NEBOSH Certificate In Fire Safety

The National ExaminationBoard in Occupational Safetyand Health (NEBOSH)Dominus Way,Meridian Business Park,Leicester LE19 1QWTel: 44 (0) 116 263 4700Fax: 44 (0) 116 282 4000Email: info@nebosh.org.ukwww.nebosh.org.ukVersion: 1Specification date: April 2020Publication date: January 2021Registered Charity Number: 1010444 NEBOSH. All rights reserved. No part of this publicationmay be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmittedin any form, or by any means, electronic, electrostatic,mechanical, photocopied or otherwise, without the expresspermission in writing from NEBOSH.NEBOSHCertificate in Fire SafetyLearner guide

CourseOverviewContentsQualification overviewWho is the qualification designed for?6Benefits for you7Benefits for your employer7Professional membership8Achieving the qualification9Re-sitting unit(s)10Re-sitting FSC1 to improve your grade10Finding where to study10Qualification grading and issue of qualification parchment10SyllabusSyllabus summary12Learning outcomes and assessment criteria13

Qualification overview

Qualification key featuresQualificationoverviewUnit prefixes and title/s:Unit FSC1: Fire safetyUnit FSC2: Fire risk assessmentAssessment:Assessment TypeOpen book examination (OBE)PracticalUnit FSC1:Unit FSC2:Assessment Time5 hours3 hoursModes of study:Taught (face-to-face), open and distance learningPart-timeBlock releaseeLearningNotional learning hoursTaught hours: 28Private study: 20Assessment: 8Total hours: 56Qualification level andnumber of credits:Notional SCQF Level 6 with 6 credits(equivalent to RQF Level 3)Entry requirements:NoneRecommended minimumstandards of English:Learner: International English Language Testing System 6.0 or higherLanguages available:EnglishAssessment datesOn demand for FSC2 only and FSC1 - four set OBE assessment dates per yearPass standards:Unit FSC1: 45 marksUnit FSC2: Pass standard contained in guidanceA ‘Pass’ must be achieved in both units to achieve the Certificate in Fire SafetyQualification grades:The qualification grade is based on the result from Unit FSC1Distinction:75 marks or higherCredit:65 - 74 marksPass:45 - 64 marksNEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety4

Qualification summary

QualificationsummaryWho is the qualification designed for?This qualification is designed for anyonewho has fire safety responsibilities in a smallto medium sized organisation. It providesthe knowledge and understanding, whencombined with relevant experience, to carryout an effective fire risk assessment, as well asembed good practice in the workplace.NEBOSH ‘puts you atthe top of the pile’With 30 years’ experience withinHumberside Fire and RescueService, it could be argued thatRick Phillips had little to provein terms of competence andcapability in his role as Senior FireBenefits for youThe Fire Safety Certificate (FSC) will allow you to: ensure your organisation meets its fire safetyresponsibilities; understand the risk to people and buildings fromfire and explosion hazards; recognise what control measures will be required toprevent or mitigate the effects of fire and explosion; recognise what should be included in emergencyplans and what should be done to ensure theeffective evacuation of buildings; and prepare a fire risk assessment.Officer at Humberside Airport.It’s a role Rick took on after retiringfrom the Fire Service back in 2015and which he has relished ever since. However, he certainly hasn’tbeen prepared to rest on his laurels. He is responsible for health,safety and environmental matters at the airport, which has takenRick into areas beyond his norm.“There’s a lot to consider health, safety and environmental-wiseand that’s how it is with everything here. Take the de-icing ofan aircraft for example. It really is quite wide-ranging. AlthoughI wasn’t in the health and safety section in the brigade, we allworked very closely when doing operational training around riskassessments for example, so I knew a lot already when I came here.I’d also completed my NEBOSH National General Certificate inOccupational Health and Safety back in 2003, which I found reallyBenefits for your employerWhen you achieve the NEBOSH Certificate in FireSafety, you will have the knowledge, skills andunderstanding to help your employer to preventfires from happening and minimise fire impact if theydo. In the long run, this could not only save lives butsave your employer the huge costs associated withNEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safetyhelpful in the latter part of my career.”However, Rick decided he needed more qualifications in his newrole at the airport. “I actually started with the NEBOSH NationalCertificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management, which it’s fair to sayI didn’t really struggle with. I then took the NEBOSH Certificate inEnvironmental Management and went on to the NEBOSH NationalDiploma in Occupational Health and Safety, which has beenincredibly useful all round.”6

Qualificationsummarya major fire such as loss of business, repairs to buildingsand equipment as well as those associated with criminalprosecution and claims for compensation. Even a minorfire at a key production stage can mean very large losses forindividual organisations.Professional membershipNEBOSH intend to ask the following membership bodies forprofessional recognition at the following levels:International Institute of Riskand Safety ManagementAssociateAIIRSMInstitution of OccupationalSafety and Health (IOSH)AssociateAIOSHInstitution of OccupationalSafety and Health (IOSH)TechnicalTech IOSHInstitute of Fire PreventionOfficers (IFPO)TechnicianTIFPOInstitute of Fire PreventionOfficers (IFPO)Associate*AMIFPO* The qualification may meet the academic requirementsfor membership. Relevant skills and experience will also berequired to apply for Associate Membership. Please refer tothe IFPO’s website for further information https://ifpo.org.uk/membership/. Qualification holders with the relevantskills and experience may also apply to join the IFPO Fire RiskAssessors register.NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety7

QualificationsummaryAchieving the qualificationThe FSC has two-unit assessments (see ‘Qualificationkey features’ for details on the assessments and the passstandards); you must achieve a ‘Pass’ in both units to beawarded the qualification.You will have five years to complete your qualification.The five-year period starts from the date you passedyour first successful unit (we call this the ‘declarationdate’). Any unit that is five or more years old will notcount towards the qualification and you will need toretake this/these unit(s) if you still want to complete thequalificationNEBOSH helped mefind the dream jobI’d never heard ofVictoria Casey is a RiskConsultant for one of the UK’slargest insurers, Aviva. Herjob is to carry out surveysof business properties toprovide her colleagues inunderwriting with a betterunderstanding of the risksthey are providing cover for. During the survey Victoriaencourages customers to reduce their risks and exposuresby adopting best practice risk management procedures.Re-sitting unit(s)You may re-sit a unit assessment if:“This is my absolute dream job and I couldn’t be happier,”she told us. “I feel like I uncover something new every dayand the learning never actually stops, which is something I you achieved a ‘Pass’ in a unit that is five or more yearsold and you need it to achieve the qualification;really do love. It’s a job I would never have got without my you are ‘Referred’ (ie, don’t pass); orcouldn’t be done without them. Not only did my NEBOSH want to retake Unit FSC1 to get a higher grade (UnitFSC2 is ‘Pass’ or ‘Refer’ and does not count towards thequalification grade)There is no limit to the number of times you can re-situnit(s) within the five-year period. A refund will not begiven if you register to re-sit a unit before an originalunit result is known. If your re-sit result is lower than theoriginal mark, you will keep the original mark awarded forthe unit. Re-sit marks are not cappedNEBOSH Certificate in Fire SafetyNEBOSH qualifications, and personally I believe it’s a job thatGeneral Certificate and Fire Certificate fill in so many blanks asfar as my knowledge was concerned, the qualifications gaveme so much confidence and helped me, and still do help mealmost every day, to demonstrate my competence. Now I’mreally looking forward to taking things to the next level.”.8

Re-sitting FSC1 to improve your gradeIf you want to try to improve your grade in Unit FSC1,you need to tell us in writing within 20 working daysof the declaration date of your second successful unit.Otherwise, a qualification parchment will automaticallybe issued showing the original declaration date.Finding where to studyYou can search for Learning Partners (the people thatprovide your training course) using the ‘Where to study’tab on our website: www.nebosh.org. Note: it is best tocheck directly with the Learning Partner for up-to-dateinformation on course dates.When you have completed both units, you are normallyconsidered to have completed the whole qualification.We will then send you a qualification parchment within40 working days of your final successful unit. We will onlyissue individual unit certificates on written request.Once we issue the result of the second successful unit,you have 20 working days to submit an Enquiry AboutResult (EAR) request; please see the EAR policy forfurther information: -about-results-ears.Qualification grading and issue ofqualification parchment75 Distinction65-74Credit45-64Your qualification grade is based only on the result fromthe open book examination (Unit FSC1). But you need toachieve a ‘Pass’ in both units (FSC1 and FSC2) before theparchment can be issued. The grading boundaries are asfollows:Pass0-44QualificationsummaryReferNEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety9

Syllabus

SyllabusSyllabus summaryElementRecommendedtuition hours1Managing fire safety22Principles of fire and explosion53Fuel, oxygen and ignition sources andcontrol measures44Fire protection of buildings75Safety of people in the event of fire46Fire safety risk assessment6Suggestedself-study hoursAssessmentUnit FSC1: Fire safetyOpen book examination20Unit FSC2: Fire riskassessmentPractical assessment* The timings detailed in the columns above indicate suggested hours for each of the elements.NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety11

SyllabusLearning outcomes and assessment criteriaLearning outcomeThe learner will beable to:RelatedAssessment criteriacontent(elements)Justify fire safetyimprovements usingmoral and financialarguments1.1–1.2Advise how fires andexplosions can occur andthe appropriate controlsto minimise fire andexplosion risks2.1–2.3Describe the principles of combustion in relation to fire safety3.1–3.2Give an overview of the principles and conditions for the ignition ofsolids, liquids and gases and the controls that can be put in placeAdvise their employeron the requirements forthe fire protection ofpremises and workersincluding the appropriatetraining obligations4.1–4.6Outline the principles for fire protection, detection, and prevention5.1–5.4Summarise the requirements for the maintenance of escape routes andfire extinguishing equipment, including access for the fire serviceDiscuss the moral and financial advantages of good fire safetymanagement in the workplaceSummarise how fire safety is regulated and the roles of nationalgovernment and international bodies.Outline the principles of explosion and explosive combustion and thecontrols that can be put in placeBe aware of the different types of fire extinguishing methods and theneed for training on their useUnderstand the behaviours of people during fires and why emergencyplans are requiredUnderstand why fire safety training requirements are needed for allworkersNEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety12