Hi all As safety professionals we are increasingly asked to take on more responsibilities in the workplace. One area I have been asked to look into is environmental policy ISO 14001 etc It is of particular interest to me but what would be the best way forward to gain competence? Thanks Dave

While there is common ground between Health & Safety and the Environment there are also very significant differences. In my professional opinion there are far too many Health & Safety people who assume the environmental mantle without the necessary expertise or understanding in the environmental arena. I would suggest that if you want to know about credible Environmental Qualifications, you should be speaking directly with the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) which is the largest professional membership body for the environment.

At the end of the day its going to be about what level of competency you need versus how much you can shell out or how much your company will shell out to ensure your competency. In my role we are getting more and more "E" pushed in our direction. We have corporate environmental people but at site level the duty falls to the HSE Advisor. Environmental has always been a week areas for me and I looked at the NEBOSH Env Diploma but assessed it as more than I really needed and it was expensive. (cost v value) I plumped for the Bath Uni core module in Integrated Environmental Management, it was relatively cheap and is well written, academically I'm sure where fall but prob in the area of PG cert but much shorter in duration. It is IEMA recognised and gives you associate membership if you finish the course. It has however sparked an interest so I've also looked a Derby's PG Dip but due to other commitments its impossible right now. Finally if its 14001 compliance you are interested in then maybe the LR 14001 Lead Auditors course might suit your needs, certainly helped me when we were going thorough certification. Bottom line is as others have pointed out, both you and your employer have to ensure your competence, only you two know the ins and outs and what level is required..... Hope this helps Rgs Ian PS Grab a copy of Essentials of Environmental Management Hyde and Reeve - (see other thread on book recommendation) Cheers