This awareness-level qualification introduces learners to:

• The duty to protect members of the public under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• How work activities can create risks to the public and how those risks are assessed
• The principles of protecting the public on and around work premises and sites
• The segregation of the public from work activities, vehicles and hazards
• The safe management of public access, using signage and barriers
• Protective and preventive measures for events and public spaces
• Awareness of counter-terrorism protective security and public vigilance
• Emergency planning and public evacuation arrangements
• Effective communication with the public during an incident
• The recording and reporting of incidents affecting members of the public

• The duty to non-employees is separate and enforceable. Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is a frequent basis for prosecution, and cases involving harm to members of the public particularly children attract significant penalties.
• The public cannot be trained, only protected. Because visitors cannot be briefed, inducted or supervised, protection has to be built into the physical environment and the way work is organised.
• Children behave differently to adults. An unattended ladder, an open excavation, an unsecured gate or a stack of materials is an invitation rather than a warning, and the law recognises that even trespassing children are owed a duty.
• Accessibility is a safety issue, not just a service one. If a visitor cannot hear an alarm, read a sign or use a staircase, the evacuation plan does not work for them and reasonable adjustments are required.
• Public spaces face deliberate threats as well as accidental ones. Martyn’s Law formalises preparedness expectations for qualifying premises and events, with the Security Industry Authority as regulator.
• Some incidents involving the public are reportable. Where a member of the public is injured by work activity and taken directly to hospital for treatment, reporting obligations may apply under RIDDOR — a point frequently missed by frontline staff.

• Foundation-level (Level 1) qualification for any role involving contact with, or work near, members of the public
• 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
• Built specifically around duties to non-employees rather than adapted from workforce safety training
• Covers both accidental hazards and protective security, including Martyn’s Law awareness
• Addresses accessibility, inclusive evacuation and the protection of children
• Applicable across retail, leisure, transport, construction, facilities, healthcare and local government
• Available fully online to learners in the UK and internationally

Knowledge developed:

• The legal framework governing duties to non-employees, including occupiers’ liability
• Why public risk profiles differ from workforce risk profiles
• Physical, procedural and communication controls used to protect the public
• Accessibility, inclusive evacuation and the Equality Act dimension of safety
• Protective security awareness and the requirements introduced by Martyn’s Law

Skills developed:

• Looking at a workplace from a visitor’s perspective rather than a worker’s
• Identifying and closing gaps in barriers, segregation and access control
• Making work areas safe before leaving them unattended
• Recognising and reporting suspicious behaviour and unattended items appropriately
• Supporting visitors who need assistance during an incident or evacuation
• Reporting incidents involving members of the public accurately and promptly

This Award is designed for anyone whose work brings them into contact with the public, including:

• Retail, hospitality and leisure staff
• Facilities, cleaning and maintenance operatives working in occupied buildings
• Construction and street works operatives working adjacent to public areas
• Security officers, concierge and reception staff
• Transport, station and terminal staff
• Local authority staff, parks and grounds teams
• Visitor attraction, museum and heritage site staff
• Healthcare reception and non-clinical hospital staff
• Delivery drivers and installation engineers working at public premises
• Event and venue staff
• Volunteers and community group organisers using public spaces
• Supervisors and managers responsible for public-facing premises

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 health and safety experience is assumed.

Course content is structured around progressive learning blocks covering the legal duty to non-employees and occupiers’ liability; why public risk differs; hazard identification from a visitor’s perspective; physical protection and segregation; pedestrian and vehicle management; signage and communication; children and vulnerable visitors; accessibility and inclusive evacuation; fire safety for the public; protective security awareness and Martyn’s Law; lockdown, invacuation and evacuation; and incident response, first aid and reporting.

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 relevant grounding for roles including:

• Security Officer, Concierge or Front of House Assistant
• Facilities Assistant or Building Services Operative
• Retail, Leisure and Visitor Attraction Staff
• Local Authority and Public Realm Operative
• Traffic Marshal or Pedestrian Management Operative
• Site Operative working in public-facing environments
• A stepping stone toward health and safety, security and facilities management careers

• Retail, shopping centres and high street businesses
• Hospitality, leisure and tourism
• Visitor attractions, museums, galleries and heritage sites
• Transport networks, stations, airports and ports
• Construction, street works and utilities working in public areas
• Facilities management and building services
• Local authorities, parks and public realm services
• Healthcare and hospital estates
• Education establishments with public access
• Events, venues and stadia
• Security and guarding contractors

• Supports compliance with Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, a common basis for enforcement action
• Addresses occupiers’ liability exposure under the Acts of 1957 and 1984
• Provides documented evidence that staff have been trained on public protection duties
• Reduces public liability claims arising from slips, trips, falling objects and unsecured work areas
• Supports Equality Act obligations by embedding accessible and inclusive safety practice
• Builds protective security awareness ahead of Martyn’s Law requirements coming into force
• Improves incident reporting quality where members of the public are involved
• Demonstrates due diligence in the event of investigation or prosecution

• A recognised, portable credential relevant across every public-facing sector
• A perspective shift that makes hazards visible where they were previously routine
• A flexible short-course format (minimum 4 hours) that fits around operational demands
• Confidence in responding to incidents, suspicious items and visitors needing assistance
• A foundation for progression into health and safety, security or facilities roles

Learners can apply this qualification directly to:

• Reviewing work areas from a visitor’s perspective before starting and after finishing
• Erecting and maintaining barriers, signage and segregation properly rather than nominally
• Never leaving tools, chemicals, ladders or open access points unattended in public areas
• Managing spillages, wet floors and temporary obstructions promptly
• Keeping fire exits, escape routes and assembly points clear and accessible
• Assisting visitors who need help during evacuation, including wheelchair users
• Recognising and reporting unattended items and suspicious behaviour correctly
• Responding appropriately to lockdown or invacuation instructions
• Reporting incidents involving members of the public through the correct channel

This Award is best positioned as a foundation for public-facing safety and security development. Learners often progress into:

• Level 2 and Level 3 health and safety qualifications
• Risk assessment qualifications for those taking on assessment duties
• Fire marshal, fire warden and evacuation coordinator training
• Counter-terrorism awareness programmes such as ACT and SCaN
• Crowd safety and event safety qualifications
• First aid qualifications appropriate to public-facing environments
• Facilities management and security management development routes

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 specific statutory duties described are UK-based, the underlying principle that organisations owe a duty of care to people affected by their activities who are not their employees is recognised in occupational safety systems worldwide. This gives the qualification particular value for international operators of public-facing premises seeking a consistent standard across sites.