SQT Blog

Huge congratulations to our delegates Stephanie Cunningham (Pepsico) and Kevin Marley (Xerox) who achieved overall Joint BEST Candidate for the NEBOSH International Diploma during 2012/2013.  This is a wonderful achievement for them (& SQT!!).

Stephanie said of her Diploma experience with SQT:

“I just completed my NEBOSH International Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety through SQT and under the close guidance of Finbarr Stapleton. Finbarr and SQT gave us clear directions from start to finish in regards to the course, module and exam requirements to facilitate successful completion of this very comprehensive diploma. The course contents are 100% applicable to my work which has helped me to help others to be safe in their daily work environment. Even now I often refer to the excellent course material to get detailed advice on certain H&S related topics. SQT were very supportive throughout the time it took to gain this qualification, which now gives me the scope and knowledge to excel in my current role as HSE professional.”

A NEBOSH qualification is one of the most prestigious and highly respected International qualifications in Health and Safety.

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We are now taking bookings for our September course – a number of places have already been filled so book early to avoid disappointment.

NEBOSH International Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety
Commencing 19th September – Blended Learning
(Home Study + 14 Workshops)
Presented by: Finbarr Stapleton
More Info
Book

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 Why Risk Going Elsewhere for your NEBOSH Training?

Here’s 7 reasons why you should choose SQT:

1. We’re Better than the Rest…we regularly exceed the overall NEBOSH exam pass rates year on year. Check out a detailed breakdown of our results to date.
2. You can Trust us…we have been delivering NEBOSH training for the last 5 years and have helped dozens of people achieve their professional NEBOSH qualification – some even achieving the highest marks internationally!.
3. Our Tutors are Tuned in…Our lead tutor Finbarr Stapleton has over 25 years of Health & Safety experience and is constantly engaged with industry today.
4. We do Both…we are the only Irish training provider accredited by NEBOSH to deliver both the NEBOSH International Diploma & Certificate courses. Our course syllabi not only cover International legal frameworks and codes of practice but also Irish legislation.
5. You Won’t Be on Your Own…our workshop structured course enables discussion and knowledge sharing with your peers throughout the duration of your training.
6. Our Delegates Couldn’t be Happier…see what our Joint Best NEBOSH Candidate Stephanie Cunningham had to say – she’s a HSE Specialist with PepsiCo Ireland.
7. Free Access to Legislation Software…book a place on this September’s course and receive FREE access for 3 months to the Pegasus Legal Register (created and maintained by Antaris Consulting).

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If the Diploma is not for you…

NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety
Commencing on 7th October 2013

More Info
Book
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Why undertake the NEBOSH International Diploma over other H&S courses?

• It is the leading Health & Safety qualification for Health & Safety Professionals around the world.
• It is your first step to becoming a chartered Health & Safety Practitioner. You may apply for Graduate membership of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and full membership of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM).
• It will provide you with a core of knowledge that is transferable across different occupational sectors around the globe.
• As an internationally recognised qualification, you can sit your exams anywhere in the world (don’t forget you have up to 5 years to complete them!)
• Last but by no means the least – there were 48 workplace fatalities reported in 2012 – many of which were preventable. This figure dropped from 54 in 2011and while the figure is heading in the right direction, – the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD noted that ““Every workplace fatality is avoidable and represents a terrible tragedy for a family and a community, and combating workplace fatalities and injuries still represents a huge challenge for both the HSA and employers”.

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Interested in taking the next step?

View a full course brochure here – or if you have any queries you can contact Eilish on 061 339040 or email ecummins@sqt.ie.

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Coming Soon…

NEBOSH International Certificate in Fire Safety & Risk Management

and

NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management

Email us to register your interest

The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) voted in early November 2011 to revise ISO 14001. The revised standard, which is expected to be published in 2015, will operate into the mid-2020s and must therefore provide organisations with a basis for managing future environmental challenges and opportunities.

IEMA, working in close association with other organisations such BSI (British Standards Institute) and CRA Consultancy, has established a working group (WG5) comprised of nominated experts. The function of the group is to develop a series of working drafts, which are open to scrutiny from the environmental community. The working group considers any contentious issues and amends the drafts as necessary.

In March 2013 the revision process reached the stage where a first Committee Draft (CDI) was prepared and circulated to national mirror committees of the ISO Technical Committee revising the standard.

It is important to note that all clauses and sub-clauses of CDI are still to be finalised and this should not be assumed to represent the final standard in part or in whole.  ISO 14004 is also being revised in parallel and will provide guidance on implementation.

Key Changes Proposed in CDI

1.0 Scope
The scope established in CDI provides greater detail than is included in the current scope of ISO 14001. The scope now highlights that the EMS will capture external impacts on the organization – this may typically involve impacts from a changing climate on an organisation’s activities. The scope also puts emphasis on the need to take advantage of opportunities as well as reducing negative impacts.

4.0 Context of the Organisation
New requirements are introduced relating to understanding the external and internal context of the organisation (4.1). The organisation is also required to determine the needs and expectations of interested parties (4.2). This overall context must be taken into account in setting the scope of the EMS (4.3) and in planning actions to address risk and opportunities (6.1).

5.1 Leadership and Commitment
A definition of top management has been introduced (3.11). There is also a requirement related to aligning the EMS with the organisation’s overall strategy. Top management is also required to integrate EMS requirements into core business processes.

5.2 Policy
CDI expands on the commitments required to be made in the environmental policy by including the need to “support environmental protection” and provides some examples of potential environmental threats.

6.1 Actions to Address Risks and Opportunities
CDI introduces specific requirements for the management of risk and opportunities. These concepts in CDI are much broader in comparison to those addressed in ISO 14001:2004.

6.1.2 Environmental Aspects
Although the requirement in ISO 14001:2004 to consider the environmental aspects it can “control and those that it can influence” could lead to impacts across the value chain of a product or service being considered, this is often not the case. CDI adds to this requirement by specifying a “life-cycle perspective” to be taken when identifying aspects. It is important to note that this does not require a life-cycle assessment to be conducted, but would mean that the impacts of the organisation’s products/services are to be considered.

6.2.2 Environmental Performance Indicators
CDI requires that each objective (established under clause 6.2.1) to have one or more defined indicators associated with it, through which performance is evaluated.

7.4 Communication
CDI requires organisations to determine the need for both internal and external communication and specifies what should be considered when making the determination.

8.2 Value Chain Planning and Control
Requirements to control or influence upstream and downstream processes are introduced. This clause is important for capturing the environmental impacts which occur outside of the organisation’s direct control.

9 Performance Evaluation
Proposed changes to this clause include the incorporation of the value chain perspective on the organisation’s environmental impacts and the requirement to determine criteria against which performance is evaluated.

9.1.2 Evaluation of Compliance
Requirements associated with evaluation compliance are strengthened in CDI with the introduction of a requirement to maintain knowledge and understanding of compliance status. This requirement would mean that an organisation should be aware of its compliance status and not rely on external parties to inform it that activities were non-compliant.

Implications for organisations
The revised ISO 14001 has implications for organisations putting more responsibility on companies to integrate their ISO 14001 activities with their business process. This means companies must have a more focused approach and strategic plan for implementing ISO 14001 activities. One of the major implications is in evaluation. Companies must now undertake self audits in order to establish any shortcomings in their compliance. This may have serious implications in cases of non-conformance  when certification bodies perform audits.

For more information on ISO 14001 training, see here

Blog courtesy of http://www.pegasuslegalregister.com/resources/pegasus-blog