OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety
The OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety is built for people who manage, or want to manage, health and safety policy and practice at a senior level. Completing it makes you eligible to apply for Certified membership of IOSH (CertIOSH). M2Y Safety Consultancy FZ LLC delivers it through classroom, virtual and blended learning, led by tutors with real industry experience.
OTHM Level 6 Diploma: quick facts
| Qualification | OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety |
| Qualification number | 603/5002/7 |
| Awarding body | OTHM Qualifications (Ofqual recognition number RN5284) |
| Level | RQF Level 6, equivalent in level to a bachelor’s degree |
| Structure | 7 mandatory units, 60 credits |
| Study time | 600 hours total, including 220 guided learning hours |
| Designed duration | About 4 months full-time, flexible for part-time and distance learning |
| Assessment | Assignments and portfolio of evidence, marked by the centre and externally verified by OTHM. Pass or fail. |
| IOSH | Eligible to apply for CertIOSH on completion |
| Delivery with M2Y | Classroom, virtual and blended |
What is the OTHM Level 6 Diploma?
The OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety is a UK-regulated qualification for learners who hold, or are working towards, a senior role managing health and safety in an organisation.
You learn to:
- Understand the legal and regulatory background to health and safety policy
- Assess existing policies and recommend and implement changes
- Put policy into practice through management systems, resources, and risk and incident management
- Develop leadership, management and professional skills
It suits the UAE market well, where employers in construction, oil and gas, manufacturing and facilities management look for managers who can lead safety, not just supervise it.
The 7 mandatory units
| # | Unit | Credits | Guided hours | Total hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health and Safety Management Principles and Policy | 8 | 30 | 80 |
| 2 | Health and Safety Management Practice | 10 | 40 | 100 |
| 3 | Risk and Incident Management | 8 | 30 | 80 |
| 4 | Promoting a Positive Health and Safety Culture | 6 | 20 | 60 |
| 5 | Maintaining a Safe Workplace Environment | 12 | 40 | 120 |
| 6 | Health and Safety Law, Regulation and Influence | 8 | 35 | 80 |
| 7 | Development of the Health and Safety Practitioner | 8 | 25 | 80 |
| Total | 60 | 220 | 600 |
One credit equals 10 hours of total qualification time.
What you will learn on the OTHM Level 6 Diploma
- Policy and management systems: develop, review and improve health and safety policy
- Risk and incident management: assess risk, investigate incidents and prevent them happening again
- Safety culture: influence behaviour and build positive attitudes at every level
- Safe workplace environments: maintain healthy and safe working conditions
- Law and regulation: understand legal duties and how regulation shapes decisions
- Professional growth: reflect on your practice and plan your next career step
Who can study the OTHM Level 6 Diploma?
Entry requirements (from OTHM)
You must be 18 or older at the start of the course, and meet one of these:
Option 1: a relevant qualification. A relevant NQF, QCF or RQF certificate or diploma, or an equivalent recognised qualification, covering basic occupational health and safety concepts. Qualifications that OTHM lists as meeting this requirement:
- British Safety Council Level 3 Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health
- British Safety Council International Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health
- NCFE IOSH Level 3 Certificate in Safety and Health for Business
- NCRQ Level 6 Certificate in Applied Health and Safety
- NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety
Option 2: mature learner route. Learners over 21 with at least 2 years of practical experience.
English language: learners from countries that are not majority English-speaking must show evidence of English language competence.
Not sure whether your certificate qualifies? Send it to our team on WhatsApp and we will check for you.
This course is ideal for
- Safety officers and HSE officers moving into management roles
- HSE managers and supervisors who want a degree-level qualification
- Engineers and site managers with safety responsibilities
- Safety consultants and trainers building their credentials
- Professionals working towards CertIOSH and, later, Chartered membership
- Expatriates in the UAE who need an internationally recognised qualification
How is the OTHM Level 6 Diploma assessed?
There are no written exams. Every unit is assessed by the training centre and externally verified by OTHM. You build evidence through assignments and a portfolio, and you pass a unit by showing you have met all of its learning outcomes and assessment criteria. The qualification is graded pass or fail.
How M2Y supports you
- Tutors with real experience in UAE construction, oil and gas, manufacturing and facilities management
- Classroom sessions in the UAE, live virtual classes, or a blended mix
- Guidance on assignment structure, evidence and portfolio building
- Weekend and evening options for working professionalsz`
- Career guidance after you qualify
CertIOSH: your route to IOSH membership
OTHM states that learners who complete the diploma are eligible to apply for Certified membership of IOSH (CertIOSH). IOSH also asks for relevant professional experience and evidence of continuing professional development, so check its current requirements before applying.
After CertIOSH, the route continues:
- Complete a period of Initial Professional Development, building evidence in a skills development portfolio
- Take part in a professional review interview
- Become eligible for Chartered membership (CMIOSH)
TSP and CSP: what the diploma can and cannot do
[Verify before publishing: confirm that the OTHM Level 6 Diploma delivered by M2Y appears on BCSP’s Qualified Equivalent Program list, add the link, and note the application dates. Delete this whole section if it does not.]
Where a program is recognised by BCSP as a Qualified Equivalent Program, eligible graduates can apply for the Transitional Safety Practitioner (TSP) designation. The TSP satisfies the qualified credential requirement for the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and waives the Associate Safety Professional (ASP) exam.
The diploma does not make you CSP-eligible on its own. BCSP also requires:
- A bachelor’s degree
- Four years of professional safety experience
- A passing CSP exam result
The diploma helps with one step, the qualified credential, and not the other three.
Your career pathway
IOSH route: OTHM Level 6 Diploma → CertIOSH (with experience and CPD) → Initial Professional Development → CMIOSH
BCSP route: OTHM Level 6 Diploma → TSP [if confirmed] → CSP (with a bachelor’s degree, four years’ experience and the exam)
Career prospects after the OTHM Level 6 Diploma
OTHM says successful learners gain the knowledge and skills to be competent in a range of occupational health and safety roles. Typical job titles include:
- HSE Manager or Health and Safety Manager
- Compliance Officer
- Safety Consultant or Advisor
- Safety Auditor
- Corporate EHS Lead
Employers include construction contractors, oil and gas operators, manufacturers, facilities management firms, logistics companies, hospitals, hotels and government bodies.
University progression
OTHM says its graduates can join degree and master’s top-up programmes through its progression arrangements with universities. Each university makes its own admission decisions, so check the entry requirements of the programme you want. See OTHM’s university progressions page for current partners.
OTHM or IOSH Level 6 Diploma: which should you choose?
| OTHM Level 6 Diploma | IOSH Level 6 Diploma | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 7 units, 60 credits | 3 units |
| Study time | 600 hours | 380 hours |
| Focus | Broad management coverage across policy, risk, culture, law and development | Leadership and influence, built on the IOSH competency framework |
| Assessment | Assignments and portfolio | Work-based assignments |
| CertIOSH | Eligible to apply | Eligible to apply |
OTHM Level 6 Diploma FAQs
It is a UK-regulated RQF Level 6 qualification in occupational health and safety, made up of seven mandatory units and 60 credits.
OTHM designs it for about four months of full-time study, and it can be delivered part-time or by distance learning. With M2Y most learners finish in 3 to 6 months.
No. It is assessed through assignments and a portfolio, graded pass or fail.
You must be 18 or older and hold a relevant Level 3 qualification, such as the NEBOSH National General Certificate, or be a learner over 21 with at least two years of practical experience. Non-native English speakers need to show English competence.
OTHM states that Level 6 qualifications are equivalent in level to bachelor’s degrees with honours. It is not a bachelor’s degree itself.
Yes. Completing it makes you eligible to apply for CertIOSH, alongside IOSH’s experience and CPD requirements.
It is a UK-regulated qualification that is widely recognised, including across the Middle East. Employers decide how they recognise any qualification, so confirm with yours if recognition matters for a specific role.
