Health and safety adviser : Training

Training consists of on-the-job learning complemented by short, in-house or external training courses, which may be run by training departments, local colleges and universities, or health and safety consultants.

Health and safety advisers should take advantage of continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities on offer in the industry to enhance their professional competence and skills. The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH)  and the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)  offer such training, and postgraduate and MSc courses are offered at institutions nationwide.

All health and safety advisers are required to keep their professional knowledge up to date and the IOSH offers a continuing professional development (CPD) scheme called MyCPD, which is accessible online. CPD provides a structured approach to the maintenance, improvement and broadening of the health and safety adviser's knowledge and skills. It also includes the development of personal qualities needed to carry out managerial and technical duties.

Graduates in the profession can gain graduate membership of the IOSH and full International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM). After five years in a relevant role, health and safety advisers can apply to become chartered members or chartered fellows of the IOSH.

Membership is increasingly used by employers as a criterion for recruitment and remuneration, and is often specified in recruitment advertisements. All applications are initially processed with a view to affiliate membership and the IOSH then works with the applicant on the completion of their CPD and guides them into the most appropriate membership for their skills set.

Further education programmes through local universities and colleges will allow the health and safety adviser to progress steadily through the IOSH membership ranks. Most courses last between one and two years. Entry requirements vary: students with no formal qualifications but lots of practical work experience are welcomed alongside those who have taken a formal educational route into the profession through university.