IOSH Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health Leadership & Management

Move from managing safety to leading OSH strategy

The IOSH Level 6 Diploma is designed for professionals who need to connect occupational safety and health with business performance, culture, risk, sustainability and leadership.

Three mandatory units

Each unit is mapped to the IOSH competency framework and builds the knowledge, application and leadership capability expected from senior OSH professionals.

L6D01 • UNIT 1

Advanced OSH Management Principles in Organisations

• OSH legal frameworks around the world
• Risk management systems and approaches
• Incident management
• Integration of OSH into organisational risk

L6D02 • UNIT 2

Occupational Safety and Health Integration within an Organisation

• OSH contribution to the value chain
• External factors and organisational change
• OSH contribution to sustainability
• Organisation-wide OSH approach

L6D03 • UNIT 3

Leading and Influencing in OSH

• Individual and team behaviour
• Leading and influencing others
• Embedding organisation-wide OSH
• Reviewing leadership and competence

Practical, workplace-based evaluation

• No traditional written examinations.
• Unit 1 uses an IOSH-set technical evaluation assignment.
• Units 2 and 3 are assessed through an OSH strategic proposal and presentation.
• Unit 3 also includes a reflective assignment focused on leadership and professional development.
• Assessment evidence includes written reports, presentation material and recorded or assessor-led presentation activity.

From enrolment to qualification

Designed for ambitious OSH professionals

A strong fit for people who are moving into, or already working in, roles requiring strategic responsibility for occupational safety and health.

What you should have before starting

IOSH states there are no mandatory qualification entry requirements, but relevant prior learning and/or experience is strongly recommended.

• Relevant OSH experience and/or an IOSH Level 3 Certificate or equivalent IOSH-accredited qualification is strongly recommended.
• You must join IOSH as a member before starting the course.
• Where English is not widely spoken, IOSH specifies language comprehension equivalent to IELTS 7.0.
• Learners should be able to access suitable workplace information for applied assessments.

Before you enrol

Is the IOSH Level 6 Diploma degree level?

Yes. It is a UK Level 6 professional qualification, which is the same qualification level as a bachelor’s degree, although it is not itself a university degree.

How long does the Diploma normally take?

IOSH indicates that learners generally take around 18–24 months, depending on study method, experience and the pace of assessment completion.

Are there written examinations?

No traditional written exams are used. Assessment is based on IOSH-set assignments, reports, presentations, questioning and reflective work.

Does the Diploma support IOSH membership progression?

Successful completion meets the academic requirements for IOSH Certified membership. Other membership requirements may also apply.

Course information on this page is presented from current IOSH qualification information. Study-centre-specific fees, schedules and delivery arrangements should be confirmed at enrolment.