Christy Russell, Advisor for Fire and Facilities Safety in the LMB’s Health and Safety Team, has recently been awarded the National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. The certificate, given by NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health), is considered the gold standard in health and safety qualifications.
Here, she shares what the qualification entailed, what inspired her to undertake further training, and her advice for anyone considering the same.
What does your role in the LMB’s Health and Safety team involve?
The primary purpose is fire safety. That consists of doing routine regular checks, for instance making sure the fire escapes are free from any obstructions and checking fire doors. There’s also the biannual fire drills and recruitment and training of fire marshals, which I really enjoy.
And then facilities safety. It could be anything from overseeing how somebody sets up an experiment in the fume cupboard using something particularly volatile, or something to do with the use of cryogenic liquids and equipment. I also have a particular interest in laboratory ergonomics and I am always on the lookout for new technologies to improve user comfort, so LMB researchers can work as safely as possible.
There’s a huge variety really, and within the team we all also cover for each other. We don’t just specialise in one area of knowledge; we have opportunities to develop across the safety remit.
What inspired you to undertake the NEBOSH certificate?
Everything I’d done in my previous role as a lab manager had safety implications or some safety aspects to it, but none of it was formalised. The NEBOSH qualification was a way of formalising the knowledge, at the same time increasing my confidence and self-belief. It was amazing actually, having the certificate in my hand I already feel less of a safety imposter!
What did the course programme involve?
You have a choice of how to study to fit in with your own lifestyle. You could either do remote learning with no hands-on sessions with a tutor or, the other end of the spectrum and the way I decided to do it, you could do a ten-day intensive course off-site. That was hard work. Each evening, I was also completing test tasks in a similar format to the exam. I felt a bit like I’d been run over by a steamroller by the end of it, because I’d taken in so much information.
How were you assessed?
There are two aspects to assessment. The first one is an online exam, which you have 24 hours to complete. It is open book but you have no idea what the theme of it is going to be until hits your inbox. For this particular one, it was about an accident that occurred on a fairground ride within a large theme park scenario. All of the questions then pertain to, ‘Why did it happen?’ ‘What precautions should have been in place?’ ‘What action should the company take now to put in remedial measures?’ You start by looking for the relevant legislation that specifically pertains to that area, and then build all your arguments on that and what else you’ve learned during the course.
The second part was a bigger project involving a risk assessment on your workplace which you get two weeks to complete. You need to give an overview of the organisation’s structure and purpose. Then you go into the specifics of the kind of activities they do and you have to select ten hazards from five different hazard categories. These include chemical, biological, radiation, manual handling and electricity. You pick your hazard, pick the activity that’s creating risk, and then you have to say who might be harmed and put in measures to try and eliminate those risks to the workplace. I based mine on the LMB – I used a bit of artistic licence and made some things look worse than they were, when actually we have good precautions in place.
And then after assessment, you have to wait 12 weeks for the results – it’s just like doing GCSEs or A Levels all over again!
What did you gain from completing the qualification?
It’s increased my confidence. Particularly in communicating with scientists, I feel like I’ve got a bit more academic backing behind me. I also think it’s helped my research capabilities as they give you a very structured way to look at problems. You generally start by looking at the original laws that govern a particular aspect of health and safety. And it’s easier for me now to interpret what those documents mean because they’re written in quite complex language.
Do you have any advice for anyone else considering undertaking further qualifications?
I was always very sceptical that I would ever go back to education again. But in actual fact, I think the modern world has moved on and the concept of lifelong learning and continuing professional development has become such a big thing. But also, I think I enjoyed it more than I expected to. And I think just the act of being able to complete a qualification of this level of intensity has given me a really major personal boost. I think it’s been really beneficial. I would certainly say go for it, no matter how old you are.
Further references
Technicians David Street and Andy Mace achieve Professional Registration
William Batey’s apprenticeship experience in the LMB’s Estates and Facilities Department
Apprenticeship success in the LMB workshop