Posted By NSO
Recently disappointed to find that my well earned diploma was worthless after 5 years. I've taken the NEBOSH Fire Safety and Risk Management course, with good marks in 2 units, unfortunately I won't get the full qualification parchment because I'm time barred. I needed a 3rd unit of the general certificate within 5 years. So if any of you are thinking of brushing up and hope to get something worth having, beware you're not forced to get it.

Yes there are reasons why this is so but it seems strange that they (NEBOSH) devalue there own qualifications after 5 years, perhaps I'm cynical but surely it can't be money related, can it?

Posted By NSO
Hi Billy

heard you and Matt had passed.

well done

Nick

Posted By Brian John Abbs
Congratulations one and all.

Back on subject, Is it not the case that most qualifications remain relevant for about 5 years?

I remember being told as an eleven year old schoolboy "Books are out of date by the time they are published".

Technical developments and new knowledge, progress in the field tend to mean that what we learnt five years ago is now out of date.

Which could be why CPD is so important to/for us.

Posted By Mart
My GP passed his doctorate many years ago. Is he then still qualified??

Posted By Teresa Budworth
Reply from NEBOSH:

I understand that it may seem unfair that your Diploma achieved more than 5 years ago cannot count towards the new Fire Certificate. I wanted to explain the reasons why.

NEBOSH is accredited as an Awarding Body by the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and we also seek to have our qualifications accredited by them. This means that we have to follow their rules, and in particular the Statutory Regulations on design of qualifications. The Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management was designed as a “unitised” or modular qualification in line with the latest Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA) regulations. This means that anyone can choose to take just the course for the unit in fire safety. If you pass the exam, you will get a certificate showing your success in that unit.

If you want to achieve the whole qualification, then you need to take the Management of Health and Safety unit and examination (which is common to this qualification and the National General Certificate). You are exempt from this unit if you have already achieved the National General Certificate, the Construction Certificate or the Part 1 or Part 2 Diploma or the National Diploma within the last five years.

QCA do not set hard and fast rules regarding the time period in which a unit can be combined with other units and count towards a qualification. However, we need to demonstrate to them that the time period is valid. In the case of health and safety law, which does change over time, 5 years was accepted by QCA in their accreditation of the National General Certificate (NGC). The Fire Certificate which uses the same unit on health and safety law as the NGC, follows the same model, as will the Construction Certificate, which will be available as a unitised qualification from the December 2007 examinations (QCA willing!)

We recognise that this disadvantages those who took their qualifications more than 5 years ago, but as you can see, we had to draw the line somewhere.

You do have the option of re-taking Paper NGC1 i.e. the Management paper without taking the course, but as a Diploma holder the only benefit to you would be to entitle you to the full qualification parchment.

Incidently the fee NEBOSH charges for sitting this paper is £45.

Posted By Stupendous Man
Typical response from NEBOSH really.

'Things have changed - now you have to do things differently'

There is very little empathy with people who have been studying (often struggling without employer support) and now find that the goalposts have moved half way through their career progression.

There are many other qualifications out there - NEBOSH does not have a monopoly on H&S qualifications.

Posted By Stuart James Gornall
I personally will not undertake the NEBOSH Fire Certificate as in my opinion it does not make you competent to undertake anything other than a very basic Fire Risk assessment in low risk premises

I received the course materials and found that without any study whatsoever

I COULD HAVE PASSED THE COURSE EASILY!

Worrying really This is with a none Fire Safety background

Discuss

Posted By Geoff Parkinson
Surely, as soon as you put a life expectancy on a qualification you create an income generator? Same as CPD or any other process that requires financial input to a service provider to maintain 'status'.

I guess its a bit like putting a shelf life on something - let's take harnesses for example. You open the sealed bag it arrives in and the clock starts ticking. After 5 years - even if you only wore the harness once - it should theoretically be changed (if manufacturer says it will last 5 years).

I know sport climbers who have been using the same harness for 20 years and they are perfectly useable - the rules don't apply to an individual in sport. However, if I was in industry and only used my harness occasionally, I'd have brought 4 over the same time period!

Time to forget H&S and move into manufacture and training , it seems to be where the smart money is :-)

Apologies for the cynical outlook, must be Friday!!