This awareness-level qualification introduces learners to:

• The importance of health and safety in the workplace and the benefits of getting it right
• The legal framework, including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• The responsibilities of employers, employees and the self-employed
• The role of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and how the law is enforced
• The principles of risk assessment and the hierarchy of control
• Common workplace hazards, including slips and trips, manual handling and hazardous substances
• The importance of welfare facilities and a safe working environment
• The role of consultation, information, instruction and training
• The correct selection and use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Accident, incident and near-miss reporting, including RIDDOR

• Health and safety duties apply to employees, not only employers. Sections 7 and 8 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 place personal duties on workers, a point rarely understood outside safety-trained roles.
• The most common injuries are also the most preventable. Slips, trips and falls on the level, manual handling and falls from height consistently account for the largest share of UK workplace injuries year after year.
• Hazard and risk are not the same thing. Confusing the two leads to poor decisions, and the distinction underpins every risk assessment ever written.
• Hierarchy of control explains why PPE is last. Protective equipment protects one person if used correctly every time; eliminating the hazard protects everyone, always.
• Near misses are free lessons. An incident that injured nobody carries the same information as one that did, and reporting culture is what converts that information into prevention.
• It is the natural starting point for any sector pathway. Whether a learner moves on to food manufacturing, care, retail, ports, offshore or events, the core principles taught here apply throughout.

• Foundation-level (Level 1) qualification suitable for workers in any sector and any role
• 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 employee duties under sections 7 and 8, not only employer obligations
• Serves as the gateway qualification into Britsafe’s sector-specific Level 1 Awards
• Widely applicable as induction training, refresher training or a return-to-work refresher
• Available fully online to learners in the UK and internationally

Knowledge developed:

• The UK legal framework and the duties it places on both employers and employees
• Hazard and risk as distinct concepts, and the principles of risk assessment
• The hierarchy of control and why the order matters
• The principal workplace risk areas and the controls applied to each
• Reporting requirements and the purpose of enforcement and investigation

Skills developed:

• Recognising hazards during ordinary work rather than only during inspections
• Judging when a task should be stopped and escalated
• Using protective equipment correctly and recognising when it is unsuitable or defective
• Reporting accidents, near misses and defects clearly and promptly
• Reading and acting on safety signage and instructions
• Raising safety concerns constructively and through the correct channel

This Award is suitable for workers in any sector, and is particularly relevant for:

• New starters and apprentices in any industry
• Employees requiring general health and safety induction
• Agency, temporary and seasonal workers
• Office and administrative staff
• Warehouse, logistics and manufacturing operatives
• Retail, hospitality and customer-facing staff
• Care, education and public sector employees
• Contractors and self-employed workers
• Volunteers and charity workers
• Supervisors and team leaders seeking a structured refresher
• Employees returning to work after an extended absence
• Learners preparing to progress to sector-specific or higher-level safety qualifications

No prior qualification in health and safety is required this Award is intended as an accessible entry point into the subject.

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 work experience or health and safety knowledge is assumed.

Course content is structured around progressive learning blocks covering why health and safety matters; the legal framework and the duties of employers and employees; hazard, risk and risk assessment; the hierarchy of control; slips, trips and falls; manual handling; work at height; workplace transport; electricity; fire safety; hazardous substances; noise, machinery and equipment; display screen equipment; personal protective equipment; safety signs; mental health and wellbeing; and reporting, investigation and raising concerns.

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 supports employability across every sector and provides relevant grounding for:

• Any entry-level role requiring evidence of health and safety awareness
• Warehouse, production, logistics and construction support roles
• Retail, hospitality and customer service positions
• Care, education and public sector support roles
• Site Safety Champion or Safety Representative duties
• A stepping stone toward supervisory roles and specialist health and safety careers

Manufacturing and production

• Construction and the built environment
• Warehousing, logistics and transport
• Retail, wholesale and e-commerce
• Hospitality, catering and leisure
• Health and social care
• Education and training
• Facilities management and cleaning services
• Local government and public services
• Agriculture, forestry and land-based industries
• Energy, utilities and maritime sectors
• Offices and professional services

• Supports compliance with the duty to provide information, instruction and training under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management Regulations 1999
• Provides documented evidence of induction training for inspection, audit and insurance purposes
• Establishes a consistent baseline across permanent, agency, temporary and contractor personnel
• Reduces the incidence of the injury types that account for most UK workplace absence
• Improves near miss and hazard reporting rates by explaining why reporting matters
• Contributes to a due diligence position by demonstrating that reasonable steps were taken
• Provides a scalable, low-cost induction solution deliverable to an entire workforce online

• A recognised, portable credential valued by employers in every sector
• Clear understanding of personal legal duties, which many workers have never been told about
• A flexible short-course format (minimum 4 hours) that fits around any working pattern
• Improved employability, particularly for those entering the workforce or changing sector
• A solid foundation for sector-specific and higher-level safety qualifications

Learners can apply this qualification directly to:

• Spotting and reporting hazards during ordinary work rather than waiting for an inspection
• Deciding when a task is beyond their training and should be escalated
• Lifting and moving loads correctly, and requesting help or equipment when needed
• Using access equipment appropriately rather than improvising
• Keeping walkways, escape routes and work areas clear
• Checking and using PPE correctly and reporting defects
• Following fire procedures and knowing assembly point arrangements
• Reporting accidents and near misses through the correct channel
• Raising safety concerns confidently and constructively

This Award is the gateway qualification for the Britsafe Level 1 series. Learners typically progress into:

• Sector-specific Level 1 Awards, including food safety, care, retail, ports, offshore, events and public safety
• Risk assessment training for those taking on assessment responsibilities
• Fire marshal, first aid and manual handling training
• Level 2 and Level 3 occupational health and safety qualifications
• Mental health awareness and first aid for mental health training
• Specialist study in COSHH, working at height, confined spaces and machinery safety

• Level 2 and Level 3 Awards, Certificates and Diplomas in occupational health and safety
• Risk assessment, incident investigation and auditing qualifications
• Supervisory and management development routes with safety responsibilities
• Specialist technical safety pathways in fire, occupational hygiene or environmental management
• Professional membership routes with relevant occupational safety and health 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. While the legal detail taught is UK-based, the underlying framework hazard identification, risk assessment, hierarchy of control and shared employer and worker responsibility is common to occupational safety systems worldwide and aligns with the approach set out in international standards such as ISO 45001. This makes the qualification a useful common baseline for multinational employers and for workers moving between countries.

1. What does this qualification cover?
It covers the fundamentals of workplace health and safety: hazard and risk, the legal duties of employers and employees, risk assessment, the hierarchy of control, the main workplace risk areas including slips and trips, manual handling, work at height, transport, electricity, fire and hazardous substances, plus PPE, safety signs, wellbeing and reporting.

2. Is this the same as IOSH Working Safely or a NEBOSH qualification?
No. Those are qualifications from different awarding organisations with their own syllabuses, branding and recognition. This is a Britsafe Level 1 Award. It covers comparable foundation subject matter for an entry-level audience, but it is not an IOSH or NEBOSH qualification and should not be described as equivalent to one. If an employer or contract specifically requires an IOSH or NEBOSH certificate, that specific qualification must be obtained.

3. Does this make me a competent person for health and safety?
No. This is a Level 1 awareness Award. Competence for risk assessment, safety advice or managing health and safety requires higher-level study and practical experience. This qualification helps learners work safely within arrangements that competent people have put in place.

4. What is the difference between a hazard and a risk?
A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm a chemical, a moving vehicle, a trailing cable. Risk is the likelihood that the harm actually occurs, combined with how serious it would be. The distinction matters because controls are applied to reduce risk, and the same hazard can present very different levels of risk depending on the circumstances.

5. Do health and safety laws apply to employees as well as employers?
Yes, and this is one of the most commonly misunderstood points. Sections 7 and 8 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 require employees to take reasonable care of themselves and others affected by their work, to co-operate with their employer, and not to interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of safety.

6. Which sector is this course for?
All of them. It covers the principles common to every workplace. Britsafe also offers sector-specific Level 1 Awards for those working in food manufacturing, catering, retail, care, ports, offshore, events and public-facing environments, and this qualification is the natural starting point before those.

7. Who is this qualification aimed at?
Any worker in any sector, particularly new starters, apprentices, agency and temporary staff, contractors, volunteers, and anyone requiring general induction or refresher training.

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

9. 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 induction-level delivery.

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

11. Will this satisfy my employer’s induction requirements?
It provides documented evidence of general health and safety training, which supports induction. Employers must also provide information and instruction specific to the workplace, its hazards and its procedures, so this qualification complements a site induction rather than replacing one.

12. How often should health and safety training be refreshed?
There is no fixed statutory renewal period for general awareness training, but three years is the widely accepted industry convention, and refresher training should be provided sooner if the role, the risks or the arrangements change.

13. Does it cover mental health at work?
At awareness level, yes. Work-related stress and wellbeing are recognised parts of modern occupational health and safety. The course introduces the topic and signposts further study; it does not provide mental health first aid training or clinical guidance.

14. 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.

15. 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.

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

17. Can this qualification lead to further study?
Yes. It is the gateway qualification for Britsafe’s sector-specific Level 1 Awards and a foundation for Level 2 and Level 3 occupational health and safety study.