Accreditation
Building our profession
Occupational health and safety (OHS) is recognised as one of New Zealand's more recently established professions. It has taken time for industry to understand that effective OHS practitioners require not only a broad base of technical knowledge but also a diverse range of personal skills. It's not a mix that everybody has straight away but when it's balanced, great things can happen.
Health and safety is now an appealing career option with OHS practitioners commanding meaningful salaries both here and abroad.
Moreover, it is a profession in short supply. Businesses understand that the health, safety and wellbeing of their workforce has a direct impact on productivity and they are realistic about the need to choose their OHS staff and consultants wisely.
Why become accredited?
Becoming an accredited OHS practitioner shows your company, peers and prospective employers that you are knowledgeable and serious about learning and practising your profession. It places you ahead of the game and positioned to stay that way.
NZISM offers its members a clear and structured accreditation pathway that is internationally aligned (ie. recognised if you choose to work offshore) and provides a direct route to the HASANZ Register for those who want to take it.
All new members need to join as an Affiliate member and apply for accreditation. Each application is assessed by our experienced volunteer Accreditation Committee.
Requirements
Gaining NZISM accreditation is based on a combination of recognised qualifications and hands-on experience along with commitment to Continuing Professional Development (CPD). As an NZISM member you have access to a range of local and online CPD experiences and our network of OHS professionals; this feeds directly into your CPD.
All NZISM accredited members are required to:
- remain an NZISM member, and
- commit to ongoing CPD
To make undertaking CPD simple, NZISM membership automatically includes free use of myCPD, our online CPD recording platform. In it you are able to plan your own development using our online self-assessment tool, design your own unique Development Plans, and record all the activities you undertake that feed into your plan/s.
For example, all the free NZISM webinars you attend automatically feed into myCPD. But an 'activity' could involve anything at all: a training course, involvement in a project, a video/podcast, personal reading. Your journey is your own. You are professionals and trusted to set the course on your own development journey.
However, we do encourage you to keep your myCPD records up to date so you are not playing catch up should they get audited!
