Safety for Executives and Directors (IOSH)

IOSH Safety for Executives and Directors is designed for senior-level professionals who have strategic, operational or organisational responsibility for health and safety. Unlike courses that focus primarily on the daily implementation of workplace safety procedures, this programme focuses on the responsibilities of individuals who make important organisational decisions.

Executives and directors influence workplace safety through their leadership, policies, resource allocation and management decisions. This course helps senior leaders understand why occupational health and safety should be treated as an essential part of business management rather than simply an operational requirement.

Participants explore the moral, legal and financial responsibilities associated with protecting employees, contractors, customers and other individuals who may be affected by organisational activities.

Who should attend this course?

The course is suitable for:

• Company directors.
• Chief executive officers (CEOs).
• Managing directors.
• Business owners.
• Board members.
• Senior executives.
• Heads of departments.
• Operations directors.
• Senior managers with health and safety responsibilities.
• Trustees and other senior decision-makers.

What participants will learn

The programme is structured around five important areas:

1. The moral, legal and financial case for health and safety

Participants explore why organisations must take responsibility for protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of people affected by their operations. The moral aspect focuses on the responsibility to prevent avoidable injuries, illnesses and loss of life.

The legal aspect introduces the obligations organisations and their leaders must understand under applicable health and safety legislation. The financial aspect examines how workplace accidents can result in compensation claims, medical expenses, legal costs, damaged equipment, lost working hours, reduced productivity and reputational damage.

Executives learn why investing in prevention is generally better than dealing with the consequences of workplace accidents.

2. PLAN – Planning for health and safety

This module focuses on establishing a clear direction for managing workplace health and safety.

Participants learn how to develop safety objectives, establish organisational policies, allocate responsibilities and ensure that appropriate resources are available. They also explore how health and safety should be incorporated into business planning and strategic decision-making.

For example, before expanding operations or introducing new equipment, an organisation should consider the potential safety risks and the resources required to control them.

3. DO – Implementing health and safety

Planning alone is not enough. Organisations must ensure that their safety policies are implemented effectively.

This module examines how executives can support the implementation of health and safety arrangements throughout their organisations. Participants explore leadership responsibilities, employee engagement, communication, training, risk management and the importance of ensuring that safety procedures are followed.

They also learn how to establish accountability so that individuals understand their responsibilities at every organisational level.

4. CHECK – Monitoring health and safety performance

Executives must understand whether their organisation’s health and safety arrangements are actually working.

This module introduces the importance of monitoring and evaluating organisational safety performance. Participants explore the use of safety indicators, workplace inspections, incident reports, audits and performance reviews. For example, an organisation may monitor accident rates, employee training completion, reported near misses and inspection findings to determine whether its safety performance is improving.

5. ACT – Improving health and safety performance

The final module focuses on continuous improvement.

Participants learn how to use monitoring results, audit findings and incident investigations to identify weaknesses and make improvements. They explore how senior management can review existing safety arrangements, establish improvement priorities and ensure that corrective actions are implemented.

The objective is to create an organisation where health and safety continuously improves rather than being treated as a one-time compliance exercise. These five modules are documented in the course information published by IOSH training provider RRC. api.rrc.co.uk +1

Course duration and assessment

Depending on the approved provider and delivery method, the course may be delivered as:

• Classroom training: approximately one day.
• Live online training: approximately one day.
• Online learning: approximately eight hours of study.

The assessment includes three practical commitments or actions that participants intend to implement to improve their own performance and their organisation’s health and safety arrangements. api.rrc.co.uk +1

Benefits of completing the course

Participants develop the ability to:

• Understand their strategic health and safety responsibilities.
• Make informed decisions about workplace safety.
• Integrate health and safety into business strategies.
• Improve organisational safety culture.
• Reduce the financial consequences of workplace accidents.
• Strengthen leadership accountability.
• Monitor organisational safety performance.
• Promote continuous improvement.

Overall course objective

The course aims to develop safety-conscious leaders who understand that protecting employees and maintaining safe working environments are fundamental responsibilities of effective organisational leadership.