Health and Safety Executive

Health and Safety Executive

Vocational Qualifications

for Health & Safety in

AgriculturePresented by Alastair Mitchell

Background

• How do we achieve significant reductions in

• accidents and ill-health?

• HSC/HSE and other stakeholders believe there needs to be a fundamental change in attitude to H & S in agriculture

• Good health and safety management is an integral part of good business management

• Address the culture of unwise risk taking that exists in the industry

• Key elements in bringing about change are:

• raising competence of farmers to manage health & safety

• (ii) giving workers knowledge of key hazards/risks/controls

• Many awards in the Agricultural sector include elements of Health & Safety but little reference to it as a management or managerial process

New Qualifications

Three levels accredited by QCA:

Level 2 Certificate in Working Safely in Agriculture/Horticulture

Level 3 Certificate in Controlling Risks to Health and Safety in Agriculture/Horticulture

Level 4 Certificate in Managing Health and Safety in Agriculture/Horticulture

• Qualifications available either through NPTC/City &Guilds or Lantra Awards

• Both organisations are recognised Awarding Bodies approved by the regulatory body the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

• Candidates contact approved Assessment Centres to register for assessments (either through NPTC/City & Guilds or Lantra Awards)

• Quality assurance is through NPTC or Lantra Awards examiners marking the independently set exams and assignments, thus giving the qualifications a consistent standard wherever taken

Level 2 Certificate in Working Safely in Agriculture/Horticulture

• 1 unit with 10 learning outcomes

• Available to candidates aged 14 years and over

• 20 GLH

• Focus on the identification of farm hazards and typical control measures

• Training course available through Lantra Awards

• No formal prerequisites/entry requirements

• Registration fee = £40 per candidate

• NPTC and Lantra Awards registration fees and question banks are identical

Assessment – Level 2

Single multiple choice test

• 30 questions

• 1 hour

• Specific to agriculture and horticulture and are relevant to all candidates

• NPTC offers a GOLA test (Global On-line Assessment)

- Provisional results are automatically generated and given to candidates at the end of their test

- Results are then confirmed after 48 hours

• Lantra Awards offers a paper based multiple choice test- Papers returned to Lantra Awards- Results are then confirmed within 10 working days

Level 3 Certificate in Controlling Risksto Health and Safety in Agriculture/Horticulture

• 2 units with learning outcomes

• Available to candidates 16 years and over

• 30 GLH

• Training course will be available through Lantra Awards (on-line package under development)

• Registration fee = £126 per candidate.

• NPTC and Lantra Awards registration fees and question banks are identical

Assessment Level 3

Unit 1 - Multiple choice test

• 30 questions

• 1 hour

Unit 2 - Work-based assignment

• Specific to own place of work/ college unit

• Available from NPTC/Lantra Awards

• Marked by NPTC/Lantra Awards examiners

• Verified by Awarding Body verifiers

• Results submitted to Awarding Body by examiners

Unit 2: Work-based Assignment

Assignment specific to the candidates place of work covering:

• Background information on the farm/horticultural holding

and candidates role in the business

• Carrying out a task specific risk assessment on workplace transport and one other work activity, eg manual handling task

• Communicating risk assessment findings to people in the

workplace

• Selecting the right equipment to do the job

• Appointing a competent contractor

Level 4 Certificate in Managing Risksto Health and Safety in Agriculture/Horticulture

• 2 units

• Available to candidates 18 years and over

• 30 GLH

• Registration fee = £136 per candidate.

• NPTC and Lantra Awards registration fees and question banks are identical

Assessment Level 4

Unit 1 – Written examination paper

• 7 questions

• 2 hours

• Exam conditions

Unit 2 - Work-based assignment

• Specific to own place of work/ college unit

• Available from NPTC/Lantra Awards

• Marked by NPTC/Lantra Awards examiners

• Verified by Awarding Body verifiers

• Results submitted to Awarding Body by examiners

Unit 4: Work-based Assignment

Assignment specific to the candidates place of work covering:

• Key elements of successful health & safety management

• Protecting the health & safety of workers

• Standards of training & competence

• Communicating information outside the business

• Creating a positive health & safety culture

Bespoke programmes have been developed to support Certificates in Health and Safety Agriculture/Horticulture:

• Working Safely in Agriculture/Horticulture available now

• Controlling Risks to Health and Safety in Agriculture/Horticulture available from summer 2007

• Managing Health and Safety in Agriculture/Horticulture aim to be developed by Autumn 2007

No compulsory requirement to use bespoke programmes however advantages are:

• Can be covered during student induction and throughout their course at college

• Consistency in delivery

• Access to learning material (HSE leaflets, booklets, workbooks, power point presentations).

• Quality assured by independent body

• Reduces burden on lecturers to source own material

• Enables lecturers to keep up to date with changes in legislation and best practice

• Provides opportunities to network with other lecturers/instructors

Drivers for uptake

• Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Qualifications are eligible for CPD points under schemes such as NRoSO, BASIS, PIPR

Attendance at training courses = 12 points

Successful completion of the qualification = 3 points

Link to farm assurance schemes

• Insurance

Reduced claims from improved management of H & S Premiums adjusted to reflect better management of risk.

Work in progress with insurers to offer discounted insurance to farmers who undertake the qualifications

Drivers for uptake

• Land-based Colleges

Students to undertake Level 2 pre-placement

Learning outcomes to be integrated into curricula

Funding available

Incorporated within NCs and ANCs from 2008/09?

• Apprenticeships

VQs to be recognised as technical certificates

Promotional work

• Land-based Colleges

HSE Seminar for colleges Oct 2007

Lantra Awards and NPTC road shows

NAPAEO/LANDEX

• Publications

NAAC newsletter

Lantra SSC Industry Groups newsletters

NRoSO newsletter

Assured Farm Standards newsletter

Farmers Weekly

PIPR