One of the most popular safety courses on the market is the IOSH Managing Safely course. It has been delivered for many years now and has outstanding reviews. It’s a great starting point for people who want to know more about safety. But with so many courses and qualifications available, how do you know which is right for you? And most importantly, whether it’s the right level.
In this blog, we look at what level IOSH Managing Safely is. You’ll also learn what is included in the course and the assessment.
What Does IOSH Stand For?
IOSH stands for the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Founded in the UK in 1945, it’s the world’s Chartered body for health and safety professionals.
IOSH advocates for change and champions health and safety causes globally. They advise policymakers, NGOs and governments and commission research to set global standards.
Over the years, IOSH has created a range of safety courses. IOSH Managing Safely is one of their most popular courses.
Why Is the IOSH Managing Safely Course Important?
Each year over a million workers get injured or come down with work-related illnesses, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Knowing how to keep workers safe should be the top priority for all businesses. Nobody leaves home to go to work and get injured. We all deserve safe and healthy working environments.
IOSH Managing Safety trains learners to create safe workplaces and reduce accidents and incidents.
IOSH Managing Safely Overview
When considering taking IOSH Managing Safely, many are unsure what qualification it is. In the UK, qualifications range in size and type. They can be academic, vocational or skills-related with different levels of difficulty.
IOSH training courses combine up-to-date theory and practice to provide all organisational-level workers with the necessary information. An IOSH qualification will allow the holder to help ensure that their workplace’s health and safety practices are current, effective and well-managed.
IOSH designed this course for managers and supervisors. It’s universal. That means this course is for you regardless of what sector or industry you work in.
The course aims to give a good initial understanding of workplace health and safety. You’ll also have good knowledge of risk assessment and know how to carry one out.
Trainees learn about their health and safety responsibilities and how to tackle day-to-day issues.
A significant outcome of the IOSH Managing Safely course is its impact on safety culture. It reinforces that safety is everyone’s responsibility and fostering good safety habits contributes to a positive safety culture.
An organisation with a positive safety culture will have reduced accidents, lower levels of absenteeism and overall happier and healthier employees.
What Level is the IOSH Managing Safely course?
IOSH Managing Safely is a level 2 health and safety course for supervisors, team leaders and managers. You don’t have to have prior safety knowledge to do it. What you do need is a good understanding of the English language. And a willingness to learn, of course.
Course Outline
At a headline level, the IOSH MS training course is divided into theoretical and practical units.
The theory modules focus on essential principles of managing health and safety on a day-to-day basis:
There are seven theory modules in the IOSH Managing Safely course:
- Introducing Managing Safely
- Assessing Risk
- Controlling Risk
- Understanding Responsibilities
- Common Hazards
- Investigating Accidents and Incidents
- Measuring Performance
Together, these modules are an excellent introduction to how best to manage safety in the workplace.
The practical project included in the course allows you to put your new skills into practice by completing a basic workplace risk assessment. This is a good test of your knowledge and ensures you’ve fully absorbed the course content.
Course Assessment
At the end of the theory part of the course, there’s a multiple-choice/short-answer test. It takes around 45 minutes to complete.
After the test, there’s a risk assessment project to complete. This is the practical bit. Learners must complete this based on hazards and risks they identify in their workplace. The risk assessment needs to focus on hazards in the course syllabus. These are:
- Mechanical
- Physical
- Chemical
- Environmental
- Biological
- Organisational
Once you identify the hazards, you must decide the following:
- Likelihood of an unwanted incident occurring
- Who might be harmed and how
- Current control measures
- Necessary actions
The test and risk assessment are pretty straightforward if you put the effort in.
What's the Difference Between IOSH and NEBOSH?
This is a frequently asked question. IOSH create and provides training content itself. NEBOSH is the examining body that provides the NEBOSH qualification.
Although IOSH courses can be the first step into a career in safety, you don’t have to aspire to be a safety practitioner when taking them. On the other hand, NEBOSH courses are more geared towards those who see themselves in safety-related roles.
In our previous blog, find out more about what sets IOSH and NEBOSH apart. It will help you with your decision about choosing a suitable qualification.
What Are the Business and Learner Benefits?
This course benefits both businesses and learners. Here’s how:
Business Benefits
The course is delivered in a day, so there is no need to take too much time away from work duties.
You’ll see productivity levels increase with better safety knowledge and fewer accidents.
Employees who complete the course receive an internationally recognised certificate. And who wouldn’t want to work with a company that has employees trained in safety awareness? It’s a sign that safety is taken seriously by senior management.
Learner Benefits
Upon completion, certificate holders can confidently define hazards and risks. They can identify common workplace hazards and inject safety principles into everything they do.
Better knowledge is a significant confidence boost and helps us do our jobs better.
Where and How Can I Take My Exam?
Right here. We have an IOSH Managing Safely course that’s just a click away. It’s an e-learning course so that you can complete it in your own time on your favourite device. Not only will you learn new skills, but you can also bump up your resume. This course is internationally recognised and you can use the knowledge you gain in any industry. It really is the ‘safety’ gift that keeps giving.
About the author(s)
Beverly Coleman