Posted By Dave Wilson No its not! I sometimes really despair with us H&S lot, we do the job to the best of our ability, the majority of the time with no or little thanks. "So lets get a degree then!" I fancy 'outer mongolian flute playing' and I can then do a Phd in 'jellies and other wobbly foods'. OK done that, now fancy this H&S lark its a doddle, done a two week course and I'm now an expert! After all Phd,BSc(hons),AIIRSM, Couls advance my career, might as well do a NEBOSH Cert now! Who will pay me money to advise them? This employer is looking for someone at £20k H&S Manager right up my street we say. I say what a load of Hugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble & Grub!!!!! Chartered status cannot arrive a minute sooner for me, at least we will know who is professional and who are 'playing' at it! or is someone really winding me up??? or what! Would you give this person work if your neck was on the line?

Posted By Geoff Burt I don't suppose I should respond to this Dave but let me ask you a question. Why would being chartered (and I assume you mean individually chartered) be any different from MIOSH or FIOSH recognition in the case you mention? This is a genuine question that I don't know the answer to. Geoff

Posted By Richard Spencer Dave By way of an explanation from outside of UK: In Australia a few years ago the advertisements for a safety person were low key affair, eg a two weeks course done by the National Safety Council was the norm in respect to OHS qualifications. Universities began offering courses in OHS and Hygiene and as people gained these qualifications industry became aware of the changes to the standards of education for the safety professional and the advertisement now normally require some form of Tertiary qualification. Certainly at management or consultant level need BSc or MSc standards. I guess what I am saying is that eventually in UK the market place will determine those it wants in these roles and they will set the standards that the safety person will need to meet. Employment in Aus in a role of safety coordinator requires a Grad Cert or Dip in OHS as minimum. This is so in NZ, Canada and working in the Middle East or Far East. I recently audited a Shipyard in Singapore (3,000 employees), where the client safety manager, the local representative co-auditor and myself all held tertiary qualifications in OHS. 5 years previously I would have been the only one with any qualifications in OHS. Times are a changing, and once people realise this is the future, then attitudes will change. I understand your frustration and I sympathise - however change is inevitability. Part of this is the incorporation of the IOHS. I hope this helps.

Posted By Hazel Harvey In particular response to Diane. As well as the well publicised accredited qualifications in OSH, there is a route to membership for mature graduates with degrees relevant to OSH, who can demonstrate at least three years experience in OSH matters. This group of Members are frequently called topic specialists, although in fact they are corporate members in the same way as any other. I am sure it is this group to which Dave refers and it would be undoubtedly true that in the past there have been some members admitted who would no longer meet the current qualification profile. However, many of these members have attained the relevant knowledge and experience and have in due course moved on to the Register of Safety Practitioners, so it is not for anyone to say that they are not competent because of their initial qualifications. This apart, before we get a flood of applicants with no knowledge of OSH, the Admissions Committee now police this route of entry with extreme rigour and in all but exceptional cases, applicants to the grade of MIOSH without accredited qualifications are interviewed to determine if they should be offered the grade. It is also worth pointing out that only very relevant degrees like Occupational Hygiene or some Safety Engineering degrees which are very high level but do not meet all of the broad requirements for IOSH accreditation are considered. PhD's in wobbly jelly are definately not! Just a word on MIOSH. This is in fact not a grade which recognises full comptence in practice, it is only the Register of Safety Practitioners that really does this. Here, following initial assessment by the Admissions Committee, competence is maintained by Continuing Professional Development which is monitored by peers from the profession. One of the confusions that has developed over the years since the introduction of the current membership structure is this differentation between the Register and the corporate grade The corporate grade encompasses those with relevant qualifications to broaden the base of knowledge, to fulfil our learned society role. It is these types of issues which the Council of Management will be discussing at their forthcoming meeting as well as the already aired TechSP debate. Hazel Harvey Head of Professional Affairs