CPD Stars: Mark Jenkins CMIOSH

Mark Jenkins CMIOSH, vice-chair of IOSH’s Offshore Group and risk and stakeholder manager for energy giant Siemens’ offshore division, tells IOSH Magazine that setting aside a few hours every two to three months is key to keeping up-to-date with his continuing professional development (CPD).

Keeping a diary is a crucial part of our working lives now. It helps us remain organised. Diaries are also useful tools to enable us to look back at what activities we have done – and keep our CPD updated.

I ensure that every two to three months I block out some time – half a day or just a couple of hours – to go back through my diary and record my CPD.

The process is as simple as that. Recording your CPD doesn’t have to be a laborious process, like many people think; just refer to your diary and go from there.

I have been involved in safety and health since the start of the 1990s. Prior to this, I had been an operational manager in the electricity supply industry. Being in this line of work my understanding of the importance of health and safety at work really grew. Unfortunately incidents did occur, but we learned from them and I’m pleased to say that such industries are now a much safer place to work.

There is a real awareness among employees of the need to care for their colleagues. The last thing you ever want to do is contribute to someone being harmed. It was that drive which led me into safety and health.

With my career having taken that path, joining IOSH was a really important step for me. They offer great support, which helped me as I worked my way up to chartered member status.

Crucial to this progression, of course, was my CPD – and my diary. People may sometimes say that CPD is time consuming. It need not be and I would assure anyone that it is vitally important in the job you do.

Through it you can map where you want to be. It can give you a real degree of structure and show how you can get to where you are aiming for.

IOSH supports me and other members with their CPD in many ways. There are forums and branch meetings, where you are surrounded by like-minded people who are specialists in what they do. And there is always specialist support available on the phone whenever you have any queries.

I was told early on that you need to answer three questions following a branch event, as an example. They are: what the course or presentation was; how it was delivered, such as via a presentation or an exam; and what you gained from it.

By answering those three questions you can have some structure to your CPD record. You don’t have to write a book to stay up-to-date, you just need to log your activities and consider what you have learned.

I’d encourage everyone to do their CPD. By doing so, they can ensure that they are up-to-date with all requirements, which will enable them to do their job to the best of their abilities and, as a result, help to prevent workers from coming to harm”

For more information about completing your CPD, call the IOSH membership team on +44 (0)116 257 3198 or email membership@iosh.co.uk