Shake-up in occupational hygiene qualifications

The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) is launching a new series of occupational hygiene qualifications as part of a significant overhaul of pathways into the profession.

The decision to roll out new ‘M-series’ qualifications is in response to moves by the Occupational Hygiene Training Association (OHTA) to become an alternative awarding body.

As a result, the OHTA has decided that BOHS will no longer be the awarding body for its W500 series of qualifications. It is something that BOHS has described as “a business decision” by the OHTA and not its “decision or choice”.

The last BOHS-awarded OHTA examinations will take place by or before 4 December next year, but bookings on to the W500 series and W201 examinations will not be possible after 4 December this years, so as to enable resits to happen within 12 months.

In response to the OHTA’s decision, BOHS is now introducing its own examinations, with the M-series set to replace the W500 qualifications as the main route to professional recognition in the UK as of 1 January next year, it has said.

BOHS president Alex Wilson said: “The UK occupational hygiene profession is enjoying increasing profile and is adapting to the scientific and professional changes in the workplace. Taking control of the pathways to UK qualification will allow us to ensure that the health of British workers has the best levels of protection.”

Sarah Leeson, registrar of the Faculty of Occupational Hygiene, added: “UK occupational hygienists need to demonstrate competencies beyond knowledge. The M-series examinations will continue to ensure candidates can demonstrate a range of skills and are assessed by professional hygienists.

“We think this is the most appropriate approach to assessment for the UK profession. We wish OHTA well as they set themselves up as an awarding body in their own right for the W500 examinations.”

The M-series will be available to candidates globally who may wish to train for the UK market or to UK standards, through BOHS’s network of examination centres, it has added. BOHS has also published a series of FAQs about the changes.

BOHS chief executive Professor Kevin Bampton said: “Our aim in relaunching the M-series is to ensure that candidates, employers and the workers who need protection, can all benefit from the assurance that BOHS has assessed them reliably and against an established global standard.”