Training is the be-all and end-all

Occupational physicians, occupational hygienists, safety engineers, safety experts and ASGS specialists (ASA) are obliged to complete appropriate further training after completing their further training and obtaining the title of occupational safety specialist (ASA specialist) in accordance with the Ordinance on the Qualification of Occupational Safety Specialists.

Only with this annual training is it possible to retain the title of specialist and be appointed as an ASA specialist in the company. The requirements for the further training of ASA specialists are specified in Annex 2 of the FCOS Guideline 6508 "ASA Guideline". In the version dated January 1, 2022, the FCOS has commissioned three associations to monitor and validate the training of their members and non-affiliated ASA specialists.

For safety engineers, safety experts and ASGS specialists, the Swiss Society for Occupational Safety (SGAS) has been appointed to carry out the inspection of training courses for its members and non-members in accordance with the requirements set out in its regulations. The SGAS has adapted its regulations accordingly and developed processes to ensure efficient and "equivalent" control in all language regions of the country.

By achieving the recommended number of training units (FBE) in a year, ASA specialists receive the annual training certificate and are included in the ASA register, which certifies their training status and is accessible on the SGAS website.

Training institutions have the opportunity to register with the SGAS and then have their training courses awarded a label. Unlike in the past, this label is now awarded for individual training courses and no longer for the training institute as a whole. The criteria for recognition are defined in the corresponding regulations. The application for validation is submitted via the SGAS homepage.

Since the beginning of 2024, a catalog of the training courses awarded the label has been available on the SGAS website, which can be viewed by SGAS members.

The completed training courses must be documented and confirmed. The ASA specialist is responsible for obtaining the certificates from the training institution. The certificates are uploaded individually to the SGAS website, where they are checked and validated. To simplify and speed up the validation process, it is helpful if the evidence is uploaded gradually over the course of the year and not all at once at the end of the year. By way of illustration: in 2023, well over 4000 members' training certificates were processed.

In 2023, the SGAS conducted a survey among its 1,700 members on their training status. With 1101 responses, the response rate was overwhelmingly high.

62.5% of ASA specialists are easily up to date and meet the requirements for further training.

Among those who state that they are not up to date, the main reasons given are

• the difficulty of finding suitable training courses
• the lack of time to take part in training courses
• the lack of support from their employer
• the fact that they were not checked and the lack of fear of sanctions

The provision of the catalog of training courses awarded with the label is a great help in the search for suitable training courses.

The results of the survey show in particular that the lack of support from employers and the insufficient provision of the necessary time are an obstacle to achieving the required annual training units (FBE).

The SGAS points out that the employer is responsible for safety overall. They can delegate safety-related tasks, but are obliged to ensure that the persons assigned have appropriate training and further training and to clearly define their competencies. The time required for training and further training is generally regarded as working time (Art. 7 VUV).