Why Senior Executives Need Health and Safety Training Too
It's not only your workforce that needs health and safety training. Business owners and senior executives carry legal and moral responsibility for health and safety across the whole organisation. Understanding the law and what's expected of leadership makes it possible to put strong policies in place — and to build a genuinely positive health and safety culture from the top down.
High-Quality Training in Just One Day
Executives rarely have much time for training, but the IOSH Safety for Senior Executives & Directors course is designed to deliver real value quickly — no prior health and safety training required. It covers the financial, moral and legal implications of health and safety leadership. By the end, senior managers and executives will understand:
- Why health and safety starts at the top and works down through the organisation
- The impact of poor working conditions on employee health — and the financial cost of accidents
- Key legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations
- Industry-relevant regulations
- Penalties, including corporate manslaughter
- Documentation required for safety legislation
- Common causes of accidents and how risk assessments work
- The role of a competent person
IOSH Qualifications at Every Level
IOSH provides a suite of qualifications designed to give everyone in the business — from employees to board level — the right level of health and safety understanding:
- IOSH Working Safely — a one-day awareness course for all employees
- IOSH Managing Safely — a three-day course for managers and supervisors with day-to-day health and safety responsibility
- IOSH Managing Safely Refresher — keeps Managing Safely knowledge current
- IOSH Leading Safely — the strategic course for senior executives and directors, covering health and safety leadership at board level
Certification
Candidates complete an assessment at the end of the training. Those who pass are awarded the IOSH Safety for Senior Executives certificate — recognised by IOSH, the Chartered body for health and safety professionals and the world's largest health and safety membership organisation, with more than 50,000 members across over 130 countries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do senior executives really need health and safety training?
Yes. Directors and senior managers have legal duties under UK health and safety law, and can be held personally accountable — including under corporate manslaughter legislation — if those duties aren't met.
Is prior health and safety experience needed for this course?
No — the IOSH Safety for Senior Executives & Directors course is designed for leaders without a health and safety background, and builds understanding from the ground up.
What's the difference between IOSH Leading Safely and IOSH Managing Safely?
IOSH Leading Safely is aimed at senior executives and directors, focusing on strategic leadership and the board-level responsibilities that flow from UK health and safety law. IOSH Managing Safely is aimed at managers and supervisors with day-to-day operational responsibility for health and safety.
Related Courses
- IOSH Leading Safely
- IOSH Managing Safely
- IOSH Working Safely
- IOSH Managing Safely Refresher
- All IOSH courses
- NEBOSH courses