International Certificate in

Occupational Safety and Health

Dr. Sara Lumley PhD, MIOSH, RSP

Director, NEBOSH

NEBOSH

National Examining Body in Occupational Safety

and Health

Aim:

– “Promoting high standards of safety and health in the

workplace through the provision of training and

education.”

Registered charity

NEBOSH Values

Robust Awards

High standards

Continuous improvement

Diversity

Service to safety, health and environment

Probity

Team oriented

Working in partnership

International

Awards

Current Awards

Diploma Parts 1 & 2 - professionals

National General Certificate - managers

National Construction Certificate

Specialist Diploma in Environmental Management

Awards in Development

International General certificate - managers

Construction Diploma (equivalent to Part 1)

Specialist Diploma in Disaster and Emergency

Management

Current International Role

Centres Outside the UK

6 exams, 99 candidates

– Bahrain

– Trinidad x 4

– Sultantate of Oman

Centres Within the UK - Overseas Courses

10 exams, 98 candidates

– Oman

– Malta

– Cyprus

– Lybia

– Iran

– Brunei

– Quatar

– Greece

Reasons to Develop the

International Certificate

International qualification to validate management

training

International organisations with managers working

in several different countries during their career

Current Certificate is based on British and

European legal standards

To aid the establishment of best practice

standards in health and safety internationally

Meeting ILO RequirementsILO Priorities for Industrialised Countries Met By Syllabus? Unit

Number

Stress, overload and pace of work, psychological factors, poor workplace relations and management

Yes, apart from poor workplace relations

15

Problems caused by an ageing workforce, maintaining ability to work

Not explicit 4

Right –to-know, right to be informed, hazard communication

Yes 1, 3, 4,

Chemical substances, carcinogens, asbestos Yes 14

Ergonomics, repetitive work and musculo-skeletal problems

Yes 13

Organisational and safety and health (quality) management issues

Yes 1, 2, 3, 4, 15, 16

Preventative occupational health services, health promotion

In the workplace, but not general health promotion

12

New technologies Yes – although the title is wide!

9

Meeting ILO Requirements

ILO Priorities for Developing Countries Met By Syllabus? Unit Number

Agricultural work accounts for 2/3 of manpower and work related problems

No

Other hazard sectors, such as mining, construction, fishery, logging and particularly dangerous occupations

Not specifically, but courses should be able to applied to specific work situations

5-15

Major industrial accidents and fires Fires yes. Not major industrial accidents

13

Traditional accident and safety problems, housekeeping and productivity

Yes 6

Occupational diseases, global programme on the elimination of silicosis

Occupational diseases and silica yes, global programmes, No

14

Vulnerable groups, in particular, child labour Not in great detail 4

Transfer of technology Title not specific

Knowledge and Competence

NEBOSH Training:

– provides knowledge base to underpin competency

Competency:

– experience of applying the knowledge builds

competency

– knowledge of limitations

Syllabus

Aims

Understanding candidates will gain at the end

of the module teaching

Content

Indicates breadth of learning

Intended Learning Outcomes

Competencies for which the module provides

the underpinning knowledge indicating depth

of learning

Part A1:

Management of Safety & Health

1. Health and safety foundations

2. Setting a policy

3. Organising for health and safety

4. Promoting a health and safety culture

5. Risk assessment

6. Principles of control

15. Incident investigation, recording and reporting

16. Monitoring, review and audit

Part A2:

Controlling Workplace Hazards

7. Safety of people and transport

8. Manual and mechanical handling

9. Work equipment hazards and control

10. Electrical hazards and control

11. Fire hazards and control

12. Chemical and biological health hazards and

control

13. Environmental and workplace hazards and control

14. Construction, demolition and maintenance

hazards and control

Module 1: Health and Safety

Foundations

Overall Aims

the scope and nature of occupational health and safety

the moral, legal and financial reasons for promoting

good standards of health and safety within an

organisation

the role of national government and international

bodies in formulating a framework for the regulation of

health and safety

the basis of a system for managing health and safety

the costs of failing to manage health and safety

Module 2: Policy

Overall Aims

the importance of setting policy in health and

safety

the key features and appropriate content of an

organisation’s health and safety policy

Module 3: Organising for Health and

Safety

Overall Aims

the health and safety roles and responsibilities

of employers, managers, employees and other

relevant parties

Module 4: Promoting a Positive Health

and Safety Culture

Overall Aims

the concept of health and safety culture and its various

components

how to assist in the development of a positive health

and safety culture within an organisation

Module 5: Risk Assessment

Overall Aims

the process of risk assessment

risk assessment recording and reviewing

procedures

– identification of health and safety hazards

Module 6: Principles of Control

Overall Aims

fundamental strategies for controlling hazards

and reducing risk

the various hazard control and risk reduction

methods available

– principles of prevention

– hierarchy of control

– safe systems of control

– permits to work

– emergency procedures

Module 7: Movement of People and

Vehicles Hazards and Control

Overall Aims

the hazards presented by the movement of people and

vehicles, and the interaction between them

the precautions necessary to control these hazards

and to reduce the risks they present

Module 8: Manual and Mechanical

Handling Hazards and Control

Overall Aims

the hazards involved in the movement of loads by

physical and mechanical effort

the risk reduction and preventive measures available

the risks involved in the use of lifting and moving

equipment

– manual handling

– fork lift trucks

– mechanical lifting equipment

Module 9: Work Equipment Hazards

and Control

Overall Aims

the hazards and risks from the use of work

equipment

the basic measures to be taken to minimise the

risks

– general principles

– hand held equipment

– machinery

Module 10: Electrical Hazards and

Control

Overall Aims

the hazards and risks associated with the use

of electrical equipment and systems operating

at mains voltages

the measures that should be taken to minimise

the risks

Module 11: Fire Hazards and Control

Overall Aims

basic fire hazards and consequential risks in

the workplace

the main measures that should be taken to

minimise fire risks

– principles of fire

– fire risk assessment

Module 12: Chemical and Biological

Health Hazards and Control

Overall Aims

the ill-health effects of exposure to chemical

and biological hazards

the options to control these hazards in the

workplace

Module 13: Environmental Workplace

Hazards and Control

Overall Aims

the ill-health effects of the physical process of work and of

the working environment

the available control options to combat these risks in the

workplace

– Ergonomics

– Hand arm vibration syndrome

– Display screen equipment

– Violence and aggression

– Stress

– Heat and radiation

– Noise

Module 14: Construction, Demolition and

Maintenance Hazards and Control

Overall Aims

the basic hazards and risks encountered in

construction activities

the measures to be taken to minimise the risks

– working above ground

– excavation

– health hazards

Module 15: Incident Investigation,

Reporting and Recording

Overall Aims

the process and purpose of investigating

incidents (accidents, cases of work-related ill-

health and other occurrences)

Module 16: Monitoring, Review and

Audit

Overall Aims

proactive and reactive health and safety

monitoring procedures

the scope and nature of a health and safety

audit

Syllabus Issues

International standards

Reading lists

Culture

Local knowledge

Language

Specific Local Knowledge Required

Enforcement agencies and regime

Local legal standards

Local sources of advice

Local requirement for workers compensation

insurance

Accident definitions and reporting requirements

Cultural issues e.g. religious issues which may affect

safety e..g. Muslims wearing turbans, „will of Allah‟

Local driving license requirements for different forms

of transport

Examinations

2 x 2 hour Written Exams

Part A1: Management (pass = 45%)

Part A2: Hazards (pass = 45%

– 1 x 20 mark question

– 11 x 8 mark question

1 x 2 hour Practical

Part B: Inspection and report (pass = 60%)

Part A1: Management Examination

Question 1

A production manager intends to implement a programme of regular

workplace inspections.

(i) Outline the factors that should be considered when planning the

inspection programme. (6)

(ii) State the main health and safety issues that might be included on

the inspection checklist. (8)

(iii) Other than three inspections, outline 3 proactive methods of

monitoring health and safety performance. (6)

Question 2

Outline the personal factors that might place an individual at greater

risk of harm while at work. (8)

Part A2: Hazards ExaminationQuestion 1

A factory uses small quantities of toxic chemicals which are obtained

from and returned to a central store room.

(i) Identify 4 possible routes of entry of toxic substances into the body

and in each case describe a circumstance in which the storeroom

staff might be at risk of such exposure. (8)

(ii) Outline the factors to consider when assessing the health risks to

storeroom staff from handling the chemicals. (4)

(iii) Outline the control measures that might be required in order to

minimise risks to the health of those working in the storeroom. (8)

Question 2

Identify the main dangers associated with excavation work on

construction sites. (8)

Practical Examination

Observation sheets

– Number of hazards identified

– Range of issues identified

– Identification of immediate, medium and long term actions

– Suitability of remedial action

Report to management

– Selection of topics for urgent management action

– Consideration of cost implications

– Presentation of information

– Effectiveness in Convincing management to take action

Examination Issues

Examining in English language– GCSE English Language, minimum grade C or

equivalent

– TOEFL Score 550

– IELTS Scoe 6.5

2 part award?

Practical exam

Training for Trainers

The best courses are:

Interactive

Visual

– „a picture paints a thousand words‟

– videos

– photographs of the workplace

Practical

On site where possible

Tailored to the organisations‟ systems

Tailored case studies, audit results etc.

Use team leaders / safety representatives to train

What is the Difference

Between Safety and Health?

Safety?Health?

- tends to affect individuals by contact - can affect everyone by exposure

- knowledge since early 1890‟s - understanding often lags behind

- obvious danger - danger builds up slowly

- known “loss” - “loss” difficult to assess

- hardware solutions - management solutions

Stages of Ill-health

Health

Time

Ill-health…..……Death

Exposure to risk factors e.g. asbestos

Disease forms (no symptoms)

Symptoms of disease appear

Asthma

Healthy Lungs

The red areas show the

densest areas of air in the

main chambers of the lungs

Asthmatic Lungs

The yellow areas above

show asthmatic obstruction,

the left lung more

constricted than the right

Damage to the Cochlea Cells

The Effects of Excessive

Exposure to Noise-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

125

250

500

1000

2000

4000

8000

9000

early

advanced

Frequency KHz

L

o

s

s

dB(A)

Frequency

31 H

z

63 H

z

125 H

z

250 H

z

500 H

z

1 kH

z

2 kH

z

4 kH

z

8 kH

z

16 kH

z

Level d

B(A

)

100

95

90

85

80

75

70

65

60

55

50

45

40

Frequency

31 Hz 63 Hz 125 Hz 250 Hz 500 Hz 1 kHz 2 kHz 4 kHz 8 kHz 16 kHz

Level d

B

80

75

70

65

60

55

50

45

40

95dB(A)

75.1 dB(A)

Noise exposure

Noise exposure

with hearing

protection

Noise Control at Source

Way Forward

Please comment on the syllabus

– positives

– negatives

– any other issues