Posted By Hazel Harvey Brett, What I am saying is that the category of IOSH membership held by a person is only an indication of what level a person may be expected to operate. Within any of the IOSH categories there a whole ranges of people who will have varying types of qualification/ experience. The category of membership is only one aspect of a person profile. The fact that a category of membership has been extended to a larger group of people is not necessarily reducing the standing of those already in it. For an Affiliate to move to Technician Member (and that is actually the name of the category not Tech IOSH. TechIOSH purely being the post-nominals)they must have a NEBOSH General Certificate pre December 2002 and be able to show 7 years experience in a health and safety role or have a 'new' certificate level 3 based on the revised national standards at level 3 and 5 years experience. For new Techncian Members only the 'new' certificate or other accredited qualifications are acceptable. Many of the TechSPs with the Diploma part 1 don't have this length of service as only 2 years were required for this category. So although they have a qualification not as deep as the Dip 1 they compensate for this by having worked longer.This issue was debated long and hard by Council who were well aware of the implications. The longer experience requirements balance the extra academic training from those with qualifications at more depth such as the Diploma part 1. As I said the category has opened up and it will be promoted vigorously on behalf of all members but it will always be made clear that it contains a wide variety of differently qualified members. I think it is important to point out that the TechSP category was always a very transient category, the number moving through the category and on to Membership and now for many Chartered Memebrship has been a real boost to both the Insitution and the profession as a whole. However, with the closure of the Dip 1, the chances are is that TechSP would have become so small as to be untenable as a category. In some ways having more people coming in increases the chance of recognition for the whole category. Something I missed from the earlier post. The MIOSH category of membership is now closed to new members. Only those progressing through their CPD requirments under transitional arrangments will continue to use these post-nominals until the end of 2007.

Posted By Hazel Harvey Stupendous Man, I think if it had been at all possible for an upgrading for TechSP to (C)MIOSH take place it would have been made available it was certainly discussed. However, there is quite a difference between what happened to the level 3 standards and at level 4, on which the MIOSH was based. Whilst the level 3 changed its overall format the level 4, if anything actually became broader and if anything a little deeper than their predecessors. A level 3 NVQ based on the old standards is very similar to an NVQ 3 based on the new standards. Different content but same level. The NEBOSH Diploma part 1, however, does go into more depth than required by the new level 3 standards for the reason I described in my previous posting but it isn't as deep as the level 4 standards. I suppose if it were to be rated it would be about level 3.5 (which dosn't exist). So we would have been unable to justify the transfer to the MIOSH category to the Privy Council who looked at the arrangments for membership as the Diploma part 1 doesn't quite make it to level 4. The membership structure isn't just about Chartered Members it is about the contribution that all IOSH members at every level make to workplaces healththy and safe. It is an inclusive structure and will be promoted as such for all categories of membership. It is also for individual members to make known what their contributions are to the system and the value of your own qualifications. You didn't waste your time undertaking the Dip 1 what you gained was a good underpinning level of knowledge to allow you to develop your own knowledge and expertise. Hazel Harvey Director of Professional Affairs

Posted By Sarah Darlington As all of the qualifications NEBOSH currently run have been re-assessed i.e. certificate now level 3, new style diploma level 6, (plus the old part 2 still being phased out by NEBOSH) shouldn't the TechSP Safety Advisors who passed Dip 1 and have worked in the industry gaining experience over the last few years have recognition and be able to be assessed into high catergories?

Posted By Hazel Harvey As I said in my pervious postings the Dip 1 did exceed the minimum requirement for the 'old' level 3 standards but it did not meet the requirements for the level 4 standards. For this reason it does not meet the academic standards either for MIOSH in the old system or Grad IOSH in the new. So the use of CPD for transfer would not be appropriate without the evidence of a qualification meeting the specified standards (and I doubt would have been accepted by the Privy Council which doesn't seem too keen on 'grandfather rights'.) There are, however, a range of qualifications which will build on the knowledge obtained via the part 1 which can do this. As well as the obvious Diploma part 2 (which I think runs for another 3 years) there are conversion courses to the 'new' NEBOSH Diploma at level 6, a whole pack of university courses who will accept the Dip 1 as entry to the course and the NVQ level 4 in OHS Practice. I obviously wouldn't promote one route of education over any other but quite a large number of Dip1 holders have used their knowledge to underpin the NVQ level 4 and this has proved very succesful as it builds on the strengths of both types of assessment. Merv, We do have a very good President so I don't think I would want to take on his role. Neil has taken the time and trouble to answer a lot of the issues raised by this forum already and it is only his first week in the role! I'll just carry on being a battle-axe!

Posted By Merv Newman Hazel, how about "digitalia" (foxglove): stimulates the heart ? Or Salmo Trutta - (look it up (no possible hint of being an "old" one intended)) : stimulates the brain ? Blessings Merv

Posted By Jay Joshi The requirements of Privy Council can be accessed at:- On the webpage for chartered bodies:- http://www.privy-council.org.uk/output/Page44.asp "....at least 75% of the corporate members should be qualified to first degree level standard". On the webpage:- http://www.privy-council.org.uk/output/Page45.asp Ome of the main criteria for professional institutions are: (a) the institution concerned should comprise members of a unique profession, and should have as members most of the eligible field for membership, without significant overlap with other bodies. (b) corporate members of the institution should be qualified to at least first degree level in a relevant discipline; It was one thing to give the so called grandfather rights in the previous "era" and undoubtedly a "few" may have made it to the individual chartered status. I very much doubt that IOSH has done this since the mid/late 1990's and surely not since 1998.

Posted By Robert K Lewis Hazel, Jay,Neil et al have made some detailed and full responses that cannot in reality be bettered. As Hazel pointed out there are up to 2000 persons in the old TechSP area and it was a sector which was dying because the new routes would lead to other locations in the revised structure. Because some were marginally over-qualified for the TechSP grade by dint of the NEBOSH syllabus at Dip1 does not mean that they are degraded because persons of slightly lower academic attainment who still met the grade base requirements and are placed within the same grade. It is the minimum requirements that are the key to any decision concerning category of membership. Yes the vote was by the corporate membership as was part of the constitution, as all of us knew from the start that this would be so. Rules existed which required this to be so. But the suggestion of massive discontent is a true overstatement, the numbers critical still remain in double figures and if I estimate around 75 this constitutes less than 1% of non-corporate membership. Bob