The Occupational Hygiene Training Association (OHTA) was formed to promote better standards of occupational hygiene practice throughout the world. OHTA develops training materials and makes them freely available through their website, ohtatraining.org, for use by students and training providers. OHTA also promotes an international training and qualifications framework so that all hygienists are trained to a consistent high standard and recognized in all participating countries. An integral part of this process is the delivery of OHTA Training courses by OHTA Approved Trainers. These courses use the OHTA training materials to deliver a standardized level of training which is assessed through the OHTA examination system. The OHTA examination is an integral part of the process.

From January 2024, courses that do not include the OHTA examination cannot be advertised or promoted as OHTA courses; are not part of the OHTA International Training and Qualifications Framework; and do not count towards the OHTA International Certificate in Occupational Hygiene (ICertOHTA).

This document provides additional guidance and sets out the terms & conditions for becoming an Approved OHTA Trainer and should be read before completing the application form. Those participating in the scheme will be termed OHTA Approved Trainers once approved.

Applications for approval are to be submitted to OHTA on team@ohtatraining.org using the ‘Approved OHTA Trainer Application Form’ which is available from ohtatraining.org. All prospective OHTA Approved Trainers must complete the form, which assesses suitability to deliver training.

The application will be assessed by the OHTA administrative staff initially, to ensure that the form has been completed correctly and that the listed course director holds the relevant qualifications. The application will then be reviewed by a member of the OHTA Awards and Qualifications Committee. If an MoU is in place between OHTA and a Member Association in a country the provider wishes to deliver training in, the application will also be sent to them for comment. Member Associations do not have the power to approve or decline the application, but are asked to lodge any objections, which are then taken into consideration by OHTA. Please note that applications from South Africa will be reviewed by the team at SAIOH initially, before being passed back to OHTA for final approval and set up.

Any prospective provider who is refused approval will be informed via email, with a clear explanation as to why the approval cannot be granted. The provider is then welcomed to resubmit the application in future, subject to the issues that prevented approval being resolved.

OHTA reserves the right to refuse approval if the criteria are not met or if a Member Association representative or examining body representative raises concerns over the approval being given. Likewise, OHTA reserves the right to withdraw approval, should concerns be raised about the quality of the training being delivered, or if it believes changes have been made to the course, instructors, or Course Director without OHTA being informed.

Once approved, OHTA Approved Trainers are required to let OHTA know of any changes to their address and contact details, Course Director, instructors, or training methods as soon as possible on team@ohtatraining.org. OHTA Approved Trainers are required to provide annual updates of their status to retain their approved status. An annual update form will be available for download from the OHTA website. This is to ensure that the OHTA has up-to-date information on all the approved training providers.

OHTA courses may only be delivered at times and locations notified in advance to OHTA and where examinations are booked for all students at least 14 days before the course start date. Fees for examinations are payable to OHTA.

Failure by OHTA Approved Trainers to adhere to these Terms and Conditions may result in withdrawal of status and permission to hold courses and the relevant examinations.

OHTA reserves the right to amend these Terms & Conditions at any time.

Fees

There is no charge for the application to become an OHTA Approved Trainer.  Examination fees are paid following the examinations are held and this is the main source of OHTA funds to pay for the administration costs.

1. Application Process for OHTA Approved Trainer

All applicants must use the OHTA Approved Trainer Application Form and provide the requested information

1.1 All prospective trainers must be able to meet the following criteria to apply and be considered for approval:

  • A Course Director who is a professional occupational hygienist holding a qualification recognized by IOHA under the National Association Recognition (NAR) scheme. An occupational hygienist who has previously held an NAR qualification for at least 10 years and has voluntarily retired their certification may also be considered as a Course Director. Further details of the NAR scheme are available here: https://www.ioha.net/ioha-activities/national-accreditation-recognition-nar/ (OHTA will contact the relevant body to verify credentials). The Course Director is responsible for overall quality and teaching standards and, where practical assessment forms part of the course, for verifying that each student has satisfactorily completed the practical exercise.
  • Other instructors should have qualifications and experience relevant to the topics they teach.
  • Experience of running practical training in occupational hygiene (please provide as much detail as possible in your application)
  • Access to the appropriate occupational hygiene equipment
  • Access to the relevant international consensus standards and methods applicable to occupational hygiene assessment strategies and measurements.
  • When applying for approval to run online training, experience, and track record of similar activities, together with the necessary IT and other resources.

1.2 The OHTA Approved Trainer Application Form must be completed in its entirety and signed with an electronic signature. The following terms & conditions relate to the application form and approval process:

  • A OHTA trainer will initially be granted permission to run courses in their own country but may request permission to run courses in other countries providing they can demonstrate an ability to offer courses in those countries. Approval for training in additional countries is at the discretion of OHTA.
  • Trainers running OHTA courses as part of internal training programs within their own companies/organizations must make this clear in their application.
  • The prospective trainer accepts that where a course provider wishes to run courses in countries that are OHTA MoU signatories, OHTA will seek input from the local professional body before approval is granted.
  • Training providers must not apply for approval in countries that they are not willing or able to run courses in.
  • AOT’s must appoint a NAR qualified Course Director. The Course Director does not need to teach but must take overall responsibility for the conduct and standard of training.
  • The Course Director is responsible for ensuring that all course instructors are appropriately qualified in the relevant subject, with relevant experience in teaching and can deliver the training in the agreed language to a high standard.
  • To ensure students have appropriate access and interaction with tutors, the number of students on any one course is restricted to a maximum of 20 attendees.
  • AOT’s must ensure that sufficient equipment is available for the number of students attending the course.
  • Where trainers are approved for single courses and wish to extend their range of courses and /or locations, they will need to apply for an extension of scope to their current approval.
  • AOTs are entitled to use the Approved OHTA Trainer logo on materials relating to the OHTA modules, when teaching those modules. This logo incorporates the "Supported by IOHA" message and logo.
  • AOTs should ensure the OHTA logo and a link to the OHTA website is included on their own website.
  • Approved OHTA training providers will be able to promote their OHTA courses on the OHTA website. OHTA will the advertise upcoming courses on its social media channels.
  • AOTs can provide a digital copy of their logo with permission for OHTA to include on examination certificates where they have provided the training.

 

2. Examinations

The following terms & conditions apply in relation to examinations:

  • AOTs will be charged for the number of students on each course. Each student should be registered online for the OHTA examination.
  • In the event of the AOT cancelling an examination after the confirmation email has been sent, they may be subject to a cancellation charge which will reflect the administration costs incurred.
  • AOTs must allow students to take one re-sit examination within 12 months of course completion. Applications for re-sit examinations will be made directly to the AOT by candidates. Exams should be booked with OHTA and paid for by the AOT. AOTs will only charge these candidates the examination fee and are not expected to provide any tutorial support.
  • For quality assurance purposes, OHTA may moderate the online exams.
  • OHTA will inform candidates online of the result of their examination within one week from the date of the examination. A summary result sheet will be sent to the AOT. .
  • The OHTA examination system will issue a downloadable certificate of successful course completion to candidates who have successfully completed the course and who have passed the online examination. This certificate can include the logo of the AOT.
  • It is the responsibility of the NAR qualified Course Director to verify that each student has satisfactorily completed any practical exercises specified in the course program.
  • It is the responsibility of the AOT to collect the examination fees from their candidates for all examinations.
  • Payment of examination fees must be made to OHTA. An invoice will be sent by OHTA after the examination.
  • OHTA will not enter correspondence with an AOT, candidate or other third party regarding the marks and/or performance of any individual candidate(s).
  • If an AOT wishes their logo to be included on the examination certificate a copy should be provided to OHTA with the following requirements: Print quality PNG 24 or JPG with low compression, at least 1000px wide no borders. That the logo that runs from left to right if there is more than one version.

 

3. Facilities for Teaching

  • The AOT is responsible for providing suitable facilities for the course, practical experience, and, where applicable, the practical assessment.
  • The AOT is responsible for ensuring students have appropriate computers and software to access the online OHTA examinations.
  • Tutors must follow good teaching practice and use visual aids, demonstrations, and practical work as appropriate.
  • The AOT must ensure each student has access to the relevant OHTA manual before the course.
  • The AOT is expected to provide all relevant documentation for candidates including details of requirements to access the course and any relevant guidance and suitable reference material.
  • For face-to-face courses, the AOT must ensure that there is sufficient equipment to allow students to gain appropriate hands-on experience through structured practical work (as appropriate). For online courses, the AOT must allow sufficient time for online demonstrations and interaction with individual students.

 

4. Safety Requirements

The AOT must be responsible for all safety provisions for instructors, staff, candidates etc. Appropriate risk assessments, test certificates etc. should be available for inspection, should they be requested.

The AOT must have appropriate suitable accident/incident reporting and investigation procedures.

5. Quality Assurance

AOTs must ensure all students complete the online OHTA student feedback form. OHTA will share anonymised results with the AOT as part of a process of quality assurance.

As part of the OHTA process of continuous improvement, you will provide feedback to OHTA if you identify any errors in our teaching materials and if you have any suggestions for improvement

AOTs must have their own in-house Quality Assurance scheme and must include the OHTA online student feedback system. The results obtained by such systems will need to be available, upon request by the OHTA Qualifications Group auditor, as part of any ATP’s performance evaluation.

As part of the quality assurance scheme, all AOTs may be subject to regular performance evaluation. Such an evaluation will be designed to ensure the continuing quality of delivery of OHTA courses and to identify areas where OHTA may provide additional support for AOTs.