Getting the ticket

They also need at least three years' professional experience. Corporate members of IOSH are entitled to use the designatory letters "MIOSH" after their name. Graduates in occupational health and safety can join IOSH at non-corporate graduate level while gaining the experience needed to upgrade to full corporate status. Graduates may use the designatory letters "GradOSH".

Personnel assisting more highly qualified occupational health and safety professionals, or dealing with routine matters in low-risk sectors, may join IOSH as a Technician Safety Practitioner (TechSP). Gaining TechSP status can act as a stepping stone to further qualifications and corporate membership of IOSH. A TechSP must have two years' relevant experience and hold:

The criteria for the accreditation of a course by IOSH closely follow those set out in national frameworks for higher education and occupational qualifications. IOSH regularly reviews the criteria for accreditation.

Degrees and higher education diplomas

Higher education institutions in the UK, Australia, Malaysia, Malta, Hong Kong and Eire offer IOSH-accredited courses that can lead to membership. Study methods include full-time, part-time and distance learning. Institutions will accept a range of previous qualifications in considering a candidate's suitability for a course and will take account of practical experience. A lack of formal qualifications need not necessarily be a barrier. Assessment is by coursework and, in some cases, examinations.

More than 20 UK higher education institutions offer IOSH-accredited courses (see table 1). The majority of these lead to a post-graduate diploma (PGD) in health and safety that, upon completion of a research project and dissertation, can lead to a Master of Science degree (MSc - see box 2). MSc and/or PGD courses are normally taken by those who have already been working in the field and who are looking for an additional qualification to enhance their careers.

Some institutions offer courses leading to a higher education diploma or a degree of Bachelor of Science (BSc). These diplomas are usually composed of the core occupational health and safety elements of a BSc degree (see box 3). Again, the diploma is usually taken by health and safety professionals, seeking to upgrade existing qualifications and achieve professional recognition. A full-time BSc degree course is more likely to attract school-leavers planning to enter a career in health and safety, although the part-time option may appeal to those working in health and safety who do not have a first degree.

NEBOSH Diploma

Founded in 1979, the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health is an independent awarding body. The NEBOSH National Diploma in occupational safety and health is divided into two parts (see box 4). Successful completion of the Part 2 Diploma satisfies the qualification requirement for corporate membership of IOSH.

Courses for the NEBOSH Diploma Part 2 are available at nearly 30 accredited centres in the UK (see table 2). Programmes of study can be part-time (day and/or evening), full-time block release or open/distance learning. Assessment is by five assignments, one for each module, and a final examination comprising two written papers. Only students who have enrolled with NEBOSH through an accredited centre, and who have satisfied the coursework requirements, can register for the examination.

Ensuring quality

NEBOSH has teams of professionally qualified examiners, moderators and assessors, overseen by an advisory committee. The Committee is composed of representatives from commerce and industry, government, trade unions, professional bodies and course providers. The NEBOSH Diploma is also accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). The QCA specifies the characteristics needed for a qualification to be admitted into the national qualifications framework along with the processes and procedures needed to ensure high quality, consistency and rigorous standards in assessment and awarding of qualifications. The QCA requires that occupational qualifications are consistent with national occupational standards - the standards upon which Scottish and National Vocational Qualifications are based. The national occupational standards for occupational health and safety practice have recently been revised and NEBOSH is considering how these changes may affect the structure of the current diploma.

The quality of higher education qualifications is assessed by the institutions' own systems and monitored by The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). The QAA reviews courses to ensure that public funding is supporting education of an acceptable quality. Reviewers are academic and professional peers in the subject. Most come from UK higher education institutions, others are drawn from industry, commerce, private practice and the professions.

The QAA measures each provider's success in achieving the aims and objectives the provider sets out. Reviews encompass all teaching and learning activities, including: direct observation of classroom, seminar, workshop and laboratory situations, the methods of reviewing students' work, the students' work and achievements themselves, the curriculum, staff and staff development, the application of resources (library, information technology, equipment), and student support and guidance. QAA reports of reviews are available on its website.¹

VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

The central feature of VQs is the national occupational standards that describe what competent people in a particular occupation are expected to be able to do. They cover the main aspects of an occupation, including current best practice, the ability to adapt to future requirements and the "domain" knowledge and understanding, which underpins competent performance.

VQ classifications are based on the competence levels required. As a general guide:

VQs are achieved through assessment and training. Assessment will normally be through on-the-job observation and questioning. Candidates compile a portfolio of evidence to prove they meet the standards of competence set out for each of the VQs. Candidates who do not already possess the relevant domain knowledge may need to attend an appropriate study programme in conjunction with the scheme.

Assessors "sign off" units when achieved - they test candidates' domain knowledge, understanding and work-based performance to make sure they can demonstrate competence in the workplace. Assessors can be in-house, trained employees or external people brought in specifically to conduct assessments.

VQs in health and safety

National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (N/SVQs) in occupational health and safety practice had been available at two levels of core competence since 1995: level 3 "for practitioners in workplaces where the risks are relatively straightforward" and level 4 "for practitioners in workplaces where the risks are more complex". The NEBOSH Diploma Parts 1 and 2 constituted the domain knowledge for the Level 3 and 4 VQs respectively.

As part of a systematic review, the standards for VQs in occupational health and safety have recently been revised.² A Level 3 VQ is available in "occupational health and safety", but there is now only one level of core competence for practitioners - level 4 "occupational health and safety practice" (see box 5). The new standards for the level 4 VQ are all specific health and safety standards, whereas the previous Level 4 VQ included some standards transposed from other sectors. The new standards reflect modern health and safety practice focusing on management systems and the approach set out in the HSE book Successful health and safety management (HSG65).³ Candidates who were undertaking a VQ under the previous qualification structure have three years to complete the qualification from the date they started.

A Level 5 VQ is available in "occupational health and safety practice", but this does not satisfy the core requirements for corporate membership requirements of IOSH, and is viewed as a strategic management qualification. Nevertheless, it will be useful as a tool for continuing professional development (CPD).

Prospective candidates for VQs should contact the awarding bodies (see box 1) for details of assessment centres. VQs are also available for radiation protection workers (Level 4) and health and safety regulators (Level 5).

Registered safety practitioners

Corporate membership of IOSH will be taken by many as a recognition of a health and safety practitioner's competence, although strictly this is not the case. To distinguish between those who carry out the general health and safety practitioner's role and specialists who do not undertake a general role, IOSH has established the Register of Safety Practitioners (RSP). The Register provides a means of identifying and measuring practical ability in addition to professional knowledge within occupational safety and health. It provides employers, clients and regulatory bodies with an accepted standard of competence and capability for general safety practitioners.

Members of IOSH who want to join the Register must have:

Members of the Register may use the designatory letters "MIOSH, RSP". To remain on the Register, practitioners must continue to hold corporate membership of the Institution. They must also confirm when renewing their membership that they have maintained their competence through IOSH's CPD programme. Although corporate membership does not currently require members to undertake CPD, IOSH is reviewing this position and it is likely that in the future CPD will also apply to corporate members.

NEBOSH in decline?

The route taken to gain corporate membership of IOSH has changed significantly in recent years. For the past 10 years, IOSH corporate membership has been growing at around 1,000 members a year. Until five years ago, the majority of applicants had taken the NEBOSH Diploma, but this is no longer the case. Of the past year's applicants, 54% had taken a university degree or diploma, 25% had undertaken a N/SVQ and 21% had taken the NEBOSH Diploma Part 2.

This change is most likely a reflection of the increasing availability of higher education courses in recent years, rather than an implied criticism of the NEBOSH course. Candidates who already have a first degree may be more attracted to an MSc, which offers a logical academic progression. A further factor is the significant number of more recent applicants who have obtained their higher education qualification abroad; the NEBOSH Diploma is not offered outside of the UK.

The route ultimately chosen to reach corporate membership will depend on many personal factors, but all will involve the investment of substantial amounts of time and money. By and large, the VQ route is cheapest because it involves least face-to-face contact with the assessor. Generally, fees for other qualifications will be at least £2,000. All of the qualifications are likely to take at least 12 months and require hundreds of hours spent in tuition and personal study. The rewards may include better promotion and employment prospects, but the practitioner also has the confidence that comes from knowing that they have met an internationally recognised standard in their chosen profession.

Table 1: UK degree and diploma courses

The courses in the table are accredited by IOSH and satisfy the academic requirements for membership. Details of the individual courses can be checked at the appropriate website: although all deal with occupational health and safety, some combine this with management in other areas, such as environment, safety technology or total quality.

Source: IOSH.

Table 2: NEBOSH diploma courses

Source: NEBOSH.

¹www.qaa.ac.uk.

²Details of the new standards are available on the Employment National Training Organisation website at www.empnto.co.uk.

³HSG65, HSE Books, ISBN 0 7176 1276 7, £12.50.