Health and Safety Awareness

Course Overview

Health and safety is one of the most consistently misunderstood areas of working life. Not because it is complicated. Because somewhere along the way, it stopped being about protecting people and started feeling like paperwork.

The attitude surfaces in delivery with striking regularity. Staff who see health and safety as a tick-box exercise. Teams that do not follow processes because they feel like red tape. Individuals who have never understood that the rules they find inconvenient exist because someone, somewhere, was seriously hurt without them. And organisations that discover during an incident investigation, a near miss review, or an HSE inspection that the culture they assumed was in place was not there at all.

The consequences of that attitude are not abstract. Poor health and safety practices lead to workplace injuries, occupational illness, enforcement action, civil liability, reputational damage, and, in the most serious cases, death. The legal and financial implications for organisations that cannot demonstrate adequate health and safety arrangements are significant. The personal implications for the individuals involved are worse.

This course changes how staff think about health and safety, not just what they know about it. It gives every member of a team, regardless of role or sector, a clear and practical understanding of why health and safety matters, what their legal responsibilities are, and what good practice looks like in the real working environment they actually occupy. It replaces compliance fatigue with genuine understanding, because staff who understand the reasoning behind safety requirements are far more likely to follow them.

The course reflects the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, and RIDDOR 2013, alongside current guidance from the Health and Safety Executive.

Course Details

  • Duration: Half day (3 to 4 hours) or full day (6 hours)
  • Delivery: In-person at your venue, or live online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams
  • Certificate: CPD-accredited certificate of achievement in Health and Safety Awareness
  • Refresher: Every 2 to 3 years, or sooner following significant changes to workplace risks, new equipment or procedures, following incidents or near misses, or significant staff turnover
  • Group size: Up to 12 learners. Larger groups available on request

Who This Course Is For

This course is right for all employees across any sector who need a clear, practical understanding of health and safety responsibilities in their working environment, including:

  • All staff requiring induction-level health and safety training
  • New starters across any sector
  • Office, retail, hospitality, care, education, and industrial staff
  • Supervisors and team leaders with day-to-day responsibility for safe working
  • Organisations wanting to strengthen health and safety culture across their workforce, not just among designated health and safety leads

It is particularly valuable for teams where health and safety has become a compliance exercise rather than an embedded working practice, and where staff have never been given a genuine explanation of why the requirements that frustrate them exist.

Why This Health and Safety Training Matters

Most workplace incidents are not caused by a lack of policies. They happen because risks are not recognised in time, because controls are not followed consistently, or because staff have never understood the connection between their individual actions and the safety of everyone around them.

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers have a legal duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and others affected by their work. That duty includes providing adequate information, instruction, training, and supervision. It is not a guideline. It is a statutory obligation that applies to every employer in the UK, regardless of size or sector.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments, implement appropriate control measures, and ensure employees are aware of the risks relevant to their work and how those risks are controlled. Where employers have five or more employees, risk assessments must be documented. Where a new or expectant mother is identified, specific risk assessment obligations apply.

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 set out requirements for the physical working environment, including temperature, lighting, cleanliness, facilities, and safe passage through the workplace. Many of the hazards staff overlook or dismiss as minor fall directly within this framework.

RIDDOR 2013 requires employers to report certain workplace injuries, occupational diseases, and dangerous occurrences to the HSE. A team that does not report near misses or injuries because they see it as unnecessary paperwork is a team that is failing a legal obligation, losing the data that would prevent the next incident, and exposing their organisation to significant regulatory risk.

The HSE is clear that effective health and safety management is not about generating paperwork. It is about leading and managing risk in a way that protects people. The cost of getting it wrong, measured in human harm, enforcement action, civil liability, and organisational reputation, consistently outweighs the cost of training staff to understand their responsibilities properly.

What You Will Learn

By the end of the session, learners will be able to:

  • Explain the legal responsibilities of employers and employees under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
  • Understand why health and safety requirements exist and the real consequences of poor practice for individuals and organisations
  • Recognise common workplace hazards across a range of environments and understand how hazards become risks
  • Understand how risk assessments work in practice, including the five steps and the hierarchy of control measures
  • Identify appropriate control measures and understand their role in maintaining safe systems of work
  • Understand accident and incident reporting requirements under RIDDOR 2013, including what must be reported, to whom, and within what timeframe
  • Recognise the importance of reporting near misses and understand how near-miss data prevents serious incidents
  • Understand safe systems of work and their role in maintaining consistent, controlled working practices
  • Contribute to a positive and proactive health and safety culture rather than treating requirements as red tape
  • Know when and how to escalate health and safety concerns through the correct channels

Course Content

Content is adapted to your sector, your working environment, and the specific hazards most relevant to your team. Topics covered include:

  • Health and safety law
  • Employer and employee duties
  • Why health and safety matters
  • Hazard identification
  • Risk assessment in practice: the five-step process
  • Control measures and safe systems of work
  • Accident and incident reporting
  • Workplace policies and procedures
  • Health and safety culture
  • Escalating concerns
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How the Course Is Delivered

Sessions are practical, discussion-based, and built around the real working environments and attitudes your staff bring into the room. The aim is a genuine shift in how people think about health and safety, not a passive run-through of legislation.

Delivery includes:

  • Direct and honest discussion of why health and safety is treated as an annoyance by many staff, and what that attitude actually costs
  • Scenario-based work covering the hazards and decisions most relevant to your sector and working environment
  • Practical exploration of risk assessment, incident reporting, and safe systems of work in the context of your organisation
  • Discussion of your own policies, reporting systems, and any specific incidents or near misses relevant to your team
  • Time for questions, because health and safety generates genuine engagement once staff understand why it matters, rather than just being told that it does

Certification and Validity

On completion, learners receive a CPD-accredited certificate of achievement in Health and Safety Awareness.

A refresher is recommended every 2 to 3 years, or sooner following significant changes to workplace risks, the introduction of new equipment or working procedures, following any workplace incident or near miss, or where significant staff turnover means a substantial portion of the team has not completed training. Many organisations align health and safety awareness refreshers with their annual or biennial compliance training cycle.

In-House and Bespoke Training

We adapt every session to your organisation, your industry, and the specific hazards and safety challenges most relevant to your team.

We can build content around:

  • Your specific working environment, industry sector, and the hazards most likely to affect your staff
  • Your internal policies, risk assessment documentation, and incident reporting systems
  • Specific incidents, near misses, or HSE findings that your organisation wants to address through training
  • Teams where health and safety culture has become disengaged and where rebuilding genuine understanding is the priority
  • Combined delivery with Fire Safety Awareness, Manual Handling Training, Risk Assessment Training, or Emergency First Aid at Work for a broader workplace safety programme

Course Location and Service Areas

We deliver in-house training at your workplace or chosen venue across Manchester, Greater Manchester, and the wider North West. We also deliver nationally across England, including North England, South England, London, and Surrey.

For teams in multiple locations or with remote workers, this course is available live online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

All sessions are led by experienced Prima Cura Training instructors. Every trainer holds an Enhanced DBS certificate.

FAQs

Is health and safety awareness training a legal requirement?

Yes, in practice. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers must provide employees with adequate health and safety information, instruction, and training appropriate to their role and the risks they face. The law does not prescribe a specific course title, but it does require that the training is sufficient for the task. An organisation that cannot demonstrate its staff have received appropriate health and safety training is non-compliant.

Why do so many staff see health and safety as red tape?

Because they have never been given a genuine explanation of why the requirements exist. When health and safety training focuses on rules rather than reasoning, compliance becomes grudging at best. This course addresses that directly. Once staff understand the actual consequences of poor practice, including injury, illness, enforcement action, and personal liability, their attitude changes. That shift in understanding is the whole point of this course.

Does this include risk assessment training?

It includes a practical introduction to risk assessment, covering the five-step process, suitable and sufficient assessment, and the hierarchy of control measures. For teams with specific responsibility for carrying out and documenting risk assessments, our Risk Assessment Training course covers this in greater depth.

Is this course suitable for all sectors?

Yes. The course is adapted to reflect the specific hazards and working environments relevant to your team. We deliver across health and social care, education, hospitality, retail, construction, manufacturing, office, and community settings. The legislative framework is the same across sectors. The hazards and scenarios are tailored to your environment.

Can the course be tailored to our workplace?

Yes. If your organisation has experienced a specific incident, near miss, or HSE finding that you want to address through training, we can incorporate that directly into delivery. Training that connects to real events your staff have experienced or are aware of is significantly more effective than generic content.

Related Courses

Book or Enquire

To book Health and Safety Awareness Training or request a quote for your team, use the enquiry form on this page or contact us directly.

Our Commitment to Quality and Compliance

At Prima Cura Training, all courses reflect current UK guidance and best practice.

All trainers are experienced professionals with relevant qualifications and ongoing CPD. Because many of the organisations we support work with vulnerable individuals, all trainers hold Enhanced DBS checks.

This course is reviewed against updates from the Health and Safety Executive and current UK health and safety legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, and the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.

You can read more on our Quality Assurance and Compliance page.

Reviewed by Stephanie Austin, Owner and Lead Trainer, Prima Cura |  Training 25+ years in health and social care | 15+ years as a trainer | Last reviewed: April 2026 | Next review: April 2027

This page is for general guidance only and reflects current UK health and safety legislation and HSE guidance at the date of review. It does not constitute legal advice. Health and Safety Awareness Training is an awareness-level course and does not replace organisation-specific risk assessments, safe systems of work, or the legal responsibilities placed on employers and employees under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, and the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. Employers remain responsible for ensuring their health and safety arrangements, risk assessments, reporting procedures, and staff training comply with all applicable legislation and HSE guidance.

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