Accreditation

The Health & Safety Commission has recognised 6 bodies as competent to operate voluntary accreditation schemes. Such schemes are not mandatory but recognition by the Commission is intended to help set & maintain professional training standards, and help employers to select training organisations who offer a good standard of training. All Accrediting organisations have recommendations for adequate training including durations, and instructor : candidate ratios dependent on any previous experience of operators. Whilst the recommendations have minor differences they are broadly similar, for example each recommend novice candidates require a course of 5 days in duration with a maximum instructor : candidate ratio of 1 : 3. These factors have a significant influence on how much operating practice each course member is able to achieve during the course. Any training that appears to stray significantly from the broad recommendations may not come up to the standards required. Therefore training organisations that offer courses that are shorter in duration could leave the employer vulnerable to enforcement action from the Health & Safety Executive in the event of accidents, for failing to provide “adequate” training. How can you ensure that the training provided is to the required standard? As an accredited training provider with, ITSSAR & NPORS Safe-T-Solutions and our instructors are monitored annually where the standards of excellence required by the accrediting bodies must be met in order to retain the accredited status. The use of an accredited training provider gives considerable assurance to the employer that the training provided will be at least to the standard described in The Health & Safety Commissions’ Approved Code of Practice & Guidance (L117). This means that as an accredited training provider: We use qualified and experienced instructors only We follow course syllabuses approved by the accrediting body We are subject to regular monitoring visits by the accrediting bodies Our training is carried out on appropriate premises, which may be our training centre or an area set aside for the purpose of training at the employers premises. Association of Industrial Truck Trainers Construction Industry Training Board Health & Safety Executive ~ Local Authorities Enforcement Liaison Committee Health & Safety Executive Book Finder Independant Training Standards Scheme & Register Lantra National Training Organisation Ltd National Plant Operators Registration Scheme Road Transport & Industrial Training Business Services Ltd

For more information on Accreditation talk to Safe-T-Solutions