Choose NEBOSH if you want a safety career or carry significant safety responsibility. Choose an IOSH course if you need practical safety training for your current job, without becoming a safety specialist. The two are often compared, but they do different jobs, and many people need only one.
What NEBOSH and IOSH are
NEBOSH is an awarding body. It sets qualifications such as the International General Certificate (IGC) and its qualifications.
IOSH is the chartered professional membership body for health and safety professionals. It also has its own training courses, such as Managing Safely and Working Safely.
So the comparison most people mean is the NEBOSH IGC against an IOSH course. The rest of this guide compares those.
NEBOSH IGC and IOSH courses compared
NEBOSH IGC: for managers, supervisors, anyone with safety responsibilities, and people starting a safety career. It takes at least 63 taught hours, plus about 40 hours of private study.
IOSH Managing Safely: for line managers, team leaders and supervisors who are responsible for day-to-day safety. The full course runs for three days.
IOSH Working Safely: for employees in any sector, with no earlier safety experience needed. It takes one day.
How assessment differs
The NEBOSH IGC has two parts: an open-book, scenario-based exam with a closing interview, and a three-hour practical risk assessment with an action plan for a workplace. There are no entry requirements, although NEBOSH recommends English at around IELTS 6.0.
IOSH Working Safely builds its assessment into the day. Your training provider can explain how Managing Safely is assessed. A Managing Safely certificate does not expire, although IOSH recommends a one-day refresher to stay current.
Which should you choose?
You want to become a safety officer or move into HSE: the NEBOSH IGC is the more relevant starting point.
You supervise people and need to manage safety well: IOSH Managing Safely, or the NEBOSH IGC if you want more depth.
You need a safety induction for general staff: IOSH Working Safely.
You are arranging training for a whole team: consider IOSH for most staff and NEBOSH for the people who lead on safety.
Check job adverts for the roles you want in Qatar, and ask your employer or client which certificate they require.
An important check: NEBOSH and IOSH membership
Many people assume that a NEBOSH certificate automatically leads to IOSH membership. NEBOSH says the International General Certificate can support Affiliate membership of IOSH, and Technical membership with appropriate experience. However, it also says assessments must be taken in the UK to be eligible, unless you registered before 31 August 2022.
If IOSH membership matters to you, confirm your exact situation with NEBOSH and IOSH before you enrol, because these rules can change. NEBOSH also lists other professional bodies open to overseas learners, including the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM).
Safety training at Leaders Training Centre
See our NEBOSH IGC course, all NEBOSH courses in Qatar, or our wider safety training courses. Leaders Training Centre is an IOSH Approved Training Provider, but IOSH courses do not have their own page on our site yet, so ask an advisor which are running now. For a team, see corporate training.
Sources
- NEBOSH
- IOSH
- Health and safety
