There’s never been a better time to look in to gaining a new skill or qualification to further progress or change your career path, and ACT’s range of e-learning courses mean you can learn online from the comfort of your own home.

What is the NEBOSH General Certificate E-learning?

The NEBOSH National General Certificate is among the most popular courses we offer; designed to get you working towards best practice in occupational health and safety training online, the knowledge you gain from your General Certificate studies can be applied to any job role in any industry. The NEBOSH General Certificate e-learning course covers everything taught in the classroom-based course, but gives you the freedom to learn at your own pace and fit your learning around your own busy schedule.

What will I learn on the e-learning route?

The overall aim of the course is for you to gain a well-rounded knowledge of basic health and safety in order to help look after yourself and others in your workplace more effectively. The course is broken down in to eleven separate elements that each cover a vital topic, and are split between two assessed units: Unit NG1 and NG2.
The first Unit NG1 contains elements 1 to 4, and covers basic theory and systems for managing and measuring health and safety.

Element 1 – Why we should manage workplace health and safety

This element introduces the benefits of managing health and safety effectively. It also looks at the financial, moral, and legal consequences of not preventing accidents, incidents, and ill-health in the workplace.

Element 2 – How health and safety management systems work and what they look like

Element 2 looks at the basics of forming a health and safety management system, including the benefit of a formal system, how to set and communicate objectives to others, and how to put together a formal health and safety policy for your organisation.

Element 3 – Managing risk: understanding people and process

This element discusses health and safety culture within an organisation and how to influence it in order to gain best practice. It also introduces risk assessment techniques, permit-to-work systems and emergency procedures.

Element 4 – Health and safety monitoring and measuring

This element teaches active and reactive monitoring, how to properly investigate incidents, and how to audit and review your organisation’s health and safety performance.
You will be assessed on what you’ve learned in Unit NG1 with a two hour written exam. Our NEBOSH examinations are held four times a year and are available at various locations throughout the UK. For more information on taking exams while on e-learning courses please contact our team.

Unit NG2 is comprised of elements 5 to 11. Each element covers a different topic that are relevant to and assists in the completion of the workplace-based risk assessment (three hours).

Element 5 – Physical and psychological health

Noise, vibration, radiation, mental ill-health, violence at work, and substance abuse at work are all covered in this element, including common causes and effects of each issue, and control measures that can be put in place to help avoid or reduce risk.

Element 6 – Musculoskeletal health

Element 6 covers common work-related upper limb disorders (WRULDs), manual handling and the proper techniques to avoid injury, and types of load-handling equipment and their associated hazards.

Element 7 – Chemical and biological agents

The element on chemical and biological agents discusses hazardous substances common to certain workplaces and how to properly assess the health risks they present. This element also contains information about occupational exposure limits and other control measures, as well as hazardous agents specific to certain industries such as asbestos, blood-borne viruses, and silica.

Element 8 – General workplace issues

General workplace issues includes the needs of a general workplace environment such as sanitation, eating facilities, and temperature. This element also discusses risks and control measures for working at height, in confined spaces and lone working. Also included in this element are slips and trips, the safe movement of people and vehicles within a workplace, and work-related driving.

Element 9 – Work equipment

The element on work equipment covers everything from photocopiers to hammers, including hazards and control measures to put in place to reduce the likelihood of injury or damage to yourself or others. This element also covers the appropriate guards for machinery present across a range of workspaces.

Element 10 – Fire

Element 10 looks at the basics of fire ignition and spread, and examines types of fire alarms, extinguishers, and procedures for evacuation.

Element 11 – Electricity

This element begins with the basic principles of electricity and goes on to explain the causes and effects of electrical shocks, as well as control measures for safely working with mains electricity, overhead cables, and emergency procedures following an electrical incident.

ACT’s cost-effective e-learning course combines core learning materials, videos, case studies and activities to help reinforce learning, as well as multiple choice and study questions throughout to check your understanding of what you’ve learned so far.
You are provided with a login to access all of the learning required for this qualification, we will assist you with and agree a study plan and experienced tutor support is available by email or telephone as necessary.
You can also purchase the Study Book for the NEBOSH National General Certificate from RMS Publishing to help you with your studies. The book contains everything included in the e-learning course in a full colour textbook, for easy reference and use as a revision aid when preparing for your assessments.

National General Certificate Study Book

To find out more about starting your e-learning journey, please click here or contact a member of our sales team.