What Does the NEBOSH General Certificate Cover?
If you’re serious about a career in occupational health and safety, or if you’re a manager or supervisor looking to expand their workplace safety knowledge, the NEBOSH General Certificate is essentially the gold standard. But what does the course actually cover?
A Foundation in Workplace Safety Principles
The NEBOSH equips professionals with a comprehensive understanding of health and safety fundamentals for the workplace. A significant focus will be placed on understanding health and safety laws, allowing candidates to advise their teams on specific workplace safety responsibilities. Candidates will also gain crucial insights regarding the elements of a robust health and safety management system.
Core Modules of the NEBOSH General Certificate
The NEBOSH is typically structured into two main units, NG1 (Management of Health and Safety) and NG2 (Risk Assessment), each covering critical aspects of occupational safety.
NG1: Management of Health and Safety This unit focuses on the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of managing health and safety. Key topics include:
- Why we should manage workplace health and safety: Exploring the moral, financial, and legal reasons.
- How health and safety management systems work: Understanding the components of a robust system, including policy, organisation, and arrangements.
- Managing risk, and understanding people and processes: Delving into health and safety culture, human factors influencing behaviour, and the principles of risk assessment.
- Health and safety monitoring and measuring: Examining active and reactive monitoring, incident investigation, auditing, and reviewing performance.
NG2: Risk Assessment This unit is practical, focusing on applying the knowledge gained in NG1 to real-world scenarios. It involves detailed elements on specific hazards and their control:
- Musculoskeletal health: Addressing work-related upper limb disorders, manual handling, and load-handling equipment.
- Chemical and biological agents: Understanding hazardous substances, health risk assessment, occupational exposure limits, and control measures.
- General workplace issues: Including health, welfare, work environment, working at height, confined spaces, lone working, slips and trips, and safe movement of people and vehicles.
- Work equipment: General requirements, hand-held tools, machinery hazards, and control measures.
- Fire: Principles of fire, prevention, fire alarms, firefighting, and evacuation.
- Electricity: Hazards, risks, and control measures.
Assessment and Professional Recognition from the NEBOSH General Certificate
The certificate is assessed through two main components. Unit NG1 is evaluated via an open-book examination, where candidates respond to a scenario-based question paper within a specific timeframe, typically at home or a suitable location. Unit NG2 is assessed by a practical risk assessment project, which learners conduct within their own workplace and submit.
Who Benefits from This Qualification?
The NEBOSH is designed for a broad audience. It’s ideal for managers, supervisors, and employee representatives across all sectors who require a foundational yet comprehensive understanding of health and safety issues.
Conclusion: What Does the NEBOSH General Certificate Cover?
The NEBOSH covers a wide and essential range of topics, providing a robust and practical foundation in occupational health and safety management.
From understanding the legal and moral reasons for managing safety to conducting thorough risk assessments and investigating incidents, the qualification equips individuals with invaluable knowledge and skills.
Its comprehensive syllabus, combined with practical assessments and international recognition, makes it an indispensable qualification for anyone looking to build a safer workplace and advance their career in health and safety.
If you still have any questions regarding the course, then do not hesitate to get in touch.
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