13.05.2010

New initiative reduces qualifications confusion

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is leading a new initiative which will reduce employers’ confusion about which health and safety training qualifications to have and courses to undertake.

Unveiled yesterday at Safety and Health Expo at the NEC in Birmingham, the National Core Competence Benchmark (NCCB) is a collaborative initiative supported by a wide range of trade associations and is open to any training course provider. One of its innovative elements will be a website which lists courses and qualifications that are accredited by trade, safety or examination bodies and ranks them against recognised training frameworks.

Legally, employers are wholly responsible for judging who is, or is not, competent - an onerous duty hampered by the lack of clear standards. The NCCB will offer impartial and highly-practical assistance to employers at the point of them choosing training courses or qualifications for their staff and establishing the competence of contractors.

Employers are often overwhelmed by the sheer number and quality of courses and identifying which training promotes real competency (going beyond training course theory to promoting practical experience) can be difficult.

The website will include a tool for establishing development needs for employees holding specific positions and it benchmarks the relative level of courses.

The NCCB initiative also includes “smart card training passports” which allows contractors to store their training histories online and on electronically readable cards, so they can quickly and easily share their records with third parties.

Errol Taylor, deputy chief executive of RoSPA and a director of the NCCB, said: “Employers tell us that they are very confused when trying to decide what training to provide for their employees – both in terms of identifying reputable providers and the level of course required. The NCCB is a fantastic initiative that will support employers while they are assessing what training they need to provide for their employees and also when they are establishing the competence of potential contractors.”

The NCCB website is being developed to include numerous recognised courses from a diverse range of training providers including safety bodies and trade associations.

Details about the NCCB can be found at www.rospa.com/WorkplaceSafety/nccb/