PROFESSIONAL BODY

“Professional body” means any body of expert practitioners in an occupational field, and includes an occupational body.

The Institute for Work at Height received official recognition as a Professional Body from SAQA In November 2012.

THE SAQA CRITERIA FOR RECOGNIZING A PROFESSIONAL BODY IS:

Protect the interest and the professional status of its members
Protect the public interest in relation to services provided by practitioners and the associated risks.
Show evidence of inherent social responsibility and advancing the objectives of the NQF.
Be a legally constituted entity with the necessary human and financial resources to undertake its functions, governed either by a statute, charter or a constitution and compliant with and adhere to good corporate governance practices.
Represent, and where applicable, also regulate, a recognized community of expert practitioners.
Apply peer judgement in decision making.
Develop, award and revoke its professional designations in terms of its own rules, legislation and/or international conventions.
Monitor its professional designations in terms of its own rules, legislation and/or international conventions.
Manage the revocation of designations, as well as disciplinary matters, appeals and complaints in a transparent manner and in terms of its own rules, legislation and/or international conventions.
Set criteria for, promote and monitor continuing professional development (CPD) for its members to meet the relevant professional designation requirements.
Show evidence of a fully functional information management system compatible with the National Learners’ Records Database.
Monitor compliance with an agreed code of conduct and/or ethics, including criminal record screening where applicable.
Co-operate with the relevant QCs in respect of qualifications and quality assurance in its occupational field.
Not be accredited as a provider by a QC.
Be involved in the development of a body of specialized knowledge taking due cognizance of national and international benchmarks.
Not be registered as a provider with the Department of Higher Education and Training.

BENEFITS OF THE PROFESSIONAL BODY

Regulated and controlled training of all persons exposed to the risks of working at height, strictly in accordance with the requirements of the National Qualifications Framework.
All persons that are trained in accordance with the National Qualifications Framework standards (NQF) can apply for membership of the IWH PB, and if found to be competent, such persons will be awarded a professional designation and become registered practitioners of the Institute
All such registered practitioners are bound by a code of conduct that is administered by the IWH PB. Any practitioner that is found guilty of a serious breach of this code can have his/her professional designation revoked by the professional body.
All complaints against unsafe working practices by registered practitioners that are received by the IWH PB will be investigated by its Rules and Regulations Committee.
All IWH PB recognised Professional Development Partners (PDP) are carefully monitored to ensure that the training standard offered meets with the requirements of the NQF and those of the IWH PB.
Peace-of-mind for clients that make use of the services of such registered practitioners.

WHO DOES THIS AFFECT?

All persons involved in working at heights that are exposed to the risk of falling.
Any person that wears a safety harness at work.
All persons that employ other persons that have to perform work whilst at height.
All persons that use contractors to carry out work whilst at height.
All designers of structures that will expose persons to the risks of working at height.
All builders of such structures.
All clients that have such structures erected on their behalf, and
Providers that train persons who work at height.
Peace-of-mind for clients that make use of the services of such registered practitioners

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN IWH PB RECOGNISED Professional Development Partners (PDP)

Any person that wishes to be awarded a professional designation must seek the support of a Professional Development Partners (PDP) that is recognised by the IWH PB and that can offer the correct training.
Any training provider that wishes to offer training that leads to the awarding of a professional designation in the work at height industry could seek recognition from the professional body.
All existing training providers are encouraged to contact the professional body to make arrangements for an audit of their facilities and trainers. A subject matter expert of the IWH PB will arrange a site audit.
All recognized training providers will be listed on the IWH PB website and will be entitled to display the words “IWH PB Recognised” on their documentation.

SAQA REGISTERED DESIGNATIONS

The IWH PB has registered the following designations with SAQA:

Designation ID

Designation Title

1215

Certified Work at Height Technician

897

Certified Work at Height Practitioner

898

Certified Work at Height Professional

This covers inter alia, activities related to Suspended Access Equipment, Scaffolding, Ladders, Access Towers, Falsework, Rope Access, MEWPs and Fall Protection, which is the overarching component that binds all work at height related activities.

All designations are valid for 3 years, (except for MEWP’s which is valid for 2 years), subject to meeting the requirements of the IWH’s professional body’s CPD policy and provided that such practitioner’s designation has not been revoked.