Things that need to be considered when deciding whether to take the Certificate IV or Diploma course:
- What experience and knowledge do I already have?
- What are the job roles that I wish to pursue?
Certificate IV in OHS is the minimum requirement that most large organisations require for you to work in a dedicated role as an OHS officer. OHS officers are generally “out and about” doing training sessions, (eg. tool box talks) observing workplace practices, and reviewing current work practices to ensure compliance with Legislation.
Generally the objectives of this type of job role are to:
- Help develop, implement, maintain and review Occupational Health & Safety practices and procedures.
- Effectively manage implementation and maintenance of SafeWork Procedures, Job Safety Analysis and Risk Assessments for the organisation.
The Diploma of OHS is the qualification for the OHS manager who has a very thorough working knowledge of OHS and relevant legislation within their industry. This role is a little more “hands off”.
OHS managers are generally in more of a strategic role within an organisation and while still being in an OHS dedicated role, more time is spent in the office than out and about. OHS officers would commonly report to the OHS manager.
Generally the objectives of this type of job role are to:
- To develop, implement and maintain a strategic and comprehensive Occupational Health & Safety Management System which is inclusive of Injury Prevention, Incident Investigation and Plant Management.
- In addition to coordinating the day to day operations of the Occupational Health & Safety Department, the OH&S Manager is responsible for the auditing and reporting of OH&S systems and policy and performance compliance to OHS Legislation.
I live in QLD-WA-VIC-NSW-NT-SA-Anywhere. Is this course going to apply to my state?
Absolutely. Our OHS courses are nationally recognised. Your assessment activities will ask you to investigate your individual situation.
One of the recommendations from the National Report in Model OHS LAWS- Second Report is that -”The model Act should provide that persons conducting a business or undertaking must, where reasonably practicable, employ or engage a suitably qualified person to provide advice on health and safety matters. The qualifications of persons providing such advice should be addressed in the regulations.”
At this stage the Cert IV and Diploma in OHS are the only Nationally Recognised Qualifications for the OHS practitioner.
The 3C’s for success with OHS implementation in the Workplace.
There are 3 very important factors to consider when implementing anything new or making changes within an organisation. This is particularly important when it comes to OHS. These 3 factors are the 3C’s and they all go hand-in-hand.
- Commitment
- Consultation
- Communication
Commitment needs to come from Senior Management to ensure there is a culture of importance throughout the organisation. Senior Management need to demonstrate a commitment to its OHS policies. A very valuable way of ensuring there is full commitment at a senior level is to communicate and consult Duty of Care with the Senior Management members.
It is imperative to consult with all key stakeholders to identify hazards, determine causes of incidents and to determine the best course of action to minimise and or control risk. This is particularly performed in organisations via Committees, toolbox meetings, inspections and investigations and general walk-arounds!
Communicating processes, controls and policies is necessary to ensure that all key stakeholders understand the policies, procedures and controls. Many organisations may do this via toolbox meetings, inductions or training, noticeboards, etc.
What is 3rd party sign off?
Our Certificate IV and Diploma in OH&S are offered online, so there are many occasions where you will have to obtain third party verification of your skills obtained.
In each of these cases, we provide the form that is required to be completed and signed by a Manager or Supervisor in your workplace.
If you are ever unsure of the volume of work with your essays or projects, simply send what you have done to your trainer. The trainer will provide guidance if more is required. Your trainer will work with you to ensure that you acquire the skills and competency required to successfully complete your assignments.
Useful OHS Websites
Some great websites which are very useful for students completing either the Cert IV or Diploma of OHS can be found here. These are useful OHS websites applicable to each state of Australia.
