What is an IOSH Certificate & Why Would I Need One?

IOSH stands for the Institute of Occupations Safety and Health, the world’s leading body for health and safety professionals*.

There are four different levels of IOSH certificate:

• IOSH Working Safely – this is intended for any workplace professional, whatever their level within an organisation

• IOSH Managing Safely - aimed at managers and supervisors, providing more detailed training than the Working Safely course. This level of certificate may be equally applicable to more junior members of staff, offering them a more detailed and intensive training in all areas of working safety. The Institute of Occupational Safety & Health have developed the IOSH Manging Safely course for managers and supervisors in any business sector, and organisation. This course has been designed to enable managers to introduce new controls and implement changes within their department.  The aim of the course is to promote a safer workplace in line with a company’s organisational policy and health & safety compliance.

• IOSH Safety for Senior Executives - this course offers more information about legislation and employers' responsibilities. It focuses on those with strategic responsibility for implementing health and safety within the organisation, however it also covers areas contained within the Working Safely and Managing Safely IOSH qualifications

• IOSH Directing Safely - for top level decision makers, often at board or director level. The purpose of the IOSH Directing Safely programme is to ensure that top level decision-makers develop an appreciation of the moral, financial and legal issues relating to workplace health and safety throughout the management process.

So why might you need an IOSH qualification? Last year alone there were 26,000 major workplace injuries reported in the UK. The most frequent causes of injury were manual handling, trips and falling from heights. Most of these cases could have been prevented with the correct health and safety training. As well as major injuries there were 118,000 minor workplace injuries reported.

The IOSH Working Safely course is open to all employees, across a wide range of industries. The course meets the Governments guidelines for introductory health and safety training. This course covers all of the health and safety basics as well as environmental issues.

Health and safety is a vitally important aspect of employee wellbeing and it is essential that employers do not leave themselves open to criticism or exposed legally in this respect. 

Find out more about our range of IOSH qualifications today.

IOSH is the Chartered body for health and safety professionals. It is the world's largest professional health and safety membership organisation, campaigning on issues that affect millions of workers across the globe. IOSH sets the standards for the delivery of health and safety in the workplace. The body works to support, develop and connect its members with resources, guidance, events and training.