About the Skills Programme

The Skills Programme: Workplace Preparedness and Risk Control Officer (SP-200902) is a QCTO-aligned programme that prepares learners to plan, implement and monitor an organisation's defences against communicable and other occupational diseases. The programme responds directly to South Africa's need for competent occupational health capacity at decision-making level, and it equips learners to design risk assessment programmes, select and justify control strategies, manage cases against protocol, and account for those decisions to management and to an inspector.

The programme integrates theoretical knowledge, practical skills and applied workplace activity across the full disease preparedness cycle — from the legal framework and the implications of disease at work, through hazard identification and risk assessment, to prevention, screening, containment, case management and return to work. On completion, learners are able to conduct a workplace health risk assessment and develop a risk management and preventive plan, implement monitoring, screening, referral and reporting procedures, isolate and contain symptomatic or confirmed cases, manage cases according to protocol, plan a return to work after illness, and operate within the framework of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, COIDA and the notifiable medical conditions regulations.

Purpose

The purpose of this skills programme is to equip a learner to plan, implement and monitor workplace preparedness and risk control measures for communicable and other occupational diseases, and to manage cases in accordance with protocols and the law. Where the assistant-level programme reports what it finds, the officer decides, records the decision, and defends it.

Who Should Enrol?

This programme is designed for learners who carry responsibility for occupational health decisions, as well as those moving from an assistant or representative role into a decision-making one. It is well suited to:

• OHS practitioners, advisors, coordinators and officers.
• Occupational health and safety professionals responsible for disease preparedness programmes.
• Policy makers, regulators and monitors overseeing workplace health compliance.
• Trainers, shop stewards and worker representatives who must interpret and challenge health and safety decisions.
• Compliance officers appointed to a communicable disease programme, and employers meeting their duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Entry Requirements

Learners must be competent at NQF Level 3, or demonstrate equivalent competence, with the ability to read, write and communicate in English at that level. Prior completion of SP-200901 (Workplace Preparedness and Risk Control Assistant) is useful but not required. Because the programme requires learners to apply their learning to a real workplace, learners must have access to a workplace, or to a simulated work environment provided by the training provider. Recognition of Prior Learning for access is available in accordance with the QCTO RPL Policy, and applications must be lodged before the programme commences.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of this programme are equipped to take up or strengthen roles carrying accountability for workplace health risk. Outcomes include:

• Occupational health and safety officer, advisor or coordinator.
• Communicable disease compliance officer or programme coordinator.
• Risk control officer within a facilities, manufacturing or healthcare environment.
• Health and safety committee chairperson or worker representative at policy level.
• Progression from the assistant role at NQF 3, or entry point toward further OHS study at NQF 5 and above.