Occupational Health & Safety training where is it heading?

Occupational Health & Safety training where is it heading?

Guest post by a highly experienced and respected safety professional (name withheld)

I ask this question to my peers & friends in the Occupational Health & Safety/WHS/Education industry as I am sure I am not the only one with a genuine concern where OHS training will be in 5 – 10 years.

However I would like to start at the beginning, as far as the author could research the first OHS related legislation in Victoria was – The supervision of Workrooms and Factories Statute 1874, which made no mention of training, education or skills.[1]

The next legislation package appears to be The Factories and Shops Act 1885, which reflects for the first time regulations for training, education and certificates of competency –

“30. No child shall be employed in any factory or workroom. No person under fifteen years of age shall be employed in any factory or workroom unless such person has been certified by an inspector of schools to have been educated up to the standard of education prescribed by The Education Act 1872”.

“36. No person shall be placed in charge of any steam engine or Persons in charge of boiler used in or in connexion with any factory or workroom unless such person holds a certificate of service or competency granted by the Board of Examiners appointed under The Regulation of Mines and Mining Machinery Act 1883.”

So the concept of regulating education and competencies in the workplace was in those dark days of industrial revolution, seen as an important part of running a business successfully and safely – at least in the mind of parliament of the day.

With many Acts and regulation reviews later we have, well almost, national uniformity with training and competency as a fundamental part of OHS/WHS legislation which are supported by enforcement and heavy penalties for non compliance. Incidentally the two page document “The supervision of Workrooms and Factories Statute 1874” did have a 20 Pound fine.

The author started workplace training in the days when entry into Victorian confined spaces was regulated under the Victorian Health Act 1958 in accordance with the Health (Entry into Confined Spaces) Regulations 1984.

In those days OHS training was more hands on in a classroom environment and it was more about I show you, I tell you & then you show me you can do it, with a lecture component and then competency based training moved into workplace/ohs training which included alternative forms of evidence to show the student picked up the information and skills and a form of evidence was produced to prove this.

The higher level qualifications (Cert IV & Diploma) course timelines reflected vast amounts of information being passed onto the students which was around employability skills of what industry needed for an ohs practitioner/worker to walk in & start applying those skills/knowledge.

My concerns are around how a person can learn all about OHS to Diploma level in one week and apply what industry (employability skills) asked for to assist them to make workplaces safe.

I understand this can be done in accordance with AQF and (with respect) as a registered RTO we know it is possible.

My concerns are two fold –

1. Where will this stop & who is responsible to draw the line in the sand and how far the learning dollar can be cut before it turns into a worthless qualification.

2. Will industry except a student completing a DIP in one week and apply what is expected of an OHS Practitioner to deliver what is required of that role. Are they really capable of applying the specific state legislation eg: WHS Act legislation package, Victorian OHS, DG, EPS & AC Acts, Comcare, etc. Indeed for national operators they may need to apply all of the above.

I am not convinced this is the way forward to make workplaces safer.

I put it to you – is this the way OHS training should be heading?

I would like to thank www.safetyrisk.net  for allowing me to publish this issue.

Incidentally www.safetyrisk.net has been used by me for many years as a valuable ohs resource for my student’s ongoing education.

Name withheld for professional & ethical reasons & retaining my employment status as my views are not my employers views.

[1] ANNO TRICESIMO SEPTIMO, VICTORIAE REGINAE, No. CCCCLXVI.

An Act for the supervision and regulation of Workrooms and Factories and the Employment of Females therein. [11th November 1873.]