NEBOSH Health and Safety at Work Award

The NEBOSH Health and Safety at Work Award is the entry point to the NEBOSH range. It is written for the whole workforce rather than for safety specialists, and it gives people a working grasp of hazards, risk and responsibilities without the commitment of a certificate-level qualification.

LevelLevel 2SCQF Level 5, comparable to RQF Level 2

Study time~23 hours18 taught hours, 2 private study, 3 on assessment

AssessmentWorkplace reviewUnit HSA1, carried out in the workplace

LanguagesEnglish or ArabicBoth the course and the assessment materials

Who it is for

This qualification suits you if

You want a recognised qualification for employees rather than for safety professionals
You are training a whole team or department to a consistent standard
You are new to health and safety and want a foundation before the General Certificate
A client or tender has asked for evidence of trained staff rather than qualified practitioners

Before you commit

There are no formal entry requirements and no previous knowledge is assumed
NEBOSH recommends a standard of written English equivalent to IELTS 5.0 or higher
The assessment is carried out in your own workplace, so you need real access to one
It is a foundation qualification, not a management one, and does not replace the General Certificate

What it covers

The syllabus stays deliberately practical, covering the hazards people actually meet at work and what to do about them, rather than the law in depth.

The moral, legal and financial reasons for managing health and safety
The responsibilities of employers and workers, and the consequences of getting them wrong
How risk assessment works and how to take part in one
Common workplace hazards including fire, electricity, work equipment, transport, manual handling and hazardous substances
General workplace issues such as housekeeping, lighting, temperature, slips and trips, welfare and first aid
How to spot problems and report them before they cause harm

Assessment and certification

There is one unit, HSA1, assessed by a workplace health and safety review completed after the course. It asks you to consider how health and safety is managed and how it could be done better, identify hazards and how they are controlled, and select the most important one for improvement. NEBOSH recommends allowing around three hours. Because it is carried out in the workplace rather than as an exam, it tends to produce something the organisation can act on. Your Learning Partner arranges the assessment, so confirm the timing with them. Once you pass, the qualification parchment is issued within 20 working days of the unit being confirmed. The Award sits at SCQF Level 5 with 2 credit points, comparable to RQF Level 2 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Where it sits, and where it leads

This is the awareness-level qualification. It is not a smaller version of the General Certificate, which is a substantially longer qualification written for people who manage health and safety or work in it. Use the Award to raise the standard across a workforce, and the General Certificate for the person who carries the responsibility. Plenty of people take the Award first and progress, and it is a sensible route if you are moving into the field from another job.

How you can study it

Classroom

Typically three days plus the assessment, which suits teams learning together and people who prefer a fixed timetable.

Live online

The same tutor-led teaching in a virtual classroom, without travel or overnight stays.

Self-paced e-learning

Worked through in your own time, usually over several weeks rather than days, with the assessment taken when you are ready.

Common questions

How long does the Health and Safety at Work Award take?

NEBOSH sets a minimum of 18 taught hours, with around two hours of private study and three hours for the assessment. In a classroom that usually runs across three days plus the assessment. Studied digitally, most people work through it over several weeks alongside a job.

Is it the same as the NEBOSH General Certificate?

No, and the difference is substantial. The Award is a Level 2 foundation qualification of around 23 hours. The General Certificate is a much longer qualification aimed at managers and people building a career in health and safety, and it is what employers name in job adverts. The Award is a good stepping stone towards it.

What does the HSA1 assessment involve?

A health and safety review of your own workplace, completed on the NEBOSH template. NEBOSH suggests around three hours, though the time allowed is not restricted. Because it is based on where you actually work, most people find it adds something to the organisation rather than being an exercise for its own sake.

Does the Award expire?

No. Like all NEBOSH qualifications it carries no expiry date and there is no refresher requirement. Employers running rolling training programmes usually repeat it for new starters rather than for people who already hold it.

Compare Health and Safety at Work Award dates and formats below

Envico lists NEBOSH Health and Safety at Work Award dates from Learning Partners across the UK, in classroom, live online and self-paced e-learning formats. Ready for something fuller? Compare the NEBOSH General Certificate, or browse the full NEBOSH range.

NEBOSH HSWA (E-learning) 2 courses

Lancashire (NEBOSH HSWA) 1 course

Wiltshire (NEBOSH HSWA) 1 course