2. Where did certification for Australian Generalist OHS professional and practitioners come from?

OHS Professional/ Practitioner Certification - Frequently Asked Questions Updated 17 November 2014 There are a number of disciplines who provide OHS a...
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OHS Professional/ Practitioner Certification - Frequently Asked Questions Updated 17 November 2014 There are a number of disciplines who provide OHS advice to workplaces. Some of these disciplines already have certification processes in place including ergonomists, hygienists and medical providers. However Generalist OHS Professionals/Practitioners have lagged behind in implementing a certification scheme to ensure that those providing generalist OHS advice have the right skills, knowledge and qualifications. As part of the Body of Knowledge project funded by Worksafe Victoria, a rigorous and credible certification scheme has been developed and is being implemented. Certification will bring OHS in line with other professions such as accounting and engineering. Certification will allow the Generalist OHS Profession to take its rightful place as a capable and credible profession. This FAQ has been developed to provide information about the certification of Generalist OHS Professionals/Practitioners. The following FAQs apply to certification of Generalist OHS Professionals/Practitioners. For information on certification in other OHS disciplines refer to the relevant professional body. 1.

Why is certification important in OHS?

Certification of people providing professional services is well recognised with accountants, human resources professionals, dieticians and engineers being just a few examples. Certification of Generalist OHS Professionals/Practitioners is also standard practice in countries such as the USA, Canada, the UK and Europe. The need for a specific OHS professional certification program was recognised by Maxwell (2004) in reviewing the Victorian OHS legislation and by the Health and Safety Professionals Alliance (HaSPA, 2008). Certification sets standards of education, experience, and demonstrated knowledge and skills and evaluates people against those standards. Certification gives some certainty and guidance to employers, clients, workers and the community as to the competence and standing of the person providing OHS advice. A recent international conference on the capabilities of OHS Professionals/Practitioners identified the need for countries to establish formal, recognised certification for Generalist OHS Professionals/Practitioners that had the rigour to be recognised across country boarders. 2.

Where did certification for Australian Generalist OHS professional and practitioners come from?

The OHS Body of Knowledge which commenced in 2008 had three deliverables: development and publication of the OHS Body of Knowledge; accreditation of OHS professional education and certification of Generalist OHS Professionals/Practitioners. The structure and process for the Australian Generalist OHS professional certification scheme has been developed over three years of research, consultation and discussion. In 2007 the Health and Safety Profession Associations (HaSPA) confirmed in its minimum standards that certification of those providing OHS advice is important in achieving the highest level of protection for employees, employers (and other workplace health and safety stakeholders) against risks to their health and safety.

3.

Who is a Generalist OHS Professional/ Practitioner?

A Generalist OHS Professional/ Practitioner is one who applies a multidisciplinary Body of Knowledge in a unique way to provide enterprises with advice on the organisational arrangements that will lead to the systemic and systematic management and reduction of fatality, injury, disease and ill-health. A Generalist OHS Professional is an OHS Professional in their own right with specialist knowledge and skills in the management of safety. 4.

How will certification of Generalist OHS Professionals/Practitioners fit in with certification of other disciplines working in OHS?

There are a number of disciplines providing OHS advice within Australia, for example occupational hygienists, ergonomists and Generalist OHS Professionals/Practitioners. Each professional body will set the standard for their discipline and is responsible for certifying those working within that discipline. However it is proposed that the Australian Safety and Health Professional Associations (ASHPA) oversight the discipline specific certification programs and share learnings from each certification program. 5.      6.

Who are members of ASHPA? Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia (HFESA) Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH) Australian New Zealand Society of Occupational Medicine (ANZSOM) Safety Institute of Australia Ltd (SIA) Australian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (AFOEM) What if I am a graded member of another professional body, for example the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists, and want to be certified as a Generalist OHS Professional?

You will need to apply for certification to the SIA, the professional body representing Generalist OHS Professionals/Practitioners, and meet the specific certification requirements for a Generalist OHS professional/ Practitioner. 7. Who will certify Generalist OHS Professionals/Practitioners and Practitioners? As the representative body for Generalist OHS Professionals/Practitioners and practitioners, the SIA will implement certification of OHS Generalists. 8.

Who does Generalist OHS certification apply to?

The proposed Generalist OHS professional certification process applies to those who have a ‘Generalist’ role in providing OHS advice and support. Generalist OHS Professionals/Practitioners may be defined as “those who apply a multidisciplinary body of knowledge relating to OHS risk and the elimination or reduction of work related fatality, injury, disease and ill health in a unique way to provide organisations with analysis, advice and support on the risk controls and management processes that will lead to the systematic, integrated and systemic management of risks to result in the prevention of work related fatality, injury disease and ill health”.

9.

Is it compulsory to be certified to practice in the OHS Generalist role?

Certification of Generalist OHS Professionals/Practitioners is not compulsory. It is not regulated under law or by the State OHS Regulators or any government body, and is a process which is being voluntarily implemented by the profession to ensure the highest standard of health and safety advice is available to Australian workplaces. 10. Will certification of Generalist OHS Professional/ Practitioners be a national program? Yes – certification will be available to all Generalist OHS Professionals/Practitioners nationally through the SIA 11.

Do I have to be a member of SIA to be certified?

Membership of a professional body is important as your membership demonstrates your commitment to a code of ethics, links you with a professional complaints process and provides a structure for completing and demonstrating your continuing professional development. These are all requirements for certification and maintenance of certification. 12.

Can I remain a member of SIA and not get certified?

Yes – your membership with SIA is not affected by certification. 13.

What do I need to demonstrate to be certified?

The requirements for Generalist OHS certification include;   

knowledge, demonstrated by minimum qualifications. experience in a Generalist OHS role, demonstrated by submission of a CV with contacts for verification. demonstrated capability in practice through written reports and referees. Personal interviews will be conducted for those seeking certification as Chartered OHS Professionals/Practitioners.

14.

What are the different categories of certification?

There are 3 levels of certification Level

Qualification

Certified OHS Practitioner

Working under supervision or mentored/supported by an OHS professional Bachelor, Grad Dip 3 years Working or Masters in OHS fulltime in independently OHS including 12 months post qualification PhD, or Masters 10 years Senior/ Executive role OHS or related fulltime area organisational experience including 5 years OHS Bachelor or Grad N/A N/A Dip or Master in OHS

Certified Generalist OHS Professional

Certified Chartered OHS Professional

Certified OHS Graduate 15.

Experience (time) OHS Diploma/ Adv 2 years Diploma fulltime in OHS

Experience (role)

Assessment Portfolio report Referee interview

Portfolio of Practice Reports Referee interview s

Reflective Journal Referee interview Interview

N/A

What will I need to do if I am a graded member of SIA and want to be certified as a Generalist OHS Professional/ practitioner?

Graded members of SIA will only need to supply evidence of qualifications and experience to determine their category of certification. Your grading will be taken as evidence of the capability element. If you are not already a graded member then you will need to complete a full application for certification, demonstrating the required qualification, experience and capability. 16. Can I still use my SIA grade and post nominal? Current SIA grades will not be affected by certification and you can still use your post nominal, however new applications for SIA grading will cease on the commencement of certification. 17. What if I am a Fellow or Chartered Fellow of the SIA? The award of Fellow or Chartered Fellow is not affected by certification and you can continue to use Fellow and Chartered Fellow Post nominal. There are no plans to grandfather the use of SIA grade post nominal. 18.

What are my options if I have worked in OHS for many years but do not have the required qualification and seek certification at the professional level?

Initially those people who have a minimum of an OHS diploma plus 5 years’ experience will be able undertake the Alternative Knowledge Assessment to demonstrate the knowledge

requirements for certification as a Generalist OHS Professional. They will also need to complete the practice requirements for OHS Professional level i.e. a portfolio of practice reports and referee interviews. This will only be available for a limited period. 19.

Who will conduct the Alternative Knowledge Assessment for OHS Generalists?

The Assessment will be conducted by a university on behalf of the SIA. As study material and other support will be provided there will be a 6 month lead in period to the commencement of the Alternative Assessment program. 20.

What sort of support will I have if I wish to undertake the alternative knowledge assessment?

A few months prior to the scheduled date for the assessment you will be provided with information on what the assessment covers, how it will be assessed and a package of study material. It is anticipated that workshops and webinars will also be provided in this period. 21.

Who will assess my submission for certification?

Applications for certification will be assessed by a person or persons from a panel of assessors. To be on the panel people will have to have tertiary qualifications in OHS, at least 5 years’ experience and be certified at least to the level at which they are assessing. They will also receive training in the assessment process. There will also be a moderation process which will involve review of a proportion of the assessments to ensure consistency of approach. The proportion reviewed will vary as it will be higher in the establishment phase and for people newly appointed to the assessment panel. Assessors will also be able to refer for a second opinion where there they have any queries. 22.

Can I change the category of certification awarded to me?

Yes – Once you have been awarded a category of certification you make application to change your category. This may require providing further evidence of capability in practice or, if you do not have required qualification and you meet the requisites, and it is within the implementation period, you may sit the Alternative Knowledge Assessment for Generalist OHS Professionals/Practitioners. When you receive your initial certification you will be provided with information on options for further development or change of certification category. 23.

Can I get certified as a Generalist OHS Professional/ Practitioner if I have a related qualification and work in OHS?

Eligibility for certification as a Generalist OHS Professional is based on relevant OHS qualifications and experience in a Generalist role. People with a qualification related to OHS e.g. science, risk management, engineering can apply to have their qualification assessed against the OHS Body of Knowledge and OHS Capabilities to ensure their qualification covers the required OHS content. Applicants will then need to complete the application demonstrating the experience and capability in practice requirements. 24. Can I get certified as a Generalist OHS Professional/ Practitioner in Australia if I have overseas OHS qualifications? If you have an OHS qualification from an Institution from outside Australia you can apply to have your qualification assessed for equivalence. If the qualification is deemed to meet the requirements then you will be required to sit an assessment on Australian OHS law. Once

the knowledge requirement is demonstrated through one of these pathways you will then be required to complete the application demonstrating the experience and capability in practice. If you are certified under an OHS certification scheme from another country there may be a variation to this process. Memorandums of understanding are being considered between international safety bodies but as there is considerable variation in the approaches this is someway off and is likely to be different for different countries. Please note that the certification process does not form a valid skills assessment for immigration purposes. For information about immigration processes please refer to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection website at: http://www.immi.gov.au/Work/Pages/Work.aspx 25.

Can I get certified as a new graduate?

Yes new OHS graduates can be a certified as a Certified Generalist OHS Graduate. This indicates that you have tertiary OHS qualifications, but have not yet acquired the experience. To then be certified as a Generalist OHS Professional/ Practitioner will need to gain 3 years’ experience and undergo an Initial Professional Development (IPD) program 26.

What will I need to do to be certified as a Generalist OHS Professional/ Practitioner?

If you are a graded member of the SIA you will be able to submit a simple application to become certified. If you are an ungraded member of SIA you will be required to complete a full application including completing the capability requirements.. 27.

Will there be a cost?

Fees will be charged for certification and are estimated below. One off fees • Initial administrative transition = $130 • Initial standard application = TBA ($450) • Alternative Knowledge Assessment = TBA ($1200) Ongoing fees • Renewal & CPD confirmation = included in SIA membership renewal fee or equivalent fee for non SIA members. 28.

When will I be able to apply for certification?

Applications for transition to certification for SIA graded OHS Generalists will commence in early 2015. 27

Where can I send queries and get information?

Email your queries to [email protected] Attend a planned workshop in your state - to www.sia.org.au to register.