This awareness-level qualification introduces learners to:

• The chain of infection and how each link can be broken
• The principal routes of infection transmission in the workplace
• The differences between cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation
• Effective hand hygiene technique and the key moments for hand hygiene
• The selection, use, removal and safe disposal of personal protective equipment (PPE)
• The principles of standard (universal) precautions
• Safe segregation, handling and disposal of waste, including clinical and sharps waste
• The safe management of spillages of blood and body fluids
• Basic legal duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and COSHH
• How to report hygiene and infection-control concerns

• Infections spread fastest through habits, not equipment. The most effective infection controls handwashing, covering a cough, cleaning shared surfaces cost almost nothing and depend entirely on staff understanding why they matter.
• The cost of getting it wrong is real. Outbreaks of seasonal illness, gastrointestinal infections or more serious pathogens in a workplace lead to staff absence, disrupted operations and, in customer-facing or care settings, direct harm to the people an organisation serves.
• It underpins a wider duty of care. Employers have a general legal duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to protect employees and others from foreseeable harm, which extends to biological hazards where they are a realistic risk in that workplace.
• It builds a shared standard across a mixed workforce. In workplaces where staff come from different backgrounds and training histories, a common Level 1 standard ensures everyone not just specialists understands the basics.

• Foundation-level (Level 1) qualification suitable for a general workforce with no prior training
• Minimum of 4 hours’ instructional contact time, designed for flexible short-course delivery
• Delivered entirely online through the Britsafe learning management system (LMS) no physical classroom attendance is required
• Course materials are provided digitally (soft copy) via the LMS
• Assessed via an online examination through the Britsafe Examination Management System (EMS), with a minimum pass mark of 70%
• Certification issued with an anti-counterfeit hologram security seal, available both as a physical copy and as a soft (digital) copy
• Covers the chain of infection, hand hygiene technique, PPE use, cleaning and waste disposal, and outbreak reporting
• Available fully online to learners in the UK and internationally

Knowledge developed:

• The chain of infection and the main routes of transmission in everyday workplaces
• Recognised UK hand hygiene technique and best-practice timing
• Principles of cleaning, disinfection and waste segregation
• The general legal duty of care employers hold in relation to infection risk

Skills developed:

• Correct handwashing and hand sanitising technique
• Appropriate selection and use of basic PPE
• Recognising early signs of infection in colleagues, customers or service users
• Reporting a suspected infection risk through the correct workplace channel

This Award is designed for any member of staff who works in a shared environment, handles shared equipment, or has contact with colleagues, customers or the public, including:

• Office and administrative staff
• Retail and hospitality staff
• Cleaning and housekeeping staff
• Care assistants and support workers in non-clinical roles
• Teaching assistants and education support staff
• Reception and front-of-house staff
• Warehouse and logistics staff
• Facilities and maintenance staff
• Food handlers and catering staff
• New starters as part of workplace induction
• Health and safety officers building a baseline standard across a mixed workforce

No prior qualification in health, safety or infection control is required this Award is intended as an accessible entry point into the subject for any workforce.

There are no formal academic prerequisites for this Level 1 Award. It is open to learners aged 16 and above with a reasonable standard of spoken and written English, sufficient to engage with course materials and complete the assessment. No prior knowledge of hygiene or infection control is assumed.

Course content is structured around progressive learning blocks covering the chain of infection and transmission routes, hand hygiene and PPE, cleaning and waste disposal, recognising and reporting infection risk, and the wider legal duty of care employers hold.

Assessment is conducted through an online examination via the Britsafe Examination Management System (EMS). Learners must achieve a minimum score of 70% to pass. On successful completion, learners receive a certificate, available both as a physical copy and as a soft (digital) copy. Results and certificates are typically issued promptly following successful completion.

While this Level 1 Award is a foundation qualification rather than a standalone career credential, it provides a relevant grounding for roles and responsibilities including:

• Health and Safety Officer / Coordinator
• Facilities or Site Hygiene Coordinator
• Cleaning and Housekeeping Supervisor
• Care Support Worker (non-clinical)
• Front-of-house or customer service roles in hygiene-sensitive settings
• A stepping stone toward specialist infection prevention and control or occupational hygiene careers

• Retail and hospitality
• Care homes and non-clinical care settings
• Education and childcare
• Office-based and administrative environments
• Facilities management and cleaning services
• Food service and catering
• Warehousing and logistics
• Leisure, fitness and gym environments
• Public-facing and customer service roles generally

• Builds a consistent, workforce-wide baseline standard of hygiene and infection awareness
• Reduces staff absence caused by preventable workplace-transmitted infections
• Supports compliance with the general duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• Strengthens the defensibility of health and safety induction and training records during audits
• Provides a practical, low-cost way to embed good hygiene habits across a mixed or high-turnover workforce

• A recognised, portable credential relevant to almost any workplace
• Practical, everyday knowledge that learners can apply immediately, both at work and at home
• A flexible short-course format (minimum 4 hours) that fits around work commitments
• A useful addition to an induction record or CV, particularly for care, hospitality, education and food-related roles
• A foundation for progressing into more specialist infection control or occupational health training

Learners can apply this qualification directly to:

• Following correct hand hygiene technique at key moments throughout the working day
• Selecting and using appropriate PPE for cleaning, waste handling or close-contact tasks
• Recognising when a colleague, customer or service user may be unwell and responding appropriately
• Cleaning and disinfecting shared surfaces and equipment correctly
• Disposing of contaminated waste and materials safely
• Reporting a suspected infection risk or developing outbreak through the correct workplace channel

This Award is best positioned as an early step within a broader hygiene, infection control or occupational health and safety development pathway. Learners often pair or follow it with qualifications in:

• COSHH Awareness and Risk Assessment
• Prevention and Control of Infection in Health and Care Settings
• Food Safety and Hygiene
• Waste Management and Safe Handling
• Broader occupational safety and health diplomas for those seeking supervisory or specialist roles

• Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in infection prevention and control
• Sector-specific hygiene qualifications (care, food, hospitality)
• Broader health and safety management qualifications, including diploma-level study
• Professional membership pathways with relevant occupational health and safety bodies

Britsafe Qualifications UK Limited delivers this qualification fully online, making it accessible to learners across the UK and internationally without the need to attend a physical training centre. This gives the qualification relevance for multinational organisations building a consistent hygiene standard across sites, and for learners anywhere seeking a credential with cross-border applicability.

1. What does this qualification actually cover?
It covers the basics of how infection spreads in a workplace (the chain of infection), correct hand hygiene technique, appropriate use of personal protective equipment, basic cleaning and disinfection, safe waste disposal, and how and when to report a suspected infection risk.

2. Is this qualification only for healthcare or care workers?
No. It is deliberately written as a general foundation course suitable for almost any workplace offices, retail, hospitality, education, logistics and food service, as well as non-clinical care settings.

3. How is this different from Britsafe's Level 2 infection control qualifications?
This Level 1 Award is a broader, general-workforce foundation course. Britsafe's Level 2 qualifications go into greater depth for specific settings, such as health and care environments or housekeeping roles.

4. Are there any entry requirements?
No formal prerequisites are required. Learners should have a reasonable standard of English and be aged 16 or above.

5. How long does the course take to complete?
The qualification has a minimum instructional contact time of 4 hours, making it a compact, focused course suitable for short-course or induction-level delivery.

6. How is the qualification assessed?
Through an online examination via the Britsafe Examination Management System, with a minimum pass mark of 70%.

7. Is this qualification recognised internationally?
Yes. Britsafe Qualifications UK Limited delivers this qualification fully online to learners across the UK and internationally.

8. What materials are provided with the course?
Learners receive digital (soft copy) course materials via the Britsafe learning management system. The course is delivered entirely online; there is no physical classroom attendance or physical course material.

9. What happens after I pass the exam?
Successful learners receive a certificate from Britsafe Qualifications UK Limited, featuring an anti-counterfeit hologram seal for authenticity. The certificate is available both as a physical copy and as a soft (digital) copy.

10. Can this qualification lead to further study?
Yes. It provides a foundation for progression into higher-level infection prevention and control, food hygiene, or occupational health and safety qualifications.

11. Is this a substitute for clinical infection control training?
No. This is a general awareness-level qualification. Clinical and healthcare-specific infection control duties require the relevant sector-specific training in addition to this Award.