NEBOSH overview

NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health) is a provider of syllabuses, assignments and exams in the field of health and safety. These are in turn offered to students who are looking to be certified in occupational health and safety by course providers such as ITonlinelearning.

Gaining a NEBOSH certification can be a substantial boost to an occupational health and safety career, as the certified individual will have gained the ability to design and implement health and safety processes that adhere to the legislation that is applicable within the United Kingdom or, for international students, globally.

A NEBOSH certification is often a prerequisite to being considered for a position in the field of health and safety as it will provide the organisation with employees who have gained the most effective and most trusted qualifications the industry has to offer.

NEBOSH certifications are also acknowledged by professional membership bodies including the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA).

This gives certified professionals the opportunity to add letters to their name, including TechIOSH (Technical), GradIOSH (Graduate), CMIOSH (Chartered Member), and MIIRSM (Member of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management). A NEBOSH certificate does not, however, automatically qualify the graduate to IOSH membership as the student’s certification and CV must first be submitted to IOSH to ensure that they are indeed certified and that they have the necessary experience. NEBOSH certificates dated prior to 2002 will also not be considered for membership to IOSH.

The history of NEBOSH

NEBOSH was established in 1979 with their operations based in the offices of IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health). With the need for experienced and certified health and safety professionals growing, the first examinations were held in 1980, offering sittings for Behavioural Science, Occupational Health and Hygiene, Law, Techniques of Safety Management and General Science.

By 1981 the NEBOSH Board membership had grown to include members of IOSH, RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) and various teaching establishments.

As the 1990s arrived, NEBOSH separated itself from IOSH and in 1992, registered as a charity. In the same year, Martin Shuttleworth was appointed as their first Chief Executive. In 1992, NEBOSH launched the Specialist Environmental Diploma and the NEBOSH Construction certification.

A credit mark, acknowledging a high pass mark slightly less than a distinction was introduced and in the following year the two-part diploma was also introduced. In 1999 NEBOSH moved offices to the Meridian Business Park in Leicester.

In the year 2000, Stephen Vickers became the new Chief Executive of NEBOSH and within six months the company was accredited as an awarding body be the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority which is now known as The Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator.

In 2001 the 50,000th candidate received their certification and the occasion was celebrated with a presentation held at the West Midlands Fire Service. Two new certifications were made available in 2005, namely the NEBOSH Fire Certificate and NEBOSH International General Certificate.

March 2006 saw Teresa Budworth take over as Chief Executive – a role that she still holds today. The University of Warwick hosted the first ever NEBOSH graduation ceremony, the 100,000th General Certificate was awarded and NEBOSH relocated their offices, also located in Meridian Business Park, Leicester in that same year.

In 2008 the Specialist Environmental Diploma was revised and renamed the NEBOSH Diploma in Environmental Management. Anyone that had gained this certification could now also apply to become a member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA).

Two new certifications were added in 2009 namely the NEBOSH International Diploma and the NEBOSH Environmental Certificate. Four more certifications were introduced in 2010; the NEBOSH Award in Health and Safety at Work, the NEBOSH Health and Well-being Certificate, the NEBOSH International Construction Certificate and the NEBOSH International Technical Certificate in Oil and Gas Operational Safety

In 2011 the scheme for the Occupational Safety & Health Consultants Register was created which included NEBOSH as well as other UK- and globally based professional bodies. The scheme holds a database of certified health and safety consultants, which allows organisations to access the database with the intention of hiring these consultants.

A research-based Masters degree was introduced in conjunction with the University of Hull in 2014 and the first of these were awarded the following year. NEBOSH collaborated with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the same year in order to offer the option of post-graduate level qualifications to new HSE inspectors whom are responsible for the implementation of safety law throughout the United Kingdom.

2015 saw the introduction of a taught Masters degree, allowing students the option to focus on one or multiple occupational health and safety and environmental health subjects.

The most popular certification worldwide

Those that are working in the health and safety field consider the NEBOSH International General Certificate to be the measuring standard for health and safety certifications, not only because it holds a trusted reputation, but also for the fact that career progression is often sped up after gaining a NEBOSH International Certificate.

With nearly 41,000 registrations to the course between April of 2011 and 2012, the International General Certificate has risen above the National General Certificate which registered about 37, 400 students.

Certifications are not only available to experienced health and safety professionals, but also to those who are new or looking to get into the field. For those living outside of the United Kingdom, the International General Certificate offers the opportunity to become a reliable health and safety professional with a certification that is recognised throughout the world behind their name.

Of all the certifications available from NEBOSH, near enough to half of those that register to undertake one of the courses are not based in the United Kingdom with most of the applicants hailing from the Middle East and Asia.

NEBOSH certifications on offer

The following is a list of all NEBOSH courses on offer from ITonlinelearning:

NEBOSH Construction Safety and Health

This certification is aimed at those with health and safety responsibilities in the field of construction. Upon completion of the NEBOSH Construction Safety and Health course, you will be qualified to deal with issues regarding safety inspections, hazards regarding excavation, work carried out at heights, Fire, chemicals biohazards and electrical hazards.

In order to gain this certification, you will need to pass two exams (NGC1 and NCC1) and complete one practical workplace inspection and it’s accompanying report.

NEBOSH Environmental Management

The NEBOSH Environmental Management certification will benefit those that are charged with the responsibility of monitoring environmental damage caused by day-to-day operations. This includes the evaluation, monitoring, reviewing and auditing of such risks, energy use and civil liability.

To gain the NEBOSH Environmental Management certification, pass one written exam (ED1) and complete one project assignment at your workplace.

NEBOSH Fire Safety and Risk Management

Managers, supervisors and staff representatives dealing with fire safety in the workplace can benefit greatly from becoming certified in NEBOSH Fire Safety and Risk management as it teaches the foundations of health and safety, causes and prevention of fire risks, assessment of fire risks and fire safety inspection.

You will become certified upon passing two written exams (NGC1 and FC1) and completing a four hour practical workplace fire risk assessment.

NEBOSH National/International Diploma

The NEBOSH National International Diploma is aimed at those that wish to further their career in occupational health and safety. You will have an option of writing either the National diploma which covers UK legislation or the international diploma which covers global legislation.

This certification encompasses the entire scope of health and safety and, therefore, is considered to be an outstanding addition to any CV.

To receive the NEBOSH National diploma you will need to pass three written exams (Unit A, B and C) and complete a written assignment (Unit D)

The NEBOSH International diploma comprises three written exams (Units IA, IB and IC) and one written assignment (Unit ID).

NEBOSH National/International General Certificate

The NEBOSH National/International General Certificate offers a solid introduction to the field of occupational health and safety and will suit those that are just starting out in this sector or looking to start a career based in health and safety.

This certification deals with foundational health and safety as well as control of risk and hazards pertaining to equipment, fire and chemicals. It also deals with physical and psychological hazards.

In order to complete the National certificate, you will be required to pass both the NGC1 and NGC2 exams and complete the practical assignment named NGC3.

For the international certificate you will need to pass exams IGC1 and IGC2 and complete the practical assignment (IGC3)

NEBOSH Oil and Gas Safety

Aimed at hose working in the field of oil and gas with a responsibility towards health and safety, the NEBOSH Oil and Gas Safety certification covers the standards and management systems recognised around the globe. You will be taught to identify and deal with oil and gas hazards, Management techniques to deal with those risks and the risks of explosions and fire, both on land and offshore.

In order to gain this certification you must pass the accompanying written exam (IOG1).

Final Notes

A career in the field of occupational health and safety comes with a responsibility to not only your organisation, but to anyone that enters that company’s premises. This includes staff members and customers alike. The identification of risk is the first step in ensuring the safety of those individuals, followed by the implementation of health and safety processes, which must be designed in accordance with the applicable legislation, whether it be nationally or internationally.

The courses offered above are designed to ensure that only the best processes are followed by those that carry the responsibility of health and safety in their respective workplaces. Those that are charged with health and safety responsibilities hold not only the well-being of their own lives in their hands, but also the lives and health of their co-workers.

Therefore, it is essential that their skills are kept up to date and that the correct procedures are in place should an issue arise. This ensures that the issue is dealt with correctly and swiftly. Being aware of the risks and hazards that are faced in the workplace on a daily basis could after all save lives.

NEBOSH is a name that stands head and shoulders above any other Health and Safety certification that is available today. It has grown into a brand that is recognised the world over not only because of the international certifications that are on offer, but also because they are certifications that have been tried and tested and have stood the test of time.