Impac Brings 1st Intl. Safety Qualification to NZ

IMPAC
Risk and Safety Management Solutions

News Release

Impac Brings First International Safety Qualification to New Zealand

Impac, New Zealand’s leading provider of risk and safety management solutions, has secured the exclusive rights to deliver the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health.

About the International Certificate

The International Certificate is an intensive 2 week course that covers all essential health and safety requirements. It has been developed to provide organisations with an internationally recognised health and safety training programme for their staff.

Speaking at the signing of the licensing agreement, Mike Cosman, Managing Director of Impac said “This is a really exciting development for New Zealand as academics, regulators, business and safety groups have been crying out for a quality product to bridge the gap between short courses and tertiary qualifications. The NEBOSH qualification is recognised worldwide as being the entry level for health and safety professionals. It has a robust assessment process with exams being marked by an independent examination board, so those who pass can feel confident that they have achieved something worthwhile. Employers looking to employ safety staff or engage consultants will now have a benchmark against which to compare them to ensure they are getting high quality advice.”

Why does New Zealand need such a qualification?

The National Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Committee (NOHSAC) in its 2007 report to the Minister of Labour said
• “The quality of privately-provided training in occupational safety and health appears to vary considerably and there are few standards applied to ensure purchasers are aware of the quality of the training provided.”
• “There are no registration or education requirements for health and safety consultants.”
• “Groups within the workforce do not hold consistent qualifications”
• “The combination of performance-based legislation, lack of appropriate resources, and no registration requirements and standards for health and safety consultants means that employers and workplaces are often unsure how and where to get advice to prevent disease and injury in the workplace.”

The Department of Labour in its HSE/HSNO/IPRC Interface Report identified “…suitability of and access to available courses for health and safety practitioners” as “a means of improving the standard of service and accountability of health and safety consultants, auditors and others in the marketplace.”

The Workplace Health and Safety Strategy for New Zealand to 2015 had as one of its proposed actions to improve workplace health and safety:-
“Strengthen the competency of occupational safety and health practitioners through specialised education and training and certification and professional development programmes.”

And most recently the Occupational Safety and Health Industry Group (OHSIG) in an open letter to ACC and others setting out an agenda for change said:
“We believe that the training of OH&S professionals within NZ needs to be
improved and aligned with international standards and qualifications.”

Impac Leading the Way

Impac believes that the time for talking has passed and that there is a need for leadership.

Mike Cosman says “As a company we have an overriding commitment to professional standards in everything we do. We want others to share that commitment. We believe the best way we can do this is by providing the means for them to develop their knowledge and skills for the benefit of employers and to help reduce the appalling toll of injury and ill health to our workers.”

Wellington 2nd November 2007

Ends:

Notes for Editors:

The Certificate course runs over 10 days followed by two 2-hour written exams and a practical assessment.

After successfully completing the course attendees will be competent to:
• Understand and apply best practice international standards
• Explain the moral and economic advantages of good standards in health and safety within an organisation.
• Develop, promote and communicate an effective health and safety culture in an organisation.
• Identify the key features of a health and safety policy, the preparations and performance review of a health and safety audit.
• Understand the importance of proactive and reactive health and safety monitoring measures.
• Identify hazards in the workplace and carry out risk assessments, record findings and review procedures.
• Advise on strategies for controlling hazards, reducing risks and applying safe systems of work.
• Identify fire hazards and consequential risks, advice on measures to minimise fire risks and develop fire procedures.

About NEBOSH

The National Examination Board for Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) was formed in 1979 as an independent examining board and awarding body. It offers a comprehensive range of globally-recognised vocationally-related qualifications designed to meet the health, safety, environmental and risk management needs of all places of work in both the private and public sectors.

Courses leading to NEBOSH qualifications attract over 25,000 candidates annually and are offered by over 400 course providers in 65 countries around the world. Its qualifications are recognised by professional membership bodies including the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM).

NEBOSH examinations and assessments are set by its professionally qualified staff assisted by external examiners and its technical standards are overseen by a Qualification and Technical Council with representatives drawn from national institutions.

Partnership with CHSS

Impac has entered into a partnership with Corporate Health and Safety Solutions (CHSS) to deliver the NEBOSH course in New Zealand. CHSS has delivered leading edge health and safety training courses and provided consultancy services since 1992 across the UK and on an international level to clients from a wide range of industry and business sectors. Last year it trained over 25,000 people.

• Identify ill health effects of physical processes of work and the environment and recommend suitable measures to combat risks.
• Explain the processes and procedures for investigating and reporting accidents at work.

ENDS

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