Kate, your contribution to the question 'when do I need an OHP' could be
regarded as a legitimate response in a much wider debate, but the person
who asked the question is still waiting for an answer!
We are dealing with the here and now, not what if in some time in the
future.
I have myself raised the issue about what HSE should be doing with regard
to qualifications of OH professionals. You rightly contrasted the
situation with a number of other jobs, I made have made similar comparisons
to gas fitters [CORGI Registration scheme enforced by HSE];asbestos
contractors [formal approval scheme operated by HSE]; first aid workers
[formal approvals given by HSC to first aid training organisations]; fork
lift truck training organisations [formal approvals given by HSC to
training organisations], and so on.
I agree there is much inconsistency and I wish it were not so, but it
appears that neither you or I have the ear of those who make HSE policy!
I'm not entirely clear, though, why HSE should be made responsible for
developing more OHPs; speaking personally, I believe you could get more
bangs for your bucks if there were more practising OHNs! but that is my
own view and not HSE's.
As you also rightly say, demand creates its own supply, and there is a
huge, unmet demand for more OH professionals - both OHPs and OHNs. So who
should be responsible for training them? My organisation is cutting back
on its own training budget otherwise it will not be able to meet its own
travel and subsistence bill for Inspectors doing their job - going out and
inspecting and enforcing at the workplace
I'm sending this response to you directly and not via the discussion forum,
because this discussion group is monitored by others in HSE who do not
approve of operational inspectors joining in - other than to spout official
HSE -speak.
Regards
Dennis M
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