Occupational Certificate: Occupational Health and Safety Assistant

Purpose

The purpose of this part qualification is to prepare a learner to function as an Occupational Health and Safety Assistant.

An Occupational Health and Safety Assistant performs basic administration, coordination and compliance monitoring within the Occupational Health and Safety function. A qualified learner will exhibit the following key attributes: attention to detail, sense of urgency, time management, assertive and compassionate, communication, pro-active and diligent application of administrative practices, honesty and appreciation of ethical values.

A qualified learner will be able to

• Maintain appropriate Occupational Health and Safety documents management systems.
• Execute the administrative duties required for the management of Occupational Health and Safety meetings.
• Apply basic data analysis to compile basic Occupational Health and Safety reports using standard reporting formats.

Rationale

This part qualification is derived from the Occupational Health and Safety Officer qualification and is the entry point to suite of qualifications that underpins the professional establishment and implementation of Occupational Health and Safety function within organisations.

The part qualification will benefit the sector, industry and society by offering an entry point into a career path in the occupational health and safety field. The occupational health and safety sector will benefit in that this part qualification will build professionalism at an early stage in the career path of the cadre of employees, thus preventing unnecessary occupational diseases and injuries. The part qualification includes generic administrative knowledge and skills that creates a platform for career progression for learners into Occupational Health and Safety Officer positions. Society will benefit employment opportunities the part qualification opens for new entrants.

Occupational Health and Safety is one of key determinant of the eventual sustainability of an organisation as legal compliance. A healthy and safe working environment is a fundamental human right that is entrenched in the South African Bill of Rights. Keeping workers healthy and free of injury is also a key imperative in reducing the financial burden of health care on the employees, companies and fiscus. It shall enable the organisations to prevent and reduce occupational diseases and injuries, thus keep employees healthy to sustain households and society economically.

This part qualification provides the Occupational Health and Safety theoretical and practical competencies to administer compliance and prevention. Typical learners for the part qualification are new entrants and those already employed with occupational health and safety responsibilities. The part qualification was developed in collaboration with the occupational health and safety industry and professional bodies to account for competencies requirements for professional registration. There is currently no similar part qualification that is registered in the National Qualifications Framework.

This part-qualification is made up of compulsory Knowledge, Practical Skill and Work Experience Modules

Knowledge Modules

• 226302-001-01-KM-03, Fundamentals of Communication within the OHS Discipline, NQF Level 3, 4 Credits.
• 226302-001-01-KM-04, OHS Administration and Record Management, NQF Level 4, 16 Credits.

Total number of credits for Knowledge Modules: 20

Practical Skill Modules

• 226302-001-01-PM-04, Administer the Key Activities of an OHS Function, NQF Level 4, 16 Credits.

Total number of credits for Practical Skill Modules:16

Work Experience Modules

• 226302-001-01-WM-02, Processes of Executing OHS Administration and Document Management, NQF Level 4, 8 Credits.

Total number of credits for Work Experience Modules: 8

1. Co-ordinate the control of overall Occupational Health and Safety administration.
2. Perform basic administrative duties required for the management of OHS meeting.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

ELO 1: Co-ordinate the control of overall Occupational Health and Safety administration.

• Apply Occupational Health and Safety document control.
• Apply key terms, rules and concepts of administration and document control within the context of a real-world workplace environment.
• Evaluate the processing and documentation of Occupational Health and Safety activities to determine the efficacy and legal compliance of the processes and activities.
• Compile, collate and safeguard legally required Occupational Health and safety documentation, files and reports according to the regulatory and global systems requirements.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

ELO 2: Display the ability to perform basic administrative duties required for the management of OHS meeting.

• Apply Occupational Health and safety meeting management to demonstrate the appropriate application of the key terms, rules and concepts of coordinating and managing Occupational Health and safety meetings within the context of real-world workplace environments.
• Apply processes and activities required to effectively coordinate and manage meetings within the Occupational Health and Safety function.
• Compile Occupational Health and Safety meeting minutes for the different types of meetings that are required within an effective Occupational Health and Safety function.

ELO 3: Interpret basic data analysis to compile Occupational Health and Safety reports.

• Apply basic data analysis to use of the key terms, rules and concepts within the context of real world workplace environments.
• Analyse and prepare basic Occupational Health and Safety data for presentation in written and visual formats in support of findings stated in basic Occupational Health and Safety reports.
• Discuss and critically evaluate the purpose and use of Occupational Health and Safety operational reports within the context of current and future work environments.
• Compile Occupational Health and Safety reports making appropriate and feasible recommendations to improve the compliance status within specific work areas.

Integrated Assessment

Integrated Formative Assessment

The skills development provider will use the curriculum to guide them on the stipulated internal assessment criteria and weighting. They will also apply the scope of practical skills and applied knowledge as stipulated by the internal assessment criteria. This formative assessment together with work experience leads to entrance in the integrated external summative assessment.

Integrated Summative Assessment

An external integrated summative assessment, conducted through the relevant QCTO Assessment Quality Partner is required for the issuing of this part-qualification. The external integrated summative assessment will focus on the exit level outcomes and associated assessment criteria. The assessment will be conducted through written assessment and the evaluation of practical tasks at decentralised approved assessment sites by a panel of assessors within a period of 1 day.