Level 6 Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety

What is the OTHM Level 6 Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety?

The Level 6 qualifications in Occupational Health and Safety are developed to provide learners who have or are looking to develop into a senior role in an organisation for managing health and safety policy and practice. Learners will gain the skills and knowledge to understand the legal and regulatory background to occupational health and safety policy, to be able to assess policies, as well as to recommend and implement policy changes. Learners will develop knowledge and skills relevant to putting policy into practice, utilising management systems, resources, risk and incident management, leadership, management and skills development.

Individuals successfully completing the diploma qualification will be eligible to apply for the Certified level of membership CertIOSH.

Who is this qualification for?

This Level 6 certificate suits learners with a Level 5 qualification who want final-year degree-level study in occupational health and safety and a route to a bachelor's top-up.

• Study fully online with tutor support through HRCourses, with no fixed timetable.
• Assessment by assignments, so you can evidence learning from your own workplace.
• Each level carries 120 credits, so you can progress one level at a time.

Entry requirements

For entry onto the OTHM Level 6 Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety qualification, learners must possess:

• Relevant NQF/QCF/RQF certificate or diploma or equivalent recognised qualification that covers the following basic concepts within Occupational Health & Safety:
  • Science and Technology
  • Legal and regulatory systems
  • Workplace safety and health
  • Definitions of risk and risk management principles
  • Principles and theories of safety and health management
  • Occupational health and hygiene
  • Occupational psychology
  • Information technology, literacy and numeracy

  Qualifications that fulfil this requirement include:

  • 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
• Mature learners (over 21) with practical experience at least 2 years
• Learner must be 18 years or older at the beginning of the course

English requirements: If a learner is not from a majority English-speaking country, they must provide evidence of English language competency. For more information visit English Language Expectations page in this website.

Qualification structure and units

Unit details are published in the OTHM specification.

Source: OTHM qualification specification (PDF) · Ofqual qualification number 603/5218/8.

Duration and delivery

The qualification is designed to be delivered over 4 months approximately for full-time study, but it is also flexible in its delivery in order to accommodate part-time and distance and blended learning.

The qualification is delivered face-to-face, through lectures, tutorials, seminars, distance, online by approved centres only.

At HRCourses the qualification is delivered online: you receive the unit materials, assignment briefs and tutor support through the learning platform and submit assignments when you are ready. There are no fixed lecture times, so you can start in any month.

How you are assessed

All units within this qualification are internally assessed by the centre and externally verified by OTHM. The qualifications are criterion referenced, based on the achievement of all the specified learning outcomes.

To achieve a ‘pass’ for a unit, learners must provide evidence to demonstrate that they have fulfilled all the learning outcomes and meet the standards specified by all assessment criteria. Judgement that the learners have successfully fulfilled the assessment criteria is made by the Assessor.

The Assessor should provide an audit trail showing how the judgement of the learners’ overall achievement has been arrived at.

Progression and career routes

Successful completion of a Level 6 Occupational Health and Safety qualifications provide learners with the knowledge, understanding and skills to be competent in a range of Occupational Health and Safety roles. Individuals who achieve the diploma qualification will be eligible to apply for Certified level of membership CertIOSH.

Those eligible for Certified membership can then undertake a period of Initial Professional Development which will require students to provide evidence of their practice skills in a skills development portfolio (IPD). At the end of this period there will be a professional review interview. After successful completion of this IPD process students will then be eligible for Chartered membership of IOSH (CMIOSH).

What is included when you study the OTHM Level 6 Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety with HRCourses

Last updated October 2026. Fees and inclusions are confirmed in writing before you pay.

Fees and how to apply

1. Enquire or apply Use the enquiry form (or Apply now, where available) with this qualification pre-selected. Tell us your current qualifications and experience so we can confirm you meet the entry requirements.
2. Confirmation and fee link An adviser replies within one working day with the fee, start date and a secure link to pay in full or on an instalment plan.
3. Start your course As soon as your course fee (or first instalment, if you chose a plan) is paid, you receive your learning-platform login and can begin the first unit. There is no fixed intake date.

Progression path

1. Level 5 Extended Diploma
2. Level 6 Certificate
3. Level 7 Diploma in Human Resource Management
4. University top-up

Related HR qualifications

• Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety
• Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Management
• Level 7 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Management

Other Occupational Health and Safety qualifications

• OTHM Level 3 Technical Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety — 34 credits
• Qualifi Level 5 Extended Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety — 240 credits
• OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety