- Discover what an IOSH Managing Safely course is and how it benefits your business.
- What to expect from an IOSH Managing Safely course and who it is designed for.
- Learn how it can help improve workplace safety and reduce the risk of accidents at work.
Safety at work is hugely important for customers, staff and also for business owners and managers. In 2017/18, there were an estimated 555,000 non-fatal injuries in UK workplaces and 1.4m cases of work-related ill-health.
Together, these incidents resulted in over 30m lost working days and cost UK employers £5.2bn in lost productivity.
One way to ensure workplaces remain safe environments is for managers and supervisors to take the respected IOSH Managing Safely course. This guide outlines what it is and how it can benefit your business.
A safe work environment is essential for protecting everyone who works there or visits. It also ensures that the business doesn’t break the law. Employers face fines and even a prison sentence for not complying with health and safety regulations.
Staff training is vital to ensuring that the correct procedures are followed. The IOSH Managing Safely course has set the standard for health and safety management training for many years and provides managers with the tools needed to manage safely and effectively.
What is IOSH and what does it offer?
IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health) is the chartered body and membership organisation for safety and health professionals. It offers various courses focused on workplace health and safety, which are delivered by accredited providers, such as Praxis42.
An IOSH training course is highly regarded and provides the knowledge needed for effective health and safety at work.
Among the courses offered is the IOSH Working Safely course aimed at all employees and the ISOH Managing Safely course for managers and supervisors.
Delivered for more than 25 years, the Managing Safely course helps managers identify hazards, assess risks and improve the health and safety of their organisation.
What is IOSH Managing Safely and what does it provide?
The internationally recognised Managing Safely course teaches managers and supervisors their responsibilities for maintaining a safe workplace.
By completing the IOSH course, participants will also be able to review their departmental safety systems and introduce new controls or changes as necessary. To allow trainees to work at their own pace, the training course can be completed online.
Online training is delivered using clear examples and recognisable scenarios. Thought-provoking facts, practical case studies and interactive quizzes bring the subject to life, with checklists and other materials supplied for follow-up use in the workplace.
During the course, managers and supervisors will learn how to:
- Identify and control common hazards in the workplace.
- Define ‘hazard’ and ‘risk’ and describe the legal requirements for risk assessment.
- Understand the legal requirements for reporting workplace incidents and procedures for checking whether reporting to the Health and Safety Executive is required.
- Develop a quantitative risk assessment technique and understand what needs to be recorded.
- Identify the data required for recording an incident and understanding the procedure for an accident investigation.
- Describe methods for basic trend analysis for reactive and proactive monitoring data.
- Prepare and use active monitoring checklists and implement schedules for proactive monitoring, recording results and analysing records.
- Outline relevant health and safety legislation, codes of practice, guidance notes and information sources.
- Explain essential parts of a recognised safety management system such as HSG 65 and OHSAS 18001.
There are many personal benefits to course participants. They include:
- An IOSH Working Safely certificate or passport from the world’s largest health and safety membership organisation.
- A chance to reflect on their performance.
- Improved knowledge of the law and how to investigate incidents.
- A chance to reflect on best practice.
Allowing managers, supervisors and team leaders to take the IOSH course will bring many business benefits to employers. They include:
- Improved employee productivity with fewer hours lost to sickness and accidents.
- Improved business-wide awareness of workplace safety.
- Boosting employee morale with active staff involvement in improving workplace environments.
- Enhanced reputation for the business within its supply chain.
Why is IOSH Managing Safely important?
Ensuring health and safety in UK workplaces is covered by various regulations.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA 1974) requires employers “to provide whatever information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of your employees”.
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) requires businesses to report specified workplace incidents and illnesses to the government officially.
Failing to comply with health and safety regulations can bring severe consequences for businesses and business owners, including imprisonment, an unlimited fine or both.
Respected courses such as Praxis42’s IOSH Managing Safely online training help to ensure you are meeting your obligations and have managers in the business who are aware of the risks and what needs to be done to prevent incidents and accidents from happening.
What to look for in an IOSH Managing Safely course
Several providers offer the IOSH Managing Safely course, but it’s essential to find the right one for your business.
Ask for recommendations from other employers to help you draw up a shortlist of providers. Check a provider’s previous and existing customers and look for positive testimonials.
To maximise results from your investment in workforce training, use a provider that offers the ability to take the course online and at an employee’s own pace. For certification, participants can receive a Working Safely certificate and/or a Working Safely Passport.
In addition, Praxis42 provides an eLearning management system, which allows you to view and manage all your employee compliance records electronically rather than dealing with the hassle of keeping paper copies.
