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NEBOSH Fire Safety and Risk Management Certificate - What’s it all about?
March 13, 2009
Fire can have a devastating impact on an organisation. It is statistically proven that 77% of all businesses which experience a major fire never fully recover. The problem is; what can you and your company do about it. Apart from running for the hills there are a few courses out there that are designed to help and guide you. One such course is the NEBOSH Fire and Risk Management Certificate, delivered by us at OMS.
Why should an employer bother sending an employee on such an expensive course? Or if you are self-employed, why bother?
Well, firstly the course is not expensive, and taking into consideration the following, it is in my experience value for money.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) came into effect from 1st April 2006, replacing existing legislation in England and Wales. Sadly, in my opinion, the 1st April is not exactly a good date for such a serious piece of legislation. But putting that issue aside, the RRO is the biggest change to fire legislation for 30 years. In short it shifts the emphasis over to fire prevention and takes a more pro-active approach, aiming to provide a safer working environment for all.
Not forgetting the risks to life and limb, the costs to a company can be very high, but the big problem is that not all of the costs are obvious. Staff retention can be difficult if there is concern and worry about their future. Also remember that the losses to a company whilst waiting for repairs can be astronomical. We should also never forget the Environmental issues. Pollution from a fire can cause thousands of pounds worth of damage and there are no prizes for guessing who will be paying for the cost of cleaning up the surrounding area, after a fire.
So what is involved?
This course has been set as a level 3 qualification within the National Qualifications Framework. It will equip students with the ability and knowledge to help them to assess the fire risks in a workplace and make recommendations for improvements and prevention, which is always better than a cure. The course itself is spilt into three sections.
NGC1 - Management of health and safety: This part of the course involves a week at our training facility near Coalville, in Leicestershire. Following that you will need to sit an examination, also at our Coalville site. Please note that if you have successfully passed your NEBOSH National General Certificate or Diploma in the last five years, then you do not need to attend this part of the course and you are exempt from the NGC1 examination.
FC1 - Fire safety and risk management: This element of the course involves four days at our Coalville site, followed by an examination. In this part of the course we also cover all of the elements required to complete the requirements of FC2. If however your company has training facilities of their own and a number of candidates, there is nothing stopping me from coming to you and cutting the costs significantly.
FC2 - Practical fire risk assessment: This part of the qualification has recently changed. The new system requires the student to undertaking an assignment at their own work location.
Having been involved in fire prevention management for several years I have come across many courses which will, when added together, help organisations and individuals to plan ahead and implement fire prevention control measures. The problem as I see it is that many courses out there are “thrown” together in an ad-hoc manner and often cost more to the student/employer in the long term. What we have here is an excellent course provided by NEBOSH (a globally renown and recognised training body), which not only ticks all of the right boxes but is flexible and ready to evolve with the current working climate. It can also be tailored to suit an individual’s specific needs and requirements.
Interested? The next course is in May.
Posted by Mark Grayson - OMS Consultant and Trainer
Why should an employer bother sending an employee on such an expensive course? Or if you are self-employed, why bother?
Well, firstly the course is not expensive, and taking into consideration the following, it is in my experience value for money.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) came into effect from 1st April 2006, replacing existing legislation in England and Wales. Sadly, in my opinion, the 1st April is not exactly a good date for such a serious piece of legislation. But putting that issue aside, the RRO is the biggest change to fire legislation for 30 years. In short it shifts the emphasis over to fire prevention and takes a more pro-active approach, aiming to provide a safer working environment for all.
Not forgetting the risks to life and limb, the costs to a company can be very high, but the big problem is that not all of the costs are obvious. Staff retention can be difficult if there is concern and worry about their future. Also remember that the losses to a company whilst waiting for repairs can be astronomical. We should also never forget the Environmental issues. Pollution from a fire can cause thousands of pounds worth of damage and there are no prizes for guessing who will be paying for the cost of cleaning up the surrounding area, after a fire.
So what is involved?
This course has been set as a level 3 qualification within the National Qualifications Framework. It will equip students with the ability and knowledge to help them to assess the fire risks in a workplace and make recommendations for improvements and prevention, which is always better than a cure. The course itself is spilt into three sections.
NGC1 - Management of health and safety: This part of the course involves a week at our training facility near Coalville, in Leicestershire. Following that you will need to sit an examination, also at our Coalville site. Please note that if you have successfully passed your NEBOSH National General Certificate or Diploma in the last five years, then you do not need to attend this part of the course and you are exempt from the NGC1 examination.
FC1 - Fire safety and risk management: This element of the course involves four days at our Coalville site, followed by an examination. In this part of the course we also cover all of the elements required to complete the requirements of FC2. If however your company has training facilities of their own and a number of candidates, there is nothing stopping me from coming to you and cutting the costs significantly.
FC2 - Practical fire risk assessment: This part of the qualification has recently changed. The new system requires the student to undertaking an assignment at their own work location.
Having been involved in fire prevention management for several years I have come across many courses which will, when added together, help organisations and individuals to plan ahead and implement fire prevention control measures. The problem as I see it is that many courses out there are “thrown” together in an ad-hoc manner and often cost more to the student/employer in the long term. What we have here is an excellent course provided by NEBOSH (a globally renown and recognised training body), which not only ticks all of the right boxes but is flexible and ready to evolve with the current working climate. It can also be tailored to suit an individual’s specific needs and requirements.
Interested? The next course is in May.
Posted by Mark Grayson - OMS Consultant and Trainer
