NEBOSH International Diploma
INTRODUCTION TO NEBOSH Level 6 INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMA FOR OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS
- The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) is an UK based Board found in 1979, provides a numerous education program. The NEBOSH International Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals builds on the foundation knowledge covered in the International General Certificate. This qualification is a must for those wanting a high-level career in Health and Safety.
- The International Diploma is recognized and reliable and approximately 3,000 learners have achieved the qualification since its introduction. The NEBOSH International Diploma is the qualification for aspiring health and safety professionals, building directly upon the foundation of knowledge provided by the NEBOSH International General Certificate. It is designed to provide learners with the knowledge and understanding required for undertaking a career as a health and safety professional and it also provides a sound basis for progression to postgraduate study.
Benefits for your employer
By applying the knowledge and skills gained from this qualification you will be able to contribute to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace; an immediate benefit for your employer. For example, you will be able to understand the risk profile of your organisation and how risk should be managed. You will also be able to recognise a range of workplace health and safety hazards and recommend control measures so that residual risk from these hazards is as low as possible. The qualification will also equip you with professional skills such as understanding how your leadership style can affect other workers and the culture of the organisation, as well as being able to influence and negotiate with workers at all levels.
Benefits for Learner
The qualification deliberately looks at general workplace issues so that is can be applied in the many different sectors in which health and safety professionals may work. On completion of the qualification, your learners will be able to:
- Understand the role of health and safety legislation, the purpose and principles of enforcement actions and the role of the United Nations’ International Labour Organization and other non-governmental bodies.
- Use different types of health and safety leadership approaches and be able to influence health and safety issues at all levels.
- Influence organisational and health and safety workplace culture.
- Proactively manage health and safety, taking account of human failures and factors.
- Manage health and safety competence (both their own and that of the organisation).
- Use a range of hazard identification, risk management and loss causation techniques.
- Monitor health and safety performance.
- Develop their role as a health and safety professional including understanding how it links with Corporate Social Responsibility.
- Effectively manage organisational change.
- Manage contractors and supply chains.
- Control a range of workplace health and wellbeing issues.
- Control a range of workplace safety issues.
- The NEBOSH International Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals is one of the most established and respected qualifications of its kind. This course provides the learner with the core understanding of Health and Safety and is the leading qualification in the world for International Health and Safety practitioners. It also provides the learner with the knowledge that is transferrable across industry and international boundaries. It covers the practical skills which is very essential for a health and safety practitioner to deliver a positive change throughout the workplace. Those who achieve this qualification find themselves in high demand in the global market.
Qualification key features
Unit prefixes and titles |
Unit DI1: Know-workplace health and safety principles (International) Unit DI2: Do-controlling workplace health issues (International) Unit DI3: Do-controlling workplace safety issues (International) | ||||||||||||
Assessments
Unit DI1 Unit DI2 Unit DI3
|
| ||||||||||||
Qualification level and number of credits | RQF Level 6 (RQF qualification number 610/2230/5) with 42 credits | ||||||||||||
Qualification Marks
| The total marks per unit assessment will be reduced as follows: · DN1/DI1 will reduce from 550 to 300 total marks · DN2/DI2 will reduce from 300 to 175 total marks · DN3/DI3 will reduce from 230 to 175 total marks. | ||||||||||||
Modes of study | A full-time block release course (minimum of six weeks (30 working days)) Part-time day release (spread over at least 30 weeks) Open, distance learning, eLearning
| ||||||||||||
Entry requirements | No formal entry requirements but due to there being assumed knowledge it is recommended that learners have passed the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety or an equivalent RQF Level 3 or 4 qualification. | ||||||||||||
Recommended minimum standards of English | Equivalent to an International English Language Testing System score of 7.0 or higher in IELTS tests | ||||||||||||
Pass standards | The provisional pass mark for each unit is 50%. More information on how provisional pass marks are set can be found in our FAQs: https://www.nebosh. org.uk/faqs/how-does-nebosh-set-the-pass-mark-for-each-assessment/
| ||||||||||||
Qualification grades | The percentage marks of all three units are combined and the qualification grade is based on the following boundaries: · Distinction: 226 or higher · Credit: 196-225 · Pass: 150 – 195 | ||||||||||||
Professional Recognition | Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP) Holders of the NEBOSH National Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals will now be eligible for certification as a Canadian Registered Safety Technician (CRST) upon completion of the CRST examination. For those with greater workplace experience and additional qualifications, the BCRSP is offering a streamlined route to Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) certification for people with a NEBOSH National or International Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety. Read more on the BCRSP website.
South African Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Saiosh) Members of the Saiosh can now upgrade from Technical membership (TechSaiosh) to Graduate Membership (GradSaiosh) using the NEBOSH International Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals to meet the membership level’s academic requirements.
Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) The International Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals is recognized as a Qualified Equivalent Program (QEP) by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP), meeting the qualified credential requirement for the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) certification. Applications must be made within one year of achieving the Diploma; download the application instructions. For more information on the BCSP and the Transitional Safety Practitioner (TSP) designation, please download the Benefits of Becoming a TSP document, or visit the BCSP website. Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) This qualification is now accredited by Ofqual and, following changes to IOSH’s accreditation criteria, we re-applied for IOSH recognition. We can can confirm that the NEBOSH Level 6 National and International Diplomas meet the academic requirements to apply for IOSH membership at the appropriate grade. Please see full information on the recent changes and how this applies to learners at different stages of their studies: Diploma Recognition Update. Learners who achieved the International Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals (2020 specification) before August 2024 and were registered with NEBOSH before August 2022 can also apply for IOSH membership at the appropriate grade, irrespective of the country they took their qualification or whether their Diploma parchment features a regulator logo. | ||||||||||||
Ofqual Accreditation
| The NEBOSH Level 6 International Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals (2023 specification) has been accredited and credit rated by Ofqual at RQF Level 6 with 42 credits. We can confirm that the NEBOSH International Diploma meets the academic requirements to apply for IOSH membership at the appropriate grade. More information about recent accreditation changes is available here: Diploma Recognition Update. | ||||||||||||
SQA Accreditation | The NEBOSH International Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals (2020 specification) has been accredited and credit rated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Accreditation at SCQF Level 10 with 48 SCQF credit points. SCQF Level 10 is comparable to RQF/CQFW Level 6 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. |
Designatory letters and professional membership
Holders of the NEBOSH International Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals may use the designatory letters ‘IDipNEBOSH’ after their name. In addition, once you have your qualification parchment (have completed the qualification) it is anticipated* that you will be able to apply for the following memberships:
Membership body | Membership category | Designatory letters |
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) | Graduate Member** | Grad IOSH |
International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) | Full membership* | MIIRSM |
Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) | Exemption from sitting the ASP examination if all other requirements are met* | Leads to CSP membership after completion of relevant assessments |
* NEBOSH is in the process of applying for membership for IIRSM and BCSP; this Guide will be updated once confirmation has been received.
** IOSH are reviewing their membership grades. It is likely that Graduate membership will be rebranded as certified member. This guide will be updated once the restructured membership grades have been published. IOSH are not currently accepting accreditation applications for new qualifications due to this membership review.
Assessment formats
To achieve the International Diploma, learners must complete and pass the following assessments:
Unit | Assessment format |
DI1 | Assignment (in four parts – simulations, work- place based activities, reflective tasks and a research project) |
DI2 | Case study (simulation only) |
DI3 | Case study (simulation only) |
Part of the Unit ID1 assessment will require your learners to undertake some workplace-based activities. Your learners will, therefore, need to ensure that they select a suitable workplace/organisation. The workplace/organisation does not have to be their own; it just needs to be suitable.
The selected workplace should provide sufficient scope to carry out a range of activities. If a learner has difficulty finding a suitable workplace, you must help the learner to make arrangements. The workplace activities will be drawn from the following assessment criteria:
Assessment criteria | Topic |
2.3 | Consultation |
2.4 | Health and safety culture |
3.1 | Competence, training, information and supervision |
3.2 | High reliability organisations |
4.2 | Sensible risk management/types of risk assessment/ implementing risk assessment actions |
4.3 | Risk profile |
5.2 | Health and safety monitoring and measuring |
7.3 | Organisation change |
8.1 | General management of contractors |
Qualification Type
- NEBOSH offers Vocationally-Related Qualifications (VRQs) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, VRQs are known as ‘Other accredited qualifications.
- VRQs provide the knowledge and practical skills required for particular job roles through a structured, study- based training programme that combines the testing of knowledge and understanding in written examinations with practical application of learning in the workplace.
- VRQs are a popular type of qualification because they are nationally recognized, flexible and offer routes for progression to employment or further study.
Achieving the qualification, qualification grading and parchment issue
You must achieve a ‘Pass’ in all three units to achieve the qualification. The pass standards are given in the ‘Qualification key features’ table. The percentage marks of all three units are combined and the qualification grade is based on the following boundaries:
226+ | Distinction |
196-225 | Credit |
150-195 | Pass |
0-149 | Refer |
If you retake a unit to achieve a higher mark, the highest unit mark will be used to calculate the qualification grade (see ‘Re-sitting unit(s)’ for further information). Once the third successful unit has been completed, you will be issued with a qualification parchment. Parchments are normally issued 20 working days after the results declaration date for the third successful unit.
Learning outcomes
Learning outcome |
Taught hours |
Recommended self-study hours |
Assessment | |
1 | You will be able to advise your organisation on the types of legislation likely to apply to the organisation and how enforcement actions could apply; the relevance of the International Labour Organization’s conventions / recommendations to the organisation; how non-government bodies and standards could influence health and safety in the organisation. |
16 |
58 |
Unit ID1 assignment |
2 | You will be able to promote a positive health and safety culture by: · gaining commitment and participation; and · engaging, supporting, and influencing leaders (and others) to change attitudes and behaviour and make health and safety a priority. |
19 | ||
3 | You will be able to assess, develop and maintain individual and organisational health and safety competence. |
5 | ||
4 | You will be able to understand risk management including the techniques for identifying hazards, the different types of risk assessment, considerations when implementing sensible and proportionate additional control measures and developing a risk management strategy. |
6 | ||
5 | You will be able to develop and implement proactive and reactive health and safety monitoring systems and carry out reviews and auditing of such systems. |
12 | ||
6 | You will be able to continually develop your own professional skills and ethics to actively influence improvements in health and safety by providing persuasive arguments to workers at all levels. |
5 | ||
7 | You will be able to develop a health and safety policy strategy within your organisation (including proactive safety, Corporate Social Responsibility and the change management process). |
5 | ||
8 | You will be able to manage contractors and supply chains to ensure compliance with health and safety standards. |
3 | ||
9 | You will be able to advise the organisation on a range of common workplace health issues/ hazards including how these can be assessed and controlled. |
60 |
45 | Unit ID2 case study |
10 | You will be able to advise the organisation on a range of common workplace safety issues/ hazards including how these can be assessed.. |
54 |
41 | Unit ID3 case study |
Notional learning hours
The qualification has the following notional learning hours:
Unit | Notional learning hours | Credits | |||
Taught hours | Self-study hours | Assessment hours | Total hours | ||
DI1 | 71 | 58 | 60 | 189 | 19 |
DI2 | 60 | 45 | 40 | 145 | 15 |
DI3 | 54 | 41 | 40 | 135 | 14 |
Total | 185 | 144 | 140 | 469 | 48 |
- A programme of study therefore needs to be based around a minimum of 185 taught hours and approximately 144 hours of self-study for an overall total of 329 Hours (excluding assessment time).
- A full-time block release course would be expected to last for a minimum of 6 weeks (30 working days and a part-time day release course would be spread over at least 30 weeks.
- The tuition hours should be added to the recommended self-study hours to give the minimum number of hours for learners studying by open, distance learning or e-Learning.
- Tuition time should normally be allocated proportionate to the tuition time for each element but may require adjustment to reflect the needs of a particular learner group.
Key Dates of NEBOSH IDIP:
UNIT |
Training Date |
Release Date (12pm UK time) |
Submission Date (12pm UK time)
| Results notification date |
DI1 | 15/08/2023 | 13 September 2023 | 11 October 2023 | 20 December 2023 |
DI2 | 15/10/2023 | 15 November 2023 | 29 November 2023 | 15 February 2024 |
DI3 | 10/12/2023 | 10 January 2024 | 24 January 2024 | 05 April 2024 |
DI1 | 10/02/2024 | 13 March 2024 | 12 April 2024 | 25 June 2024 |
DI2 | 15/04/2024 | 15 May 2024 | 30 May 2024 | 08 August 2024 |
DI3 | 15/06/2024 | 17 July 2024 | 31 July 2024 | 10 October 2024 |
DI1 | 15/08/2024 | 11 September 2024 | 09 October 2024 | 18 December 2024 |
DI2 | 15/10/2023 | 13 November 2024 | 27 November 2024 | 14 February 2025 |
Re-sitting unit(s)
- If a learner does not achieve a ‘Pass’, the learner may re-sit the unit(s) in which they have been unsuccessful providing that this happens within the 5-year enrolment period.
- However, each re-sit will incur an additional fee. Learners may re-sit unit(s) at any time within their enrolment period. This includes re-sitting successful unit(s) to try to improve the qualification grade. When all three units have been successfully completed, learners will need to inform NEBOSH of their intention to re-sit the successful unit(s) within 20-working days of the results declaration date for the final successful unit. There is no limit to the number of re-sits which can be taken within the enrolment period.
- If a learner sits a unit more than once, the highest grade achieved will count towards the final qualification grading.
- If a learner registers for any unit of the International Diploma whilst awaiting a result from a previous
assessment, the learner cannot then request a refund of the registration fee if the awaited resulted is a ‘Pass’ (except in the case of an Enquiry About Result).
UNLIMITED TUTOR SUPPORT
- Our Tutors use the Virtual platform to support students around the world. Our messaging system and support forums are an excellent way to engage, where our tutors can provide expert support.