Posted By Con.. I hope to become a CMIOSH this November like many others and we all know of the personal effort required to achieve and maintain this status - however, here in Ireland no-one in Industry knows anything about this status - MD's and Production managers haven't even heard of it! What's going to be done to educate business/industry on this new competency status? In my county there are currently 7 consultancy businesses and only 2 are MIOSH,RSP. But it's making no difference to the other five consultants because no-one making the decisions in industry around here is aware of IOSH, Registered Safety Practitioners etc. We have retired teachers and guards who did a 2 week course on safety and one week on becoming a Manual Handling Instructor -- now working as H&S consultants writing safety statements, doing "risk assessments" and providing H&S training!!!! IOSH is a very strong institute and a powerful tool for it members but it needs to jump into the fore front of H&S debate in this country. It needs to be recognised be MD's, Training Managers & production/line mangers accross the country. I feel that the launch of the Chartered status is our opportunity and it shouldn't be missed! What do you think?

Posted By Bill Fisher Con As Kieran says you may have a story to tell. Can I suggest you go to http://www.iosh.co.uk/in....cfm?go=news.item&id=547 and contact Paul or Anne, they really do want to hear about particular situations. You may be able to assist them by linking the issued material to local papers, and instiutions of note. What about you writing to your local parliamentarian, radio station etc (Paul and Anne can help with the text) and get the changes recognised? Best wishes Bill Fisher (Moderator) P.s. I would be happy to make that four!

Posted By Robert K Lewis As I understand it there is to be no national event but rather individual Branch efforts co-ordinated from the centre. I personally would have thought it would have been a sensible idea to at least hold a national award ceremony for the first CFIOSH to be created but HQ feel that really the national press would not regard the event as particularly newsworthy. I am at a loss to understand how a concentration on the safety press is going to provide a sufficiently large audience of movers and shakers to make the difference. Bob

Posted By Robert K Lewis There does seem to be a caution that is inexplicable at times - but the British Safety Council seem able to make some sort of splash for their DipSM people. I think we admit defeat before we try. Bob

Posted By Robert K Lewis I didn't say that but I had a tutor who would have said it with a few more adjectives. The point is that James did know how to work the publicity machine of the dailies and gained a public profile to which IOSH still cannot quite aspire. After all many members of the public know of RoSPA and the British Safety Council but how many know of IOSH. The Royal Institute of Chemistry seems to be better known. Bob

Posted By Con.. It obvious that there is a significant PR problem which needs to be addressed. I can assure you if it's bad in the UK it 4 times worse over here in Ireland. IOSH should be to the fore-front of new legislation launches. They should be out there on TV & Radio discussing H&S issues which are currently being discussed on our air-ways without them. The strength of this organisation is it visibility and credibility amoungst the Media and the Public! I get worried when i read that individual branches are going to launch the Chartered status - this should be a nation wide effort. Membership is one thing - being heard is another! What do ye think?

Posted By Andy Petrie As a start, why don't IOSH get articles in the other trade press and industry magazines. I'm sure the main engineering instritutions IEE IChemE ICE etc, all recognise the importance of the new status and could put articles in there monthlies. There are also other industry publications like Rail News and Construction News that could be used. Have any of these ideas been considered.

Posted By Ruth Doyle Dear members, Thank you for expressing your views on this vital topic. You raise some issues I would like to respond to: 1. IOSH's national profile: You're quite right that historically, IOSH has not had as high a profile as other organisations in health and safety, and this is something that we are actively seeking to change. In fact, with appearances in the last six months on ITV'S This Morning and BBC's Politics Show, and comment, articles and letters published in the FT, Times, Telegraph, Daily Mail and Guardian, we're starting to make a real difference. However, it takes time to build this kind of profile, and it may be another year or two of concentrated effort and investment on the part of IOSH before you start to see our name mentioned as frequently as some of our competitors. 2. Promoting Chartered status: Bill Fisher drew your attention to a news item on this site which lists some of the activities we are planning in order to publicise this momentous achievement for safety and health practitioners: http://www.iosh.co.uk/in....cfm?go=news.item&id=547 Our media plan includes nationals, trade and local press, and will be driven by head office and our press agency, but will also include as many branches as are able and willing to get involved. This includes IOSH in Ireland - and branch committee will have already been informed about how they might wish to get more actively involved. We will certianly include the main Irish nationals in all our distribution lists in any case. The reason for including branches is simple - while we can send press releases to local newspapers from head office, it can often be more effective when backed up by those "on the ground". If you want to support the campaign and get more involved in helping to promote chartered status, please call our media relations team: paul.marston@iosh.co.uk on 00 44 116 257 3141 or anne.smart@iosh.co.uk on 00 44 116 257 3139. 3. Promoting Chartered Status longer term: I'm keenly aware that while 17 November marks a significant milestone, it is only the start of our efforts to promote chartered status. But to make it newsworthy and interesting, we need to demonstrate the difference it will make to businesses and their employees. So, while presenting members with Charter certificates is important to us, we also need to make it vital and interesting to others - which is why we're currently talking to members and collecting case studies and personal stories. These stories will help us to promote the value that practitioners bring to the workplace, and what difference chartered status will make for their colleagues and employers. If you feel your story would make a good case study, please contact Paul or Anne, at the contact details listed above. But promoting chartered status is not just about media relations - over the next 12 months, we will be actively targetting recruiters, other industry and trade bodies, universities and educators, to talk to them about the value practitioners bring to the workplace. We'll also be pressing the HSE to define "competence" and to reissue their guidance on Directors' Duties as an ACOP. This month, we're attending all three UK party conferences and encouraging others to press for these measures too. I hope this answers some of your questions, and I'm sure there will be further debate. Please be assured that IOSH will be promoting Chartered Status actively, and not just for a few weeks this November. Ruth Doyle IOSH Director of Communications

Posted By Tim Chartered status is the corporate body "doffing its cap" at the Crown. I am sure there are many non-IOSH safety people more than competent in their field. Don't you think? Certainly be proud to promote your chosen institution, but don't forget that it is not the only one.

Posted By Con.. Thanks Ruth for your excellent response. It's exactly what our members needed to hear. I'm going to look up that web page now & I hope that each member can contribute to this 12 month campaign - I certainly hope to! It might be an idea to keep a thread open on this topic leading up to the 17th.