Posted By TBC From the blurb of a consultancy: We provide back-up to your existing health & safety arrangements if you have a Health and Safety Adviser on-board who is not a Chartered Member of The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (CIOSH). Alternatively, the service can provide on-going technical support if you cannot justify employing a full or part time Competent Person. A Competent Person is someone who is a Chartered Member of The Institution of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH) and is a Registered Safety Practitioner with (IOSH), they should carry the letters CMIOSH. If the Competent Person is working in a consultancy role one would naturally expect a high level of competency than one would expect from an in-house advisor. This is usually demonstrated by a Higher Degree in Occupational Safety and Health Management from a UK University in addition to further post graduate qualifications in risk management in order to provide depth of knowledge. It would be reasonable to expect that a Competent Person working in a consultancy role would have served time as a board member of a large organization thus demonstrating that they have actually successfully implemented the advice that they are providing! Now I know.

Posted By Bob the Builder Hooray Maybe this will enlighten the NEBOSH Certificate brigade that they have a long way to go before they can classify themselves as: “Professional Health & Safety Consultants” “Safety Experts” If you only have to complete a 10 day course and then put the letters NEBOSH Cert after your name (yes I have seen it), then every man and his dog would be doing it. Oh – they are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted By Daniel Stonehouse Quite some time back there was a very animated discussion as to wether people should go for a degree or a diploma - unfortunately this consultancy seem to have gone a little too far towards the degree in their understanding of a competent person. But it does make me feel a little better as i will soon have a 'higher degree'. OOOOOHHH, i have a warm tingly feeling now! Seriously, it doesn't sound as if the consultancy themselves are 'competent' to judge on this occassion.

Posted By mrs.seed now look what we've gone and done, this guy is now number one on google and wondering why he is getting so many hits, probably thinks has hit the big time.

Posted By RobAnybody They do have a great graphic on their website though. If you put your pointer over the important looking little man he goes all wet & shimmery! I bet that was expensive. Rob

Posted By TBC Nice one now they are going to get double or treble hits! Didn't notice that bit RobAnybody - I stirred them 'right up' to almost vortex effect. I feel quite sick now after watching that too long........

Posted By Alison Melrose So my Masters in Ergonomics and 7 years as a consultant ergonomist doesn't make me competent enough to carry out DSE or manual assessments / training eh! Guess I need to get that CPD logbook completed so I can move up from MIOSH to CMIOSH and reclassify myself! (oh, and that graphic could give you motion sickness if you looked at it for long enough!!).

Posted By J Knight Then there's always: Competence in the sense it is used in these Regulations does not necessarily depend on the possession of particular skills or qualifications. Simple situations may require only the following: (a) an understanding of relevant current best practice; (b) an awareness of the limitations of one’s own experience and knowledge; and (c) the willingness and ability to supplement existing experience and knowledge, when necessary by obtaining external help and advice. Which is only the HSE's definition so probably not worth thinking about :-) John

Posted By Gary L "Workplace Risk Assessments - (carried out at you premises)" Fantastic!! where else would they be completed?

Posted By Gilly Margrave They seem to be connected to PCL Consulting who are listed on the HSE website. Curiouser and curiouser. http://www.hse.gov.uk/org/p.htm Gilly

Posted By Merv Newman So my 1976 BA from the open U, which landed me with my original (deeply unwanted) safety job which eventually forced me to qualify for miosh really is worthless ? Deep sigh.

Posted By Gary IMD(UK) Health & Safety World Vs Real World???

Posted By Merv Newman Martin, quite correct. Dulce et decorum. even on fridays. Gary, you'll get there. Unless it gets you. Have known personally three H&S people who have cracked. Nervous breakdowns. No sense of humour. and no management support. It's a FUN job ! And I'm telling you for the last time, LISTEN TO ME ! It's a fun job. innit ? (quiet voice in the wilderness) AAARGH. And I should tell you about MY week ? You do not want to know. Merv

Posted By Tony Brunskill Did anyone notice the regulations page reproduces in full the SI. I hope they hold the copyright or have the rights to publish. Now who enforces Crown Copyright?

Posted By TBC Far be it from me to let the new viewers dip out on this experience. The 'link', and you have to work for it, is: Amazing what you will find if you Google these words: We provide back-up to your existing health & safety arrangements Enjoy TBC