IOSH Overview

What is IOSH?

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is Europe's leading body for health and safety professionals.

As an independent organisation, they regulate and steer the profession, maintaining standards and providing impartial, authoritative guidance on health and safety issues.

IOSH Membership

IOSH is now a focal point for over 28,000 health and safety professionals working in a diverse range of industrial, commercial and public sector organisations.

Membership of IOSH is increasingly being used by employers as a standard for recruitment and remuneration.

Essentially every full-time safety and health practitioner should be, or aspire to be, a member of IOSH.

Membership offers a range of opportunities for those working or qualifying in health and safety. Categories of membership depend on a combination of academic qualifications, experience and achievement.

Appropriate qualifications include:

• Level 4 NVQ in Occupational Health and Safety Practice ;

• an accredited degree or diploma in occupational safety and health or a related discipline;or

• the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) level 6 Diploma

The qualifications, current role and experience of a prospective member will determine the category od membership when joining IOSH.

Categories of IOSH Membership

On 16th November 2005 a new IOSH membership structure received approval by the Privy Council.

This structure is designed to reflect the skills and experience of members, as well as to enhance their professional status.

The following categories of membership are now in place:

• Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner categories of CFIOSH and CMIOSH reflect the competence demanded of professionals in health and safety management or leadership positions

• Graduate Member category denotes those who are academically qualified for the CMIOSH category but are currently completing an IPD cycle lasting a minimum 2 years

• Technician Member category recognises the competence needed by professionals engaged in crucial operational health and safety roles.

IOSH Training Courses

IOSH works in partnership with training experts from a broad based spectrum of sectors to provide and develop both generic and tailored courses to suit a wide range of different roles in business. These training packages are then delivered by training organisations and across the UK and overseas.

Business Safety Systems and IOSH

At Businesses Safety Systems we have built an excellent relationship with IOSH over a long period of time and currently provide the following IOSH accredited courses:

IOSH Managing Safely

A 4 day course designed to meet the needs of managers from any type of organisation who are required to manage employees and their work activities in compliance with both the company’s safety policy and health and safety legislation.

The course concentrates on training managers to apply sound management principles to health and safety issues as part of a total management strategy. It may be tailored to meet the particular needs of organisations and provides successful candidates with a recognised qualification in health and safety.

IOSH Practical Safety Awareness

A 2 day course designed to provide first line managers, supervisors and general employees with a basic knowledge of health and safety at work. It should allow them to appreciate the reasons for adopting safe working practices and to realise the consequences of failing to work safely.

The information and knowledge that delegates receive should help their employers to benefit by reductions in accident rates, absenteeism and injury claims.

IOSH Working Safely

A 1 day course for staff from any sector with no supervisory or managerial responsibility. It provides a grounding in the essentials of health and safety and an understanding of why they must ‘work safely’. The Working Safely course introduces a completely new approach to health and safety training and offers all the basics in a high impact interactive package.

IOSH Managing Safely Re-Certification Courses

A 1 or 2 day course that is aimed at people or organisations who have previously successfully undertaken the managing safely course and now wish to update their knowledge in the light of the constantly changing world of health and safety.

It is strongly recommended that this course be considered after a period of 3 years has lapsed since the original course.