Posted By gertrude Hi guys, I am looking into moving into in health and safety and currently working as a trained nurse but i also have a bsc in health promotion. I have a basic understanding of H&S but is keen to get specific training in the field. Would be an MSC in Health and Safety be ideal but I am also worried as I will not have any experience. I live in london currrently. Hope to hear from anyone. TRUDY

Posted By Alan Robson I echo the comments of other IOSH Members, the NEBOSH General Cert or NEBOSH Construction Cert would give you a better idea and enhance your employment opportunities prior to the Master. I completed the NEBOSH and although I am now working my way through the Masters, the NEBOSH will be of greater advantage to someone looking to develop and break into h&s.

Posted By Alan Robson poor advice, this why tere are so many bad consultants in h&s. do the basics get your experience and a recognised course.

Posted By snt Lets get one thing clear, the subject matter is trained nurse and also have a bsc in health promotion. With this in mind, the element of health must have been covered in the BSc course and this can be counted towards accredited prior learning. Moreover being a trained nurse couple with BSc, the subject matter grasped of epidemology and analytical skills would have been developed to grasped the safety element of the profession. There are so many route to becoming a H&S professional. The Open University course T835 would give TechSp status at the discretion of IOSH at worst Associate. The NEBOSH route is equally valid, but the cost and not been able to count the course to prior accredited knowledge makes it limited for degree holder. Wake up to reality, Health and safety profession needs bright minds and which should not limit them to NVQ routes.

Posted By Keith E So whats wrong with OU? T835 and other courses are recognised by IOSH to give MIOSH/Grad IOSH membership. I completed the OU Environmental Decision Making Diploma which was good enough. Plenty of assignments, exams, practical lab work, research/reading and extra work effort required to achieve the required standard. I have a friend who is a University lecturer with a 'normal' university, who rates the OU very highly for course content and the throughness of its exams and verification system etc. Plus its far cheaper than the various Diploma providers etc - probablt £2-3k to get the Diploma equivalent, instead of the £5-6k of commercial training providers, all for the same end result/recognition.

Posted By Keith E Still too many idiots out there, prepared to pay the silly Diploma prices. Plenty of different routes to MIOSH/GRAD IOSH. People, stop being lemmings and following the NEBOSH/IOSh Diploma route - its all a rip off, in terms of cost. OU is good value for money - just you have to be prepared to put the effort in, in your own time. You don't get something for nothing, in this world - unless you happen to be a government minister husband, must go and pay the mortagage off with that £300k that someone has just happened to give me!!, that I didn't notice in the bank account.

Posted By Alan Robson nebosh is the easy way according to these idiots, nebosh for gimps etc......

Posted By Robert Berry Is there any merit when a question is asked that it gets hijacked by people on their soap box. The question was about an MSc in safety not about the certificate. May I ask what industry snt works in? It is attitudes like yours that put people off in trying to get ahead in the field of OSH, people find it hard enough to break into HSE. What gives you the right to state that the holder of the NEBOSH Certificate is useful only as an assistant, they may have additional qualifications on top of the certificate. Despite what NEBOSH state on their web site, the certificate is often specified as the minimum requirement in the field of HSE and often in positions abroad. How does that fit in with your thinking of a certificate holder as an assistant!

Posted By Neil Denning Hi Gertrude, I personally started at the bottom IOSH Managing safely then NEBOSH Gen and following this went on to do Hons Degree at Leeds Met. I'm not saying this is the best way for you but it may be worth looking into as you would not have to do the full degree due to the fact that the Diploma (second year) is recognised by IOSH for membership. Anyway good look in the future.

Posted By snt For Robert Berry Thanks for that enlightment. The fact is that, as a popular course it has been overpriced. As to the markings, I cannot say anything as I have not attempted it. But based on the evidences on the forum, I deduced that the Gen Cert is easier to pass, with the diploma route recording high failure rate. This I can attribute to the the jump from level 3 to level 6 without natural progression and assessing the students cabilities. Like you rightly said, that no qualification could fully prepare one for H&S jobs now. Hence one should look beyond the NEBOSH and look at alternative that will give grounding in other areas such as environmental, quality and project management. Employers would soon be asking for these skills as they plan to integrrate the Quality, Health, Safety and Enviromental management as there is considerable overlap between them.