Boosting your knowledge and your career with NEBOSH qualifications
Dr Aga Pereira Pinto achieved both the NEBOSH General Certificate and the NEBOSH Diploma with RoSPA, enabling her to gain valuable expertise and further her career in health and safety.
Aga manages health and safety in the College of Medicine and Health at the University of Birmingham, overseeing and supporting a wide range of health and safety areas, including biological, chemical, radiation and fire safety, and managing a Containment Level 3 (CL3) facility. These highly specialised laboratories are designed to handle biological agents that pose a significant risk of infection and potential serious disease.
We talked to her about what studying the General Certificate and Diploma was like and how it has impacted her work.
What are the main health and safety issues that you have to deal with in your workplace?
“The key issues I regularly address include ensuring robust and up-to-date risk assessments, promoting PPE compliance and tackling cultural challenges - particularly changing the mindset of individuals who resist any change by saying, ‘I’ve always done it this way’.
“A large part of my work is about embedding a proactive safety culture but also enforcing compliance and ensuring health and safety is a part of everyone’s job, not an additional workload.”
Why did you initially decide to take the NEBOSH General Certificate?
“When I was working as a Technical Manager, I began considering which area to specialise in for my professional development. Managing a CL3 facility increased my interest in compliance and following a successful Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspection visit, I realised I had a strong interest in health and safety.
“Taking the NEBOSH General Certificate was a natural first step to deepen my knowledge and build confidence in my role.”
“I really enjoyed the course, particularly the two weeks of classroom learning, which were both engaging and informative. While the final exam was more challenging, the overall experience was very positive. I had an excellent instructor, whose teaching style and passion for the subject truly inspired me. Completion of the General Certificate played a key role in confirming that health and safety is the right career path for me.”
Why did you decide to carry on and do the NEBOSH Diploma?
“Pursuing the NEBOSH Diploma was essential for progressing into the Health and Safety Manager role within the College, as it was a key requirement for the position. Additionally, a Level 6 qualification is commonly expected for most management roles in the health and safety sector, so it was a necessary step to support my long-term career.”
“I found the course to be very intense. I started at the end of August and completed all three modules, including six weeks of classroom sessions and eight weeks of assessments, in mid-February. This was all in six months. Balancing the demands of the course alongside full-time work and family responsibilities was both challenging and stressful.
“Compared to the General Certificate, the content was covered in significantly greater depth. However, completing the Level 3 General Certificate beforehand gave me a strong foundation of knowledge and understanding, which made it possible to build on that base and engage more confidently with all of the Diploma’s material.”
Would you recommend studying with RoSPA? If so, why?
“I would strongly recommend studying with RoSPA. The quality of teaching was excellent. I successfully passed all assessments on my first attempt.
“I had outstanding tutors. The courses were well-structured, and communication with RoSPA was clear and efficient.
“As I am from Birmingham, I found the location very convenient. However, I also met fellow learners who had travelled from Cambridge and Edinburgh, which shows RoSPA's strong reputation nationwide.”
How have your qualifications impacted on your work, career and on your organisation?
“My qualifications have significantly influenced my career progression, enabling me to move into a management role within the College. More importantly, they have strengthened my confidence in handling health and safety matters at a broader, College and University-wide level rather than just within a department. This has enhanced my ability to contribute to organisational safety and compliance.
“As a result, I have already upgraded my IOSH membership to Certified and will soon begin working towards a Chartered Membership, as I see health and safety as both my current focus and long-term career path.”
Find out more about our range of NEBOSH courses at: www.rospa.com/health-and-safety-courses/nebosh-courses