What is the register designed to do?The Occupational Safety Consultants Register (OSCR) is a first step to resolving the problems identified by Lord Young in the Raising Standards section of his report. While many businesses develop in-house competence, and do not need to use health and safety consultants (because, for example, they already employ competent persons to provide the assistance required by regulation 7 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999), some will need help. Those that use a consultant who is on the OSCR can have confidence that such a person has complied with the high qualification standards of a recognised professional body.
Who can sign up?The scheme is voluntary for individuals who provide commercial third party advice services on general safety management issues. To register, you must be a chartered member of IOSH, CIEH or REHIS or a fellow of IIRSM. Consultants with the highest qualifications and experience are eligible to apply to the OSCR: those who are recognised by a professional body have a commitment to continuing professional development, a degree level qualification, assessed experience, professional indemnity insurance and are bound by a code of conduct to only provide sensible and proportionate advice.
Why can't people who are not members of professional bodies sign up?The professional bodies provide the verification that those on the Register have a commitment to continuing professional development, a degree level qualification, assessed experience, professional indemnity insurance and who are bound by a code of conduct to only provide sensible and proportionate advice. Other consultants may regard themselves as well qualified and are not prevented from continuing their business. Consultants not yet affiliated to a professional body may wish to join one and once Chartered or Fellow status is achieved, they can apply to register on OSCR.
Will there be a joining fee or ongoing costs for being on the register?Yes, there will be a small fee to cover administration costs. This is not about making profits. The fee is yet to be established.
Who is involved in the scheme and what are their roles? Will HSE always be leading the work?HSE is working with the professional bodies and other stakeholders (listed below) as a facilitator in ensuring that OSCR is established by professional bodies as a not-for-profit company. The intention is that once it is up-and-running, HSE will no longer need to be directly involved. The exact structure of the company is yet to be finalised. The professional bodies and other stakeholders involved are: Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH ); Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH); International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM); Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS); British Safety Council; British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF); National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH); Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA); British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS); and Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (IEHF).
Will businesses still be able to use Trade Associations for advice?Yes, HSE recognises that many employers approach their Trade Associations and obtain competent advice from them. Trade Associations cannot register with the OSCR simply because individuals are only eligible to register and not groups.
What are the key milestones for the scheme over the next few years? For example, what is going to happen in January 2011?The scheme will go live early in 2011 and employers will be able to access the online database of safety consultants from then. An announcement will be made later in the year regarding the not-for-profit company, whose membership will comprise the professional bodies, that is intended to run the scheme and the precise mechanism for safety consultants to register. HSE will, in parallel, be considering the whole of Lord Young’s suggestions on the issue of raising standards.
Does membership of the register have to be renewed every year or few years?While the detail is yet to be agreed, a renewal requirement is anticipated and a small annual registration fee will be payable to ensure that the register is kept up to date and to cover administration costs. The fees have yet to be set.
Does being registered mean that a contractor is of proven good quality like bearers of a kite mark?Organisations using a consultant from the register can have confidence that such persons are highly qualified and experienced, and have been recognised as such by the relevant professional bodies which, through their codes of conduct, will require them to only give advice which is sensible and proportionate. It also means that consultants will have to be clear about those areas in which they are professionally competent. Employers are ultimately responsible for safety in their workplaces and have a duty in law to appoint sufficient number of competent persons to advise them. In complying with this duty, doing this, some will wish to have external safety advice. They should take the same steps to check the suitability and the value for money of the service as they would do when selecting any commercial service.
How will the scheme help prevent poor quality health and safety advice being given?It will create a single recognised national scheme for identifying safety consultants who have attained high degrees of qualifications and experience as recognised by the participating professional bodies.
Why is the register being set up as a not for profit company?It is simply a mechanism to administer the scheme. The details are not yet decided, but the professional bodies will be members of the company and decide together how it will be run. HSE will not be a member.
How will HSE and local authority inspectors use the register?If they encounter an organisation which has a clear need for external safety advice on general safety management issues, they can refer them to the OSCR. If they need specialist advice (for example, on managing a health surveillance programme) they will be referred to a relevant professional body.
No comments:
Post a Comment