Leckie, first of all, the Managing Safely is NOT a qualification. It's just a course of learning, and it's just a one-day course.

As IOSH say on their site 'IOSH Managing safely is a flexible course that is ideal for getting managers up-to-speed on the skills they need to tackle safety and health'.

So, secondly, are you a manager, or is the new job a manager job?

Edited by user 25 August 2017 19:32:13(UTC)  | Reason: typo

Sorry Leckie if this sems it bit sharp, but as a training provider I would say that if your only reason for attending any health & safety course is to tick a box on an application form it really does not matter were or how you do the course.  

OK, I totally accept your comments. Yes I accept that I would not have applied to carry out the specific course if the employer had not requested it, but I can assure that I am in no way dismissive of H&S. I have self studied to be able to use and apply safe working practices and complying with CDM regulations as required in the course of a operating my own business for many years. Its just that until recently this was carried out with the assistance of a 3rd party to ensure that our working pracrtices were safe and compliant. I am now in the middle of a bit of a career shift and I need this qualification in order to start training for my new role. So this isnt the end of my H&S formal eductation, its a step so that I can begin it. As I said my new position is not involved in teaching or managing H&S, it is in a different role but it requires verification that I have a basic understanding to begin with. Additional training will bw given as required.

I am already looking at the other courses that have been mentioned and intend to persue them as part of CPD and for my own interest. I am doing a basic safety exam next Friday but that is part of my general industry requirements.

I know it looks like I am just doing box ticking, but I can assure you thats not my actual mindset, I am very keen even as older person to learn and keep up with the requirements of my own industry. I generally carry out electrical inspections and condition reports so I very aware of the importance of safety. 

Sorry if I cause any offence to any of you, and having re-read my posts I appreciate it does look like I just want to get a job, with no real regard for or respect for the H&S industry, but that is not the case at all.

Originally Posted by: Leckie

Just for clarity, my preferences are these;

It would be easier for me to do the course online because it fit in with my availablle time.

If I can do the course online, presumably I would be able to start it straight away so the time frame to completion should be shorter

My concerns are,

are the online courses any good?

If so who are the better providers?

Are online course as acceptable to employers as class trained courses?

So I want to complete the course as quickly as reasonable, feel that the course I do is actually good, and that it is acceptable to the majority of employers. The employer in question in this case are huge, and I will ask them tomorrow if they think an online course is acceptable and just as good. If not I will be looking for an authorised trainer in Northamptonshire - anyone know any?

 I

Sorry if you felt a bit "got at".  The curse of the written word - no nuance or expression.

I can't answer all of your questions, but in my own opinion feel that the MS would only be any good if you were not really doing H & S as a significant part of your job. 

With regard to it being acceptable to the majority of employers, I suppose that would depend on the industry and what they understood to be H & S.

I have interviewed hundreds over the years and I wouldn't ever take Managing Safely, online or otherwise, as a recognised H & S qualification.  But if this company think that it is and that's what they are asking for, that's up to them.  I'm just not sure how marketable/trasnferrable it would be

Still, just my opinion

Good luck

Welcome to the forum Leckie! ;)

The managing safely course is very basic, I insisted on my wife doing this when we had our last business and she was the manager/director on site most of the time.

It doesn't give you much more than a basic overview.

However, as far as online vs attendance goes, I cant help.

Think about the other courses you have done, would you accept a totally online version of some of those for the people that you would be looking at to employ?

Cheers,

Paul

The job advert isn't too clever - it lists the IOSH Course under both "desirable" and "essential."!

Not essential for an NVQ assessor post IMHO. I'd suggest you clarify if this is essential, admit you don't have it but express interest and enthusiasm for gaining this or similar within your application.

Might be a clue here that they're likely to punt a couple of H&S related questions to you at interview around maintaining personal safety in the workplace.

NEBOSH general cert is where you need to start.

Did you find out whether online was acceptable Leckie?

Thanks for those replies, much appreciated.

The company hasn't come back to me yet to tell me if the online course is satisfactory, but I had an email saying they have passed it on to HR. I'll give is a chase.

I have looked briefly at the NEBOSH General Certificate; is the National Certificate also NEBOSH?

Sorry if thats a dopey question but I am not at all familiar with the various H&S bodies and what are considered the correct routes for general qualifications.

Its a bit like when someone want to train as an electrician. they do various course but then fins they have spent time and money but end up with a qualification that does not permit them to be graded as an electrician and obtain an ESC card to allow them onto a construction site.

I am now understanding that I need to dip into my pockets and do a longer course that leads to a recognised H&S qualification. Although I dont want to work in the H&S industry as such, it would be benificial as a means of providing evidence of H&S competancy and obviously to build a useful level of knowledge. What i really need to get to is something that is useful in acheiving compliance with the CDM Regulations, the general H&S requirements and legislation, and being able to assess and document requirements in the general work place. Not at the expert level of you professsional, but as a manaager/contractor in the Electrical contraction industry.

I suppose what I should do is a basic general course that leads to a recognised qualification, and then add on other bits as specifically required.

Thanks Ang, good info for me there. I am starting to get the picture a bit now!

I really need to do a classroom or online/elearning type of basic qualification, but something that is both useful and recognised. I will have a good look through the NEBOSH site and see what I can glean from it.

I want to do an assesors course as well for assessing apprentices in the workplace. So my time is a bit limited as I have to work as well. Also the courses are quite expensive, but I fully accept that  to have something of value I need to invest both time and money.

Leckie –

The question of online v distance learning v classroom based training is a constant topic on this forum. Basically there is no right or wrong answer it depends on what works well for you. Over the years I have undertaken H&S training by every route. Each has its own benefits. NVQ style on the job training if done well is in my view the most effective as you are actually experiencing/demonstrating the skills you need, done badly and its hopeless!

I have done distance learning courses, the better ones have online support and “tutor assessments or review” of work you are undertaking to review your learning. The downside to these is the lack of interaction between students/trainer on a day to day basis to discuss issues. My distance learning courses were not the first H&S training I had undertaken; they were to increase my knowledge. As I was already working in the industry I had people around me to discuss topics I was unsure of. To undertake a distance learning course in a new field in my view is very difficult, and from your post while you are clearly very experienced in some areas I suspect many aspects of the NEBOSH certificate would be new to you.

Classroom based training has many benefits not least of which is the ability to discuss with other students the topics being studied and the ability to ask the trainer questions about anything that is not clear.  Have a look at your local collages (we used to call them technical collages back in the day) many offer NEBOSH training as day release and some as evening classes.

Sorry that turned into a bit of an essay – good luck with whatever course you decide is best for you.

Thanks for the patient explanations

Having thought this through a bit, I think the advice to attend a classroom is spot on. I will have a look whats availible locally and get it sorted. I am not sure how I can do the work place assessment. I have my own industrial unit but work by myself. I could get a client to let me use their unit as an excercise place if this is permitted, i have a good friend that has several warehouse/offices that I look after electrically. Would that be possible do you think?

Yes, Leckie that the one.

It is perfectly reasonable to do your NCG3 in any workplace.

Leckie

Its been a while since we put anyone on the course – but the last time we used our local Technical College (now part of a big university group). The practical assessment was carried out in one of the classroom/workshops (wood and metal work if my memory is not failing me).  That way the examiner knew exactly what you were looking at and what they would expect in your report. They may have changed the system as it was some time ago – but they should advice you on if a premises would be suitable to use.