National Certificate: Occupational Health, Safety and Environment /(safety management)
This Qualification is to equip learners working in any type of workplace with a broad understanding and knowledge of Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) concepts and practices with sufficient detail to enable them to function in a safe and healthy way and to deal with health and safety problems and issues. It will also contribute to the further development of learners within this environment by providing articulation, recognition and mobility within this dynamic and changing environment.
A learner acquiring this Qualification will be able to:
- Use verbal and written practices to communicate in the workplace and apply mathematical processes to solve everyday numerical problems.
- Explain the requirements of current legislation impacting on Health, Safety and environmental issues in the workplace.
- Recognise, assess and report health and safety hazards and situations in the workplace.
- Administer various health and safety functions, planning, policy and behaviours in the workplace.Qualifying learners will be able to show responsibility, and independently and effectively manage themselves in the workplace regarding generic health and safety issues. Learners will be able to identify and evaluate occupational safety, health and environmental factors, in occupational environments, which may have a detrimental effect on health and safety of people in such environments. Learners credited with this Qualification are able to perform essential measurements and functions that promote a culture of health and safety in the workplace.
Rationale:
This Qualification provides learners with opportunities for professional development and career advancement within the broader constituencies of the Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) community that will contribute to providing better and safer workplace for all people in the Republic of South Africa. It will assist those health and safety professionals who play an increasingly complex and crucial role in ensuring the health and safety of employees have a well-grounded and comprehensive understanding of the key issues that are essential to meet these high demands. It covers the key issues involved at ground level and is designed to cover general health and safety issues with the specifics being incorporated in the Elective category.
In South Africa and internationally, the social and economic impact of occupational safety, hygiene, health, and environment is great. Direct costs that result from poor workplace safety, hygiene, health, and environments include human and economic costs. Indirect costs are also incurred and can include inter alia poor morale, poor productivity, downtime. Improved workplace safety, hygiene, health, and environments could influence the South African economy in direct costs alone to the value of millions of Rand each year. This qualification aims to meet the demand for learners that are able to assist with the provision of a safe, healthy and productive occupational environment.
There is a critical need in the industry to recognise learner competence regarding essential operations associated with a healthy, safe and productive working environment. This qualification is the entry level to a career path in one of the areas of specialisation in Occupational HSE. It is generic enough to allow maximum mobility within the field of application.
Obtaining formal qualifications in HSE will enable the learner to operate in a wide range of environments. This enhances the employment opportunities of learners and also ensures a wider coverage of HSE Practitioners in the South African work environment. Formal qualifications, and especially at this level open up a career path in HSE and access to further studies, formal and informal, not only in this field but also other, related, fields. Skills, knowledge, values and attitudes (competencies) reflected in the qualification are building blocks towards a higher qualification.
| EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES |
| 1. Use verbal and written practices to communicate in the workplace and apply mathematical processes to solve everyday numerical problems.
2. Explain the requirements of current legislation impacting on Health, Safety and environmental issues in the workplace. 3. Recognise, assess and report health and safety hazards and situations in the workplace. 4. Administer various health and safety functions, planning, policy and behaviours in the workplace. Critical Cross-Field Outcomes: This Qualification addresses the following Critical Cross-Field Outcomes, in the indicated Exit Level Outcomes: • Identifying and solving problems in the workplace in the process of dealing with and health and safety hazards and situations and the administration of health and safety functions. • Working effectively with others in the maintenance and adherence of health, safety and environmental practices in the workplace. • Organising and managing oneself and one’s activities responsibly and effectively so that all aspects regarding health, safety and environmental functions and practices are at hand, as and when required, to enhance these in the workplace and in the application of legislation. • Collecting, analysing, organising and critically evaluating information pertaining to the application of health, safety and environmental legislation and the implementation of health, safety and environmental practices and functions. • Communicating effectively with all the stakeholders who are involved in health, safety and environmental practices and functions. • Using science and technology effectively and critically in the preparation and distribution of health, safety and environmental reports. • Demonstrating an understanding of the world as a set of related systems through the proper application of systems, policies and procedures related to health, safety and environmental practices and functions. All of the above contribute to the full personal development of each learner and the social and economic development of society at large by ensuring they participate as responsible citizens in the life of local, national and global communities in terms of health, safety and environmental issues. |