Key Topics

Unit A: Managing health and safety

• Principles of health & safety management
• Loss causation and evaluation
• Assessing and evaluating risk
• Systems approach for controlling risk
• Measuring health and safety performance
• Organisational factors
• Human factors
• Principles of health & safety law – criminal and civil

Unit B: Hazardous agents in the workplace

• Occupational health & hygiene
• Toxicology and epidemiology
• Chemical agents, evaluating risk
• Hazardous substances
• Biological agents
• Psycho-social agents
• Ergonomic agents

Unit C: Workplace and work equipment safety

• General workplace issues
• Hazards & controls associated with work equipment
• Machinery safety
• Mechanical handling
• Principles of fire and explosion
• Workplace fire precautions
• Environmental pollution and waste management

Unit D: Workplace based assignment

The focus of the Unit D assignment should be the application of the knowledge and understanding developed in Units A, B and C to a real workplace situation. Registration submission is March and September each year

Course Assessment

Each unit will be assessed by a ‘unit’ examination and completion of the 8,000 word Unit D assignment. There will be three examinations, one each for units A, B and C. The pass mark for each examination is 45%.

The overall mark will be an aggregate of the examination and assignment marks, with slightly more emphasis being given to the examination marks.

Course Structure

Designed for Health and safety practitioners – and those aspiring to the profession – who wish to achieve corporate membership of IOSH. The course is also appropriate for those requiring the deeper level of knowledge that is offered by a Level 3 course.