International Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health

On Course for New Skills

The British Safety Council Awards International Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health (IDipOSH) is a professional qualification that targets the real needs of businesses and health and safety practitioners worldwide.

Every organisation can profit by developing a positive health and safety culture built on a secure foundation of skills and expertise. Cost savings and greater competitiveness are just two of the benefits that can result.

With the emphasis on promoting current international best practice in health and safety management, BSC Awards has developed the IDipOSH1 to meet the unique needs of a global industry.

A new training programme has also been designed to meet the requirements of the IDipOSH and has been specially developed to:

• Enable businesses to achieve bottom-line benefits through practical, cost-effective risk reduction.
• Encourage the professional and personal development of managers with specific responsibility for health and safety in the workplace.

The BSC is a completely independent, world-leading organisation with 50 years’ experience of promoting health, safety and environmental best practice across the full range of major industries - around the globe.

Training – The Key to Achievement
Seizing the opportunities and meeting the challenges presented by health and safety requires the right skills to be in place. The BSC has developed flexible, high-quality training courses that promote the effective acquisition and application of these skills.

Developed to enable candidates to reach the required standard, the IDipOSH course is also designed to provide up-to-date health and safety expertise that can readily be put into practice.

The Key Benefits

Underpinned by training, the new International Diploma:

• Provides employers with skilled, qualified health and safety practitioners who can help reduce accidents/downtime and increase productivity and morale
• Equips health and safety practitioners with the expertise needed to provide effective advice and build a business case for health and safety
• Represents a qualification recognised worldwide as a demonstration of professionalism and commitment to health and safety
• Meets the requirements for entry to IOSH membership at Graduate level (GradIOSH) and full IIRSM membership

Training for Excellence
Fully in line with educational best practice, BSC training courses are based on dynamic, student-centred learning, with particular emphasis on participative, interactive techniques and the sharing of ideas. The courses focus on the application of knowledge and understanding, and aim to make the learning experience motivating, memorable and effective.

Training is delivered by highly skilled, experienced tutors who provide top-quality tuition focusing on individual needs and capabilities. Tutors are allocated to courses based on the relevance of their own industrial background.

Course Framework
The IDipOSH training course involves, in total, around 180 hours’ tuition. This is usually delivered over a six-week period. Three key units are covered with one course unit addressed each week:

Unit 1 - Practical Health and Safety Management

• Element A: Fundamentals of Health and Safety Management
• Element B: Applied Health and Safety Management

Unit 2 - Safeguarding People's Health in the Workplace

• Element A: Occupational Health
• Element B: Risks to Health at Work

Unit 3 - Health and Safety: Culture and Business

• Element A: Developing a Positive Health and Safety Culture
• Element B: Developing the Business Case for Health and Safety

Courses are typically delivered to groups of 8-16 delegates. Daily workshops and break-out sessions support each topic covered.

Regional, cultural and other considerations are taken fully into account to ensure the best possible results.

Assessment – The Process
Flexible examination and assessment procedures have been developed to complement the Diploma. Health and safety practitioners wishing to qualify for the IDipOSH attend a course provided by BSC Services and are then assessed as follows:

• Unit 1: A three-hour examination comprising extended and short-answer questions and a simulated risk assessment task based on a case study scenario
• Unit 2: A two-hour examination and a 3000 word assignment based on an occupational health hazard in the candidate’s workplace
• Unit 3: A 6000 word assignment involving (i) assessment of the health and safety culture in the candidate’s workplace, (ii) development of a strategy to improve this culture and (iii) development of a business case to support the strategy.

Unit 1 and 2 examinations can be undertaken all year round either on-line at Prometric Testing Centres or paper-based at British Council offices worldwide
Unit 2 and 3 assignments are submitted electronically to BSC Awards. Examinations and assignments are marked by external examiners appointed and trained by BSC Awards2.

A certificate is awarded on successful completion of each Unit. Candidates successfully completing all three Units receive a final grade and a further certificate.