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IOSH Leading Safely Courses

IOSH Leading Safely is a single session of around five hours for directors, senior managers and board members. It is about health and safety as a business issue rather than a technical one, and it fits into an afternoon, which is deliberate: it is designed for diaries that will not clear for three days.

Duration~5 hoursA single flexible session, not a full day
AudienceSenior leadersAnyone influencing direction, strategy or culture
AssessmentAction planA personal plan for your own organisation, not an exam
CPDRecognisedUsable as evidence for professional body requirements

Who it is for

This course suits you if

  • You are a director, board member or senior manager who sets direction rather than supervises work
  • You are accountable for safety performance without being a safety specialist
  • Your organisation has systems that look right on paper but a culture that is not following
  • You want to benchmark where you actually stand against comparable organisations

Before you commit

  • There are no entry requirements, but the content assumes real influence over strategy
  • It is not a substitute for Managing Safely if you also run a team day to day
  • The assessment asks you to commit to changes in your own organisation
  • Providers generally advise against sending supervisors or line managers to it

What it covers

The content is built around the business case rather than the legal one, and around what leaders can change from where they sit.

  • How safety and health performance connects to productivity, profitability and reputation
  • Your responsibilities as a leader, and what accountability actually looks like in practice
  • Benchmarking your organisation against recognised good practice from around the world
  • Using a diagnostic tool to establish where you currently stand rather than where you assume you stand
  • Building a personal action plan for improvement you will actually carry out

Assessment and certification

There is no examination. Delegates use a diagnostic tool to evaluate their organisation's current position, then develop a personal action plan for improvement, and it is the submission and review of that plan that leads to the certificate. Successful delegates receive an IOSH Leading Safely certificate, verifiable online, along with access to the diagnostic tool, an action planner and IOSH's safety leadership community. The course is recognised for continuing professional development, so many people use it as CPD evidence with their own professional body. More than 33,000 certificates have been issued over the past ten years.

Five hours, not a day

Some providers advertise Leading Safely as a one-day course. IOSH describes it as a flexible session of approximately five hours, and most delivery runs to four and a half or five. That matters if you are scheduling a board or a senior team: it will usually fit into a morning or an afternoon rather than needing a full day out, and you should check what a given provider is actually running before you block out diaries.

How you can study it

In person

A single session with a tutor, which works well for a leadership team taking it together and talking openly about their own organisation.

Live online

The same session delivered virtually, which suits boards and senior teams spread across sites or countries.

In-house

Delivered at your own premises for your leadership team, with the diagnostic and action planning grounded entirely in your own business.

Common questions

How long is Leading Safely?

IOSH describes it as a flexible session lasting approximately five hours, and providers typically run it across four and a half to five hours. It is shorter than a full training day by design, so that senior people will actually attend.

Is there an exam?

No. You use a diagnostic tool to assess your organisation's current position and then produce a personal action plan for improvement. That plan is submitted and reviewed, and it is what leads to your certificate. It is a commitment to act rather than a test of recall.

Is it a substitute for Managing Safely?

No, and they answer different questions. Managing Safely is three days and covers the practical business of assessing risk, controlling hazards and investigating incidents in a work area you supervise. Leading Safely is about strategy, culture and performance across an organisation. Leaders who also run teams directly often take both.

Can I use it for CPD?

Yes. Leading Safely is recognised for continuing professional development, and many delegates use it as CPD evidence. Requirements vary between professional bodies, so check what yours will accept.

Compare Leading Safely dates and prices below

Envico lists Leading Safely sessions from IOSH-approved providers, in person, live online and in-house. Also worth comparing: IOSH Managing Safely for managers who run a team, or the full IOSH range.

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