Phoenix Blog

The NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety can be the gateway to a variety of not just jobs, but careers. It is widely recognised as an ideal first step towards becoming a health and safety professional, often taken by people who have had health and safety as part of their duties and now wish to it to become their specialist field.

If you run or manage any kind of business or organisation you already know it, the health and safety buck stops with the boss.

Under UK law there's no doubt. It's every employer’s responsibility to protect the health and safety of their employees, and of anyone else who might be affected by the business, including customers, visitors and passers-by.

What every employer needs to know about health and safety law

One of the best known legal maxims is that ignorance of the law is no defence. When it comes to health and safety, "I didn't know we couldn't do that" simply won't cut it in court. And not knowing the law makes you much more likely to end up there.

In a nutshell there are two compelling reasons why it's important for an employer to assess health and safety risks in the workplace:

1. Because you want your employees, customers and visitors to be safe and healthy

2. Because you would be breaking the law if you failed to conduct an assessment.

"When should I report a health and safety concern?" is an easy question, because there's only one possible answer. As soon as possible - before something terrible happens. "How" is more complicated, because it depends on who you are and where you work.

How health and safety risk assessments are monitored and reviewed

So you've conducted a health and safety assessment of your workplace and created a health and safety policy for the business. You're entitled to feel relieved; pleased that you've done all you need to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA).

The short answer is "because it's every employer's duty".

Being an employer is about much more than just obeying the letter of the law, of course. You also want to make your workforce as productive as possible. And you need to attract talented people by being a good place to work.

What is a NEBOSH certificate?

The NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety is often simply referred to as the NEBOSH certificate. It is one of the UK's most popular and widely accepted health and safety qualifications.