Timothy Bates NEBOSH National Diploma

Tim is a Group Health and Safety Advisor. He wanted to be able to advise the board on more strategic areas of health and safety. So he took the NEBOSH Diploma to help build his competence.

Tim won the award for NEBOSH Best Student for Unit B in 2017.

Putting forward a business case

Tim joined his current company in 2008 as a Project Manager. His aim was to improve the management of health and safety within its rail engineering projects. However, his extensive background also meant he was able to help the business with wider advice and internal auditing.

As the company grew, they offered Tim the opportunity to become a full-time Health and Safety Advisor. He’d now be responsible for improving health and safety performance across the entire business. This meant working with the Board and Directors to review current management systems and offer advice on improvements. He’d also have to carry out risk assessments, accident investigations, audits and internal training.

Tim had brought up the possibility of taking the NEBOSH Diploma before, but there had never been a business case for it. So when he began his new role, he put forward the new benefits of the course.

“I knew that the NEBOSH Diploma would give me a higher level of demonstrable competence and help me advise the Board on health and safety matters on both a technical and strategic level”

Taking the NEBOSH Diploma

Tim took his NEBOSH Diploma in a classroom, but the course notes and tutor-led sessions were just a starting point. Tim had to also find time to study around his family and full-time job.

Sunday was always his dedicated study day. He also spent at least 8 hours studying throughout the week. He committed to spending every spare moment he had to his NEBOSH Diploma. He spent a great deal of time reading professional websites and watching videos for extra help and research. And he always made sure he carried his iPad or course notes with him wherever he went.

“I never imagined just how much work the course involved. Reading around the subject is essential. There is no substitute for just learning the subject and knowing the facts. You need to commit all your free time to it and give up some of the things you enjoy to study - I had to give up spending time with my kids!”

NEBOSH examiners often say that learners don’t relate their answers back to the workplace in their exam. They don’t show a true understanding of the application of concepts. So Tim also took every opportunity to relate his day-to-day job activities back to his course. He completed peripheral studies on Radon and Legionella in work and used this to his advantage in his exams.

Life after the NEBOSH Diploma

Since taking the NEBOSH Diploma, Tim says that he’s been able to get staff more engaged in health and safety. The challenge within any organisation is to maintain that focus at a management level. So Tim’s main goal now is to continue to raise awareness while still offering practical solutions.

“My day-to-day responsibilities haven’t changed, but I feel I’m better qualified to advise and challenge perceptions. And I’m in a better position to offer professional and competent solutions. My next move is to get my Chartered membership of IOSH (CMIOSH). Now I have the NEBOSH Diploma there are many more opportunities open for me.”

Tim’s advice to you

My key tip for exams is ‘make a point to get a point’. State the obvious, as well as the more detailed, then flesh the answers out with facts and understanding. Learn as much as you can as you can across the whole syllabus because you never know what will come up on the day.