Working Safely (IOSH)

IOSH Working Safely is a foundational occupational health and safety course designed for employees across different industries and professional backgrounds. Every employee has a responsibility to contribute to a safe working environment, regardless of their job title or position within an organisation.

This course introduces participants to the basic principles of workplace health and safety and helps them understand how their everyday actions can affect their own safety and the safety of others.

It focuses on practical knowledge rather than complicated technical terminology or extensive legal discussions. Participants learn how to recognise common workplace hazards, understand risks, follow safety procedures and adopt responsible working practices. The course is suitable for people who have little or no previous experience in formal health and safety training.

Who should attend this course?

The course is suitable for:

• Employees in all industries.
• Construction workers.
• Factory and production workers.
• Security personnel.
• Office workers.
• Warehouse and logistics employees.
• Healthcare workers.
• Hospitality and hotel employees.
• Cleaning and maintenance personnel.
• New employees undergoing workplace induction.
• Individuals who want to improve their understanding of workplace safety.

What participants will learn

The course is organised around five key learning areas.

1. Introduction to working safely

Participants are introduced to the importance of occupational health and safety and why every employee should take responsibility for maintaining a safe workplace. They learn how workplace accidents and illnesses can affect individuals, families, businesses and society.

The module also explains the benefits of safe working practices, including reduced injuries, improved productivity, fewer disruptions and better employee wellbeing. Participants understand that safety is not solely the responsibility of management or the health and safety department. Everyone has a role to play.

2. Understanding hazards and risks

This section explains two important concepts: hazards and risks.

A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm, while risk refers to the likelihood that harm will occur and the possible severity of its consequences. Participants learn how to distinguish between the two and recognise situations that may expose them or their colleagues to danger.

For example:

• A wet floor is a hazard.
• The possibility of someone slipping and sustaining an injury is a risk.
• Placing warning signs and cleaning the floor are control measures.

Understanding this distinction helps employees recognise dangers and take appropriate precautions.

3. Identifying common workplace hazards

Participants learn to recognise different types of hazards that may exist in their workplaces.

These include:

• Physical hazards such as noise, vibration and extreme temperatures.
• Slips, trips and falls.
• Electrical hazards.
• Fire and explosion hazards.
• Chemical substances and hazardous materials.
• Manual handling and ergonomic hazards.
• Biological hazards such as bacteria and viruses.
• Workplace stress and other health-related hazards.
• Unsafe equipment and machinery.

The course helps participants understand how these hazards can cause injuries, illnesses or damage and what actions they should take when they identify them. For example, an office employee should understand the importance of proper workstation arrangement, while a construction worker should recognise the dangers associated with falling objects and unprotected working areas.

4. Improving safety performance

This module focuses on the practical actions employees can take to improve workplace safety. Participants learn the importance of following safety instructions, using personal protective equipment correctly, reporting unsafe conditions and cooperating with colleagues.

They also explore how good communication and responsible behaviour can help prevent accidents. The module encourages employees to move beyond simply following instructions and become active contributors to workplace safety.

5. Protecting the environment

Workplace activities can have an impact on the environment.

Participants learn how to recognise environmental concerns and understand their responsibility to minimise environmental harm. Topics include proper waste disposal, reducing unnecessary resource consumption, preventing pollution and handling materials responsibly.

They also learn how individual actions can contribute to a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable working environment. These five learning areas are consistent with the current IOSH Working Safely course description. IOSH +1

Course duration and assessment

• Duration: One day.
• Delivery: Classroom, online or hybrid, depending on the training provider.
• Certification: Successful participants receive an IOSH Working Safely certificate.

The assessment arrangements should be confirmed with the selected training provider. IOSH +1

Benefits of completing the course

Participants should be able to:

• Recognise common workplace hazards.
• Understand the difference between hazards and risks.
• Adopt safer working practices.
• Follow workplace health and safety procedures.
• Use protective equipment appropriately.
• Report accidents, hazards and unsafe conditions.
• Protect themselves and their colleagues.
• Contribute to environmental protection.
• Develop greater awareness of personal safety responsibilities.

Overall course objective

The objective of IOSH Working Safely is to create a workforce that understands basic health and safety principles and actively contributes to preventing workplace accidents, injuries and environmental harm.