IOSH, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, launched a new business-focused qualification for safety and health professionals at its annual international conference in Birmingham, UK
The NCFE IOSH Level 3 Certificate in Safety and Health for Business has been developed in collaboration with Ofqual-regulated awarding organisation NCFE, in response to business trends and feedback from employers, trainers and experienced practitioners. Course content has been created with input from leading businesses and thought-leaders across key sectors worldwide.
Richard Orton, director of Business Services at IOSH, said, “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.”
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.
As well as providing a technical overview of safety and health, this qualification addresses current issues demanded by employers, including how to drive programmes of cultural change. It is also includes new content such as managing uncertainty and how organisations can adapt to long-term 'megatrends' affecting the safety of the workplace. In addition, there is a strong focus on health and wellbeing, including health hazards, health assessment, global health trends and good practice. Safety and Health for Business can take less time to complete than other regulated qualifications, meaning delegates could spend less time away from the workplace.
After completing the course, delegates will have the right qualification requirements for Associate and Technical IOSH membership.
