For anyone who is looking to make a career out of health and safety and to be formally recognised as a professional, a NEBOSH National Diploma is a must. The NEBOSH National Diploma builds on what you would have learned whilst studying for the NEBOSH National General Certificate of Health and Safety.

There are thousands of people all around the world who have studied for the NEBOSH National Diploma and are now carving out successful careers for themselves in the health and safety sector, as the course arms them with the tools to meet business regulatory requirements in terms of health and safety, meet business objectives and be able to assess and deal with risk across  a number of different sectors.

The course is based on 243 taught hours and 257 private study hours. It is broken into 4 different sections, each of which is assessed separately. There are three sections – A, B and C, which are theoretical and section DNI which is the application of health and safety theory and practice. Each section can be taken in any order and you will be given a certificate for each unit which is completed.

Unit A – Managing Health and Safety

Unit A is based on understanding how to manage health and safety. It teaches the drivers for health and safety including the social, economic and moral drivers, as well as all areas of the law. The syllabus includes:

• Principles of managing health and safety
• Principles of health and safety law
• Civil Law
• Criminal law
• Health and safety performance measuring and reviewing
• Loss causation and incident investigation.
• Risk control
• The assessment and evaluation of risk
• Human factors to health and safety
• Organisational factors
• The role of the health and safety practitioner.

There is a Unit A study guide which can help you to learn as well as get exam practice. To pass the unit you must pass a three hour written exam.

Unit B – Hazardous Substances and Agents

Unit B covers everything surrounding hazardous substances and agents in the workplace, the law around it and how to make sure that employees are safe if using them or are close to them. The syllabus includes:

• Managing occupational health
• Identification, assessment and evaluation of hazardous substances
• The control of hazardous substances
• The monitoring and measuring of hazardous substances
• Biological agents
• Noise and vibration
• Radiation
• Mental ill-health and dealing with violence and aggression at work
• Musculoskeletal risks and controls
• Work environment risks and controls

There is a guide to Unit B of the NEBOSH National Diploma which offers practical explanations and is focused on giving you the tools that you need to pass the Unit B exam. The exam consists of a three-hour exam which is split into two sections.

Unit C – Workplace and Work Equipment

This unit – C, focuses on health and safety in the workplace and around work equipment. It covers welfare in the workplace, fire risk assessment, electricity safety, what to do if you discover hazards in the workplace and touches on hazardous substances. The unit C syllabus includes:

• Workplace welfare requirements and specific workplace issues
• Fire and explosion
• Workplace fire risk assessment
• The storage, handling and processing of dangerous substances
• Work equipment
• Workplace machinery
• Mobile, lifting, access and work at height equipment
• Electrical Safety
• Construction and works of a temporary nature – hazardous substances
• Workplace transport and managing work-related road risk

The Unit C guide for the NEBOSH National Diploma helps you to reinforce your learning and properly prepare yourself for the exam. As with Units A and B, the exam consists of a 3-hour exam.

Unit DNI – Application of Health and Safety Theory and Practice

This unit is slightly different to the others in that it does not require a written exam as such. Instead, an 8000 word written assignment is submitted to NEBOSH which is supposed to allow you to demonstrate the knowledge that you have gained through the studying of the other three units.

If you are thinking about studying for the NEBOSH National Diploma you have three options of how to study it – either through e-learning, classroom course, in-house or blended. Once that you start the course, you have a maximum of 5 years to complete it.

A NEBOSH National Diploma in Health and Safety is an effective way to both ensure that you know the most up to date information about health and safety and the course will ensure that you know everything that you need, to be able to carry out a health and safety job effectively.