"Health and safety practices are those actions and procedures at work that promote better health and safety". Health and safety practices could be based on national occupational standards for health and safety skills.

This web site aims to: Develop good health and safety practices. Promote vocational qualifications to demonstrate skills Improve health & safety @ work Provide online learning support for all levels at work Build on the law to create best practice

In order to develop good health and safety practices, we need a good H&S culture @ work, and this requires everybody to know what they can/should do. We have been involved with the development of H&S competencies, according to nationally recognised standards, for people to gain qualifications that can be properly rewarded. We have help pioneer these in the farming sector, because this is the most dangerous workplace in the country.

Risk Assessment

Health and Safety law says that employers have a responsibility to carry out a risk assessment - however many employees (more). They can appoint a "competent" person to carry out the risk assessment. The commonest questions are: "who makes the assessment of risk?" and "how do I know they are 'competent'?".

The answer to this is not the ambiguous answer about professional qualifications or experience, but:
"by gaining a national recognised certificate of competence for carrying out a risk assessment".
There are now both National Occupational Standards and Vocational ly Related Qualifications to help demonstrate this competence.

We have developed online Risk Assessment Programmes appropriate for people at work, based on: 5 Steps to Risk Assessment (HSE leaflet) National Occupational Standards for H&S (Unit G) to "Conduct an Assessment of Risk" Employment NTO. Learning Requirements of Nationally Recognised Awards (VRQs) in Risk Assessment - Level 2 & Level 3 (Ag/Hort)

Copyright 2009 Environmental Practice at Work Publishing Co Ltd