five-year strategy.
The qualification builds on IOSH's world-leading, established Managing Safely course to equip supervisors, managers and other delegates with the right knowledge and skills. Delegates must have completed Managing Safely or Managing Safely Refresher within the last three years.
Safety and Health for Business is taught and assessed in flexible, engaging ways. It can also take less time to complete than other regulated qualifications, meaning delegates could spend less time away from the workplace.
There are three units covering:
safety and health management in an organisation
how to influence a safety and health culture within an organisation
a strategic, business-focused approach to safety and health.
After completing the course, delegates will have the right qualification requirements for Associate and Technical IOSH membership.
For more details about the qualification, visit http://www.iosh.co.uk/safetyandhealthforbusiness