IOSH Safety for Executives and Directors

This course delivers the official IOSH Safety for Executives and Directors qualification, designed for senior leaders who carry strategic accountability for health and safety in their organisation. It provides the critical understanding of personal and corporate liability that boards, executives and directors need to govern safety effectively and protect both their people and their business.

Built around the Plan-Do-Check-Act management cycle, the course gives leaders a practical framework for setting safety strategy, embedding it across the business, monitoring performance and driving continuous improvement — all from a position of informed, visible leadership.

Module 1: The Moral, Legal and Financial Case

Module 2: Plan — How to successfully plan for a health and safety upgrade

Module 3: Do — How to implement the health and safety system and have it improve business

Module 4: Check — How to monitor health and safety performance

Module 5: Act — How to improve health and safety performance

Who needs IOSH Safety for Executives and Directors?

This course is specifically designed for senior leaders — directors, executives, board members, CEOs and senior managers — who hold strategic responsibility for health and safety in any organisation, in any sector and of any size. It is equally relevant for newly appointed directors and for experienced leaders who want to strengthen their governance of safety.

How long is the IOSH Safety for Executives and Directors certificate valid?

The IOSH Safety for Executives and Directors certificate does not have a formal expiry date. IOSH recommends refresher training every three years to keep your knowledge of governance, legislation and best practice current.

How long does the IOSH Safety for Executives and Directors course take?

The online course is designed around a recommended study time of 4 hours, with an optional 3 hours of additional reading. You have 6 months of access from enrolment to fit study around board and operational commitments. The virtual classroom and classroom versions are delivered as a single one-day course.

Can I take the IOSH Safety for Executives and Directors course online?

Yes, this course is fully available online with on-demand, self-paced learning that fits around an executive schedule. It is also offered through virtual classroom (live, tutor-led), in-person classroom and on-site corporate formats.

What does the IOSH Safety for Executives and Directors course cover?

The course covers:

The moral, legal, financial and reputational case for board-level safety leadership

Personal and corporate liability under UK and international health and safety law

Setting a health and safety policy, roles, responsibilities, priorities and targets

Implementing the safety system — top-down communication, workforce engagement, procurement standards

Monitoring performance through proactive and reactive measurement and auditing

Strong and visible leadership, corporate governance and continuous improvement

Reputational risk, social responsibility and the cost of failure

How is the IOSH Safety for Executives and Directors course assessed?

Assessment is by a statement of personal commitment and action plan. After completing the modules, you write up to three actions you commit to taking in your workplace, appropriate to your level of responsibility. An IOSH certified tutor reviews your submission within 5 working days. Learners have two attempts to submit.

Is the IOSH Safety for Executives and Directors certificate recognised internationally?

Yes, IOSH is the global chartered body for health and safety professionals, and the Safety for Executives and Directors certificate is recognised internationally as the leading board-level health and safety qualification.