What Are My Legal Obligations When It Comes to Health & Safety?
Health and safety should be built into how your business runs — just like sales, finance or HR. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers are legally required, so far as reasonably practicable, to provide whatever information, instruction, training and supervision is necessary to keep employees safe. If your organisation isn't keeping pace with current legislation, it's only a matter of time before it catches up with you — or worse, an avoidable accident happens.
Benefits of Training Your Employees
Providing the right health and safety training for your team promotes:
- A positive health and safety culture
- Greater confidence across your workforce
- A stronger reputation with clients, regulators and insurers
- Fewer accidents — and the absence, sick pay and recruitment costs that come with them
- Reduced risk of enforcement action, fines or prosecution
Which Course Should I Book?
There's no single answer — it depends on your role and the size and type of organisation you run.
Working Safely
If you need a basic introduction to the most common hazards and health and safety issues in the workplace, the Working Safely course is a good starting point. It's suitable for all employees and provides a solid awareness-level grounding.
Managing Safely
For supervisors or managers who need to understand risk assessments and how to carry one out, the IOSH Managing Safely course is the standard choice. Course duration depends on the delivery method — check the course page for current timings.
If you're taking on broader responsibility for health and safety in the workplace, the NEBOSH General Certificate (renamed GNC1/GNC2 from February 2026, formerly NG1/NG2) is the next step up. If you run a construction company, look for courses designed specifically for the industry, such as the NEBOSH Construction Certificate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is health and safety training a legal requirement?
Yes. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers must provide whatever training is reasonably necessary to keep employees safe and informed about workplace risks.
What's the difference between Working Safely and Managing Safely?
Working Safely is an awareness-level course for all employees. Managing Safely is aimed at supervisors and managers, and covers how to identify hazards, assess risk, and manage health and safety responsibilities for a team.
Do I need a NEBOSH qualification to be a health and safety manager?
Not always, but a NEBOSH General Certificate (GNC1/GNC2) is one of the most widely recognised qualifications for anyone with significant health and safety responsibility, and is often listed as a requirement or preference in job descriptions.