NEBOSH National Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety

The NEBOSH National Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety

Structure and Rationale of the Award

All occupational health and safety practitioners (OHASPs) need to have a common core of knowledge in order to practise effectively. This common core of knowledge is essential to all and is in essence transferable between the different occupational sectors in which OHASPs practise, which range across all parts of industry, commerce and the public sector. Trends in employment show a relative decline in the workforce employed by manufacturing industry (especially in heavy manufacturing), compared with a growth in employment in the service sector including leisure services. OHASPs need to be equipped to carry with them knowledge of the principles and practices of their profession wherever they need to be engaged. This may cover working environments as diverse as, for example, a residential care home and a construction site.

These trends are reflected in the changing risk profile faced by safety practitioners and greater emphasis needs to be placed on emerging areas of increased risk such as stress and violence at work to reflect the developing competencies in these areas.

The NEBOSH National Diploma aims to provide the knowledge and understanding that underpins competent performance as an OHASP.

The Syllabus

The syllabus comprises of a foundation unit and three core units:

Foundation Unit

Unit CS Communication skills

Core Units

Unit A Managing health and safety
Unit B Hazardous agents in the workplace
Unit C Workplace and work equipment

Workplace Assignment Unit

Unit D 8000 word report about Systems and Risk Assessment

The Preparatory unit covers the skills of communication, training and research skills that students will need to develop as OHASPs. More immediately, these skills will be needed to assist students in the workplace based assignment [Unit D] which will be completed in parallel with the taught element of each of the three core units.

The foundation unit is not assessed by NEBOSH. It is internally used by Woodward SHE Ltd to determine whether the student is adequately prepared to complete Unit D. Some students may require additional support in the development of basic skills to help them to achieve the specific intended learning outcomes of the Preparatory unit.

The treatment of health and safety law in the syllabus has been arranged such that legal principles are covered within unit A. The application of legislative requirements has been integrated throughout all technical modules of the syllabus with the area of health and safety practice to which they relate. This reflects the development and changing nature of both the health and safety law, where the law is now seen to underpin, rather that to dictate, good health and safety practice.

Whereas the traditional safety officer was often preoccupied with ensuring compliance with the prescriptive legislation in force, therefore making a detailed and thorough knowledge of the law imperative, today’s health and safety practitioner requires a more professional approach using a legal framework which sets goals that largely coincide with those of good health and safety management. This syllabus therefore reflects the influence of the modern legal framework on health and safety and seeks to promote an understanding of, and ability to apply, legal concepts rather than the short-term retention of rote-learned legal facts and figures.

The Assessment System for the NEBOSH National Diploma

The system of assessment for the NEBOSH National Diploma includes both formative workplace research for report assessment for Unit D and summative examinations in Units A, B and C. The continuous assessment component comprises the workplace based assignment externally set by NEBOSH and assessed by NEBOSH. The examinations components are externally set and marked by NEBOSH.

The Assignments

Continuous assessment is by one assignment report - Unit D, with a minimum pass mark of 50%. The mark awarded for this assignment will contribute towards the allocation of the final grade of the award. It is the responsibility of appropriately qualified tutors attached to a NEBOSH-accredited programme organiser to support the candidate in researching the assignment against the respective NEBOSH assignment brief.

The Examinations

NEBOSH sets a summative external written examination for each of the three core units.
The examination pass standard is determined qualitatively about a datum point of 40%. The examinations are set and marked to best practice examination management procedures.
Entry of candidates to the examination will be conditional on registering through their Accredited Centre.

Students must normally complete their studies and satisfactorily complete the workplace based assignment and the three examinations within a maximum period of five years.

Students must have completed the workplace based assignment and submitted it to NEBOSH by the deadline date specified by the programme organiser. The examination grades will be declared individually and NEBOSH will award a Unit Pass Certificate for each Unit.

Result Grades

Workplace based assignment

A minimum mark of 50% shall be required to achieve a pass standard for the workbased assignment report.

If an assignment is referred, the student will be required to submit a new assignment for re-assessment by a deadline date specified by the tutor/assessor. A resubmitted assignment shall not be capped to a maximum of 50%.

Examinations

NEBOSH will determine a percentage mark for each candidate in each of the assessed units.

Candidates shall normally be required to complete satisfactorily all the assessment requirements within a period of five years from the date of the start of their studies. If this is not achieved, the assessment cycle for the assignment component of the uncompleted module concerned shall start again.

Those delegates that successfully complete the NEBOSH National Diploma will be entitled to use the designatory letters "Dip.OSH" after their names.

The Programme

The course will be delivered in Carlisle (full time) or Edinburgh (Full Time):

Unit A is done over 3 x 1 week blocks
Units B&C is done over 3 x 1 week blocks

There is a revision day for each unit the day before each unit examination.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided throughout the course.

The cost for each delegate will be £4950.00 + VAT [this includes NEBOSH registration, examination fees and all course materials/textbooks used during the course].