I have been informed by a CHAS assessor that an Honours Degree in HSE, RMAPS and MCIOB doesnt make me competent to give safety advice to a SME roofing company? Any Comments

Have they suggested what would make you competent??? Have you asked for the chas assessors competence details?? What makes a chass assessor competent to make that sort of comment.

John No because IOSH is not mentioned in the CDM ACOP but APS/CIOB is.

It may be their view that although a member and competent of those organisations etc it is specifically based on and around CDM / building issues etc, they may be looking at the wider picture and information and your understanding around other sets of legislation which impact daily on such a company, which i know you probably would cover, but without, as mentioned above, the IOSH membership, it may need to be specifically addressed and evidenced to show such.

If you are using the CDM ACOP to prove competence then CIOB is used for design and process, safety requires NEBOSH

The Director of the SME roofing contractor could in practice nominate himself as the competent person, in which instance the entire debate of professional OH&S related qualifications and memberships would be entirely irrelevant. I'm puzzled by the reported stance of the Assessor here.

It is quite clear here we do not know of all the circumstances in this case so it would be wrong to pass judgement on the assessor or BJC. I agree that contacting the CHAS scheme direct will resolve this problem instead of coming on forums to debate it.

John I trust you had approval for your statement:-) :-) BJC You have rattled off a reasonably substantial list of qualifications and memberships. I have to say that NONE of these prove competency as such - they are merely indicative. The ACOP listing again is only INDICATIVE. Competence is far bigger an issue than mere institution membrshis and qualifications. Without a detailed CV I would be reluctant to use the descriptor COMPETENT for you. Having said that I will repeat what I have said many times - the HSE themselves have caused this confusion by their often poor guidance on the matter and their lack of publicity for the best guidance document they have produced in this area -relating to competence management in safety critical control sstems etc. I recommend all practitioners to read it an then come back here for a fuller discussion of competence and the maintenance of competence Bob

The key to this was SMSTS card or a NEBOSH Cert.