Australian OHS Education Accreditation Board

Governance Document

The Australian Occupational Health and Safety Education Accreditation Board (AOHSEAB)

In this section, the following terms have the meaning assigned below, unless the context otherwise requires:

Accreditation refers to the process whereby suitable education Programs are identified and recognised for the purposes of the certification of OHS professionals;

Certification refers to the process whereby individuals are assessed and recognised as being suitably qualified and meeting the stated requirements to practice as an OHS Practitioner or Professional;

OHS Practitioners are implementers of strategy and actions usually designed bid an OHS Professional. They support a safe working environment bid maintaining OHS administrative processes, conducting training and using a range of state-of-the-art tools, processes, and common practice solutions to OHS risks. They usually gain their OHS education through the vocational or technical sector

OHS Professional means a person possessing special knowledge, skills and appropriate university-based education (or equivalent), in a widely recognised body of learning derived from research, education and training at a high level who provides enterprises with advice on the organisational arrangements that will lead to the systemic and systematic management and reduction of fatality, injury, disease and ill-health;

Program means a sequence of study leading to a recognised qualification provided bid a university or other recognised educational institution;

Registrar refers to the person who manages the activities of the AOHSEAB and the process of Accreditation.

Auspice

The Australian OHS Education Accreditation Board (AOHSEAB) has been established under the auspices of the Institute.

Independence statement: Notwithstanding the auspicing arrangement between AOHSEAB and the AIHS Board, AOHSEAB's accreditation decisions are made independently and on merit, based on published criteria and evidence of program quality. Accreditation decisions are not influenced by commercial, membership or sectional interests, or political considerations.

Purposes and Functions

The purposes and functions of the AOHSEAB are to:

independently and impartially identify and recognise through Accreditation suitable education Programs for the purpose of the Certification of OHS Practitioners and Professionals;
promote education objectives and graduate capabilities, educational design and review processes, and delivery of learning appropriate to develop graduates equipped with the knowledge and skills to enter the workplace as an entry-level OHS Professional;
develop co-operation, partnerships and alliances with OHS educators in pursuing common goals in relation to OHS and the profession;
manage the accreditation process in a manner that is open to external scrutiny, conducted in a consultative and consensus-building collegiate fashion, transparent and fair, and that balances academic priorities with those of the OHS profession;
determine, on the recommendation of the Registrar, fees to be charged for Program Accreditation;
provide industry feedback, knowledge and experience in curriculum development to ensure continued professional relevance;
promote OHS course development that enhances professional standing and recognition of OHS Professionals.

Activities

The activities of the AOHSEAB and the process of Accreditation are managed bid the Registrar. The functions of the Registrar are to:

act as secretary of the AOHSEAB;
effectively administer the AOHSEAB's activities including manage the costs of the Board and Accreditation process, funding by the Institute and other parties, and recommend for approval by the Board, fees to be charged for Program Accreditation;
manage the administrative processes related to Program Accreditation including conducting initial assessment of adequacy of applications;
develop and maintain policies, procedures and documentation relating to the Program Accreditation process including Accreditation Criteria and promulgate same in a transparent manner;
liaise with universities on OHS Program Accreditation;
maintain an on-line register of Accredited Programs;
collate statistics on student numbers, graduates, etc. provided in the annual returns;
prepare an annual report covering the AOHSEAB's activities and including Accredited Programs and student numbers;
such other tasks incidental or ancillary to the purposes or functions of the AOHSEAB or the Registrar.

Representation

In addition to the Registrar and Chair, the AOHSEAB comprises members with broad national representation selected based on expertise, knowledge and experience in OHS education, accreditation and professional development:

Core Expertise categories:

Senior OHS professionals (min 2);
Senior OHS academics (min 2, from different universities)
Senior education academic (min 1);

Professional body representatives:

Representative of the Australian New Zealand Society for Occupational Medicine (ANZSOM) (1);
Representative of the Australian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (AFOEM) (1);

Discretionary appointments:

Individuals identified based on requisite skills (max 3)

Skills and Experience Framework

People appointed to industry/practice or discretionary seats shall be appointed based on their expertise, knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas: OHS practice and industry implementation, curriculum and program design, OHS education delivery and assessment, accreditation and quality assurance processes, higher education governance, student perspectives on OHS education, or emerging OHS domains (e.g. psychosocial hazards, digital safety).

Formal skills-and-experience for discretionary appointments include:

- OHS practice and implementation
- Curriculum and program design
- OHS education delivery and assessment
- Accreditation and quality assurance
- Higher education governance
- Student perspectives
- Emerging OHS domains such as psychosocial hazards and digital safety.

Appointments and Terms of Participation

Members of the AOHSEAB shall be appointed bid the Board of the Institute, based on their expertise, knowledge and experience related to the activities and education of OHS professionals:

People nominated to the AOHSEAB as representatives of the OHS professional bodies (HFESA and ANZSOM) shall have a role in education matters related to that body and also hold an OHS-related university-level qualification;
People nominated to the AOHSEAB as representatives of the OHS professional bodies (HFESA and ANZSOM) set as individuals on the AOHSEAB, and represent their own professional views rather than the views of the nominating agency;

Where practical, gender diversity and geographical location will be considered to ensure breadth of representation on the AOHSEAB;

AOHSEAB members shall be appointed for a term of three years with the option for renewal for a second three-year term, subject to Board approval and performance. Members shall not serve more than two consecutive three-year terms (maximum six years). After completion of two consecutive terms, a member may be re-appointed after a minimum one-year break. To ensure continuity, appointment processes will be developed so that only 50% of the Board turns over at any one time. The Board shall maintain a forward-looking recruitment plan, identifying upcoming vacancies, required expertise, and diversity goals, which shall be reviewed by the AOHSEAB Chair and AIHS CEO annually.

A member of the AOHSEAB shall cease to hold that position if:

The person resigns bid written notice to the Registrar;
The person is absent, without the consent of the AOHSEAB, from three consecutive meetings, or three meetings in the same financial year, of the AOHSEAB or a panel of the AOHSEAB as provided below;

The person dies or becomes unfit to carry out the inherent tasks required of the position;

The person ceases to be eligible under paragraph 5 above.

Membership of the AOHSEAB shall be an honorary non-executive position. The Institute will reimburse travelling and other expenses that a member of the AOHSEAB incurs on AOHSEAB business based on pre-approval from the AIHS CEO.
The Board of the Institute may appoint the Registrar for any period and on any terms (including as to remuneration) the Board of the Institute decides. Subject to any agreement between the Institute and the Registrar, the Board may remove or dismiss the Registrar from that office at any time. The Board of the Institute must consult with the AOHSEAB regarding the appointment, removal or re-appointment from time to time of the Registrar.

The AIHS Board elects a member as Chair for any period they decide.

6. Meetings

The AOHSEAB may meet, adjourn and otherwise regulate their meetings as they decide. The Board shall meet not less than once in every six months. Agendas and meeting papers shall be circulated electronically via a centralised platform designated by the AOHSEAB. A meeting may be held using video, mobile, or other contemporaneous audio or audio-visual communication technology. Members may provide standing consent to participation via electronic means at the start of their term; such consent shall be recorded by the Registrar.

Electronic-only circulation of agendas, meeting minutes, presentation materials and papers.
SharePoint is used as a central repository of information within the AOHSEAB. A meeting may be held using any technology consented to by all the members of the AOHSEAB. The consent may be a standing one. A member may only withdraw consent within a reasonable period before the meeting. If a meeting is held by telephone link-up or other contemporaneous audio or audio-visual communication, a member is taken to be present unless the member states to the Chair that the director is disconnecting his or her telephone or communication device.
The quorum for an AOHSEAB meeting is one half of the number of members (rounded up if not a whole number), unless the Board otherwise decides.
The Chair is entitled to chair each AOHSEAB meeting. If there is no Chair, or if the Chair is not present within 10 minutes after the time appointed for the meeting or is unable or unwilling to act, the Deputy Chair may chair the meeting. If there is no Deputy Chair, or if the Deputy Chair is not present within 10 minutes after the time appointed for the meeting or is unable or unwilling to act, the members present must elect one of themselves to chair the meeting.
A resolution of the AOHSEAB is passed by a majority of votes cast. If there is an equality of votes, the Chair does not have a casting vote in addition to the Chair's personal deliberative vote.

The AOHSEAB may pass a resolution without a meeting being held if all the members entitled to vote on the resolution provide their written consent by email to the Registrar within a timeframe specified by the Chair or Registrar (minimum 5 business days unless urgency is declared). Separate emails from members are acceptable provided the wording of the resolution is identical in each communication. The resolution is passed when the last member entitled to vote has confirmed their agreement. The Registrar shall record all out-of-session resolutions, the names of members consenting, and the date of passage in the AOHSEAB minute book. Non-responses shall be treated as abstentions unless a member explicitly declines to vote.

Delegations

The AOHSEAB may delegate its power in relation to assessing applications for Accreditation to a panel of the AOHSEAB (Assessment Panel). The AOHSEAB must establish, approve and keep current written terms of reference for the Assessment Panel, including composition, selection processes, and decision-making procedures. A summary of the Assessment Panel procedures shall be published on the AOHSEAB website to ensure transparency and clarity for education providers.
The AOHSEAB may delegate its power in relation to reviewing objections or appeals from a decision of the Board in relation to Accreditation, to a panel of the AOHSEAB (Review Panel). The Review Panel must not include any member of the Assessment Panel in relation to the decision under objection or appeal. The AOHSEAB must establish, approve and keep current written terms of reference for the Review Panel. The Review Panel will make a recommendation to the AOHSEAB in relation to the outcome of the objection or appeal. The Review Panel and the AOHSEAB may inform themselves in relation to the matters under objection or appeal as they think fit and shall consider the objection or appeal in good faith. The Review Panel shall act fairly and transparently in its deliberations and shall give the applicant reasonable opportunity to be heard.
The AOHSEAB may revoke or vary any delegation to an Assessment Panel or Review Panel either generally or in relation to a specific case.
All Assessment and Review Panel terms of reference shall be noted by the AIHS Board at its next meeting following their approval by AOHSEAB.

Conflict of Interest

A member of the AOHSEAB shall not be disqualified by reason of the existence of any conflict of interest or duty but must disclose the conflict prior to AOHSEAB proceeding to deal with any matter in which the member has a conflict.

Conflicts specific to accreditation matters include, but are not limited to:

All AOHSEAB members shall provide an annual written declaration of interests to the Registrar, to be reviewed at the start of the AOHSEAB year or upon appointment. Members shall update the declaration if material changes occur during their term.
A member who has disclosed a conflict of interest or duty in a matter that is being considered at an AOHSEAB meeting may be counted in a quorum for the meeting. Unless the other members of the AOHSEAB present resolve, having regard to the nature of the conflict and all other relevant matters, that the conflicted member may remain present and vote on the matter, the conflicted member must absent himself or herself from the deliberation on the matter and must not vote on the matter.
The provisions of this By-Law with respect to meetings and decisions of the AOHSEAB apply also with the necessary changes to meetings of an Assessment Panel and a Review Panel.

Governance and Links to the AIHS Board and Chief Executive

Notwithstanding the independence of the AOHSEAB in terms of its processes and decision-making, the AIHS Board has overall legal governance responsibilities for the AOHSEAB through an auspicing arrangement. This requires that the AOHSEAB through the Chair and

Registrar:

Works with the Chief Executive to prepare an annual budget for the operation of the AOHSEAB and an annual work plan, including key priorities and performance metrics (KPIs) to be achieved during the year, aligned with AOHSEAB's purposes and the Institute's strategic plan
Provides quarterly reports to the Chief Executive on the operations of the Board and its accreditations, progress against the annual work plan and KPIs, and any significant issues or variations from plan, to be incorporated in the CEO's reports to the Institute's Board
Where significant variations in work vs plan or finances vs budget occur, works co-operatively with the Chief Executive to resolve any performance issues, and if required re-plan and re-budget
Provides an Annual Report to the Chief Executive, covering:
Contributes to the Institute's annual strategic planning process and provides input on emerging developments in OHS education and accreditation practice
Engages with the Chief Executive to progress the ongoing relationship between the AOHSEAB and the Institute's Board, including any governance refinements or policy updates
Monitors and provides feedback on the quality, relevance and currency of the OHS Body of Knowledge as a basis for providing quality OHS education
Advocates for the development and review of chapters within the OHS Body of Knowledge to take account of priority topics for OHS education
Provides information, develops influence and advocates for OHS professional accreditation and education
The AOHSEAB Chair shall prepare a report for the Institute's members published in the AIHS Annual Report
Periodic effectiveness review: The AOHSEAB shall undertake an effectiveness review every three to five years (or as directed by the AIHS Board) to assess alignment with best practice in professional accreditation, quality of accreditation processes, stakeholder satisfaction, and value delivered. The findings and recommendations of such reviews shall be reported to the AIHS Board and AOHSEAB, and an implementation plan shall be developed.

Succession Planning for Registrar and Chair

The Board of the Institute may appoint the Registrar for any period and on any terms including remuneration the Board of the Institute decides. Subject to any agreement between the Institute and the Registrar, the Board may remove or dismiss the Registrar from that office at any time. The Board of the Institute must consult with the AOHSEAB regarding the appointment, removal or re-appointment from time to time of the Registrar.

The AIHS Board elects an AOHSEAB member as Chair for a term of three years, renewable for one additional term (maximum six years continuous service as Chair). The Board shall seek to maintain continuity of AOHSEAB leadership while ensuring circulation of the Chair role. Upon the expiry of a Chair term, the Board shall commence succession planning in consultation with the AOHSEAB to identify the next Chair.