The Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (known as IOSH) is recognised as a global leader in workplace safety. The organisation provides accreditation for training bodies around the world who deliver work based safety courses. Training providers offer a range of safety courses designed to offer workers and business owners with comprehensive skills to work safely and to manage safely. The strength of the IOSH Managing Safely course content is in that it is based on practical skills to identify risks and manage safety. There are a number of different levels of safety qualifications available, suitable to different levels within any company ranging from the ‘IOSH Working Safely’ options, designed for employees in general, right through to those focussing on executive levels. IOSH course content is grounded in risk management and identification.

Ground Level Health and Safety Qualifications

The two ‘ground level’ qualifications, working safely and managing safely, are designed for employees and managers. Both courses compliment each other strongly; they are designed to help both employees and managers work closely together on risk management. This is crucial in the workplace as every individual is, under legislation, responsible for their own, their colleagues and any visitors or contractors safety. Understanding this and fostering good, safe working practices is a key method to minimising risk at all times. IOSH course content at both levels is designed to cover the following areas;

  • Hazard identification and evaluation
  • Use of workplace precautions and/or finding information on these
  • Preparation of risk assessment (for workers this is limited to assisting managers)
  • Fostering cooperation and communication in relation to health and safety
  • Reporting accidents or events and monitoring activities.

In the Managing Safely courses these elements also provide the basis for the training but are more focussed on specific management responsibilities, including risk assessment production, providing new working practices and safety implementation, accident reporting procedures and implementing company specific policies. Managing Safely in Construction is a qualification aimed specifically at the construction industry and while covering all basic elements of health and safety it is focussed specifically on relevant legislation and practices in what is considered one of the riskier industries in which to work.

High Level Responsibilities

The IOSH course content for directors and executives differs from the working and managing safely courses in that it is focussed more on legislative responsibilities of business owners, executives and directors. Some elements of risk assessment are included but the overall focus is on strategic objectives of Health and Safety and the role of owners and executives in taking a lead on these issues. With increased legislation relating to corporate manslaughter and homicide, along with rising fine levels in cases of breaches of Health and Safety legislation, these higher level courses provide an excellent basis for executives and directors to understand their own legal responsibilities and to ensure that Health and Safety is a core concern at all levels of a company.

IOSH course content delivers practical information for employers and business owners, relevant to their different roles and responsibilities.