Posted By Richard Jones
We are now calling the course “Workplace Hazards Awareness Course”, which will align with the name of the qualification British Safety Council is providing “Workplace Hazards Awareness Qualification”. Other relevant facts are:
? It is an ‘entry level 3’ on the national qualification framework, accredited by Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and will be offered in the national curriculum to year 10 and 11 students, prior to them doing their ‘work experience’. This means it is at a very basic level (around GCSE grades D – G) and is lower level than IOSH Working Safely, which is around national level 2 and so much lower than IOSH Managing Safely, which is around national level 3.
? The course is co-funded by IOSH and HSE and will be offered free to all schools who want it.
? To keep costs down, it is being produced as a web-based resource and teachers will be able to use the materials in a number of ways:
o they use it interactively on-line, with the whole class or with students at individual PCs;
o they can download and print the materials and use them as hard copy; and
o they can use some of the material as presentation material (instead of PowerPoint).
? The materials will be housed on the IOSH ‘wiseup2work’ website (WU2W -
www.wiseup2work.co.uk) and teachers can now register their interest by clicking on the ‘laptop’ in the WU2W office.
? The initial designs of the material will be completed in time to pilot it in about 10 schools (including two special needs schools).
? Following the pilots and finalisation of the materials, they will be placed on WU2W and there will be an official launch ceremony on the 3 November 2006, at which Lord Hunt of Kings Heath will deliver a key note speech and award prizes to winners of the ‘speak up’ competition (also running on the WU2W website).
? Schools that take up the course will be able to apply for certification for their students via the British Safety Council, which has had the assessment criteria accredited by the QCA against the national occupational standard created by ENTO.
This is about as much information as I can give at this point, but WU2W website and the IOSH website home page will carry more details nearer the launch. I would encourage anyone who knows a teacher in secondary education, to point them in the direction of WU2W.
Richard Jones
IOSH Director of Technical Affairs