Recognition of NEBOSH qualifications

Monday, 8 August 2022

Updated 16 August 2022

NEBOSH qualifications are recognised by a number of professional bodies around the world. These include the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) in America, International Institute of Risk & Safety Management (IIRSM), the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP) and the South African Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (SAIOSH).

Update 3 May 2023: Please refer to this news item for an update on this situation and changes to the NEBOSH Diplomas: NEBOSH National and International Diploma update.

Please visit this page for details on recognition for NEBOSH qualifications: Our Recognition.

 

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) – which has accredited NEBOSH qualifications for many years – has recently updated its accreditation processes. Our learner surveys have shown us that IOSH membership is important to many of our learners, so NEBOSH has mapped its qualifications to IOSH’s new competency framework, securing ongoing accreditation for the following list of qualifications. Learners with these qualifications will meet the new academic requirements to apply for IOSH membership at the appropriate grade*:

*This information is correct at the time of writing. IOSH retains the right to change its membership standards, recognition, and grade entry requirements. Please check the latest IOSH membership eligibility criteria at the time of applying.

Changes to IOSH criteria

As part of the changes to its accreditation processes, IOSH will no longer accredit qualifications that are not regulated. NEBOSH’s regulator, SQA Accreditation, does not currently regulate outside of the UK and therefore does not permit use of its logo on parchments where learners took their assessments elsewhere. This means that any NEBOSH learner who takes/has taken their qualification assessment outside of the UK will not be eligible to use their NEBOSH qualification towards IOSH membership unless they have registered/enrolled with NEBOSH by 31 August 2022.

As a key member of the health and safety community NEBOSH is acutely aware of its responsibility to deliver high quality qualifications and assessments. Although SQA Accreditation does not regulate overseas, all NEBOSH qualifications – and all of our Learning Partners – must adhere to the same processes, quality checks and high standards. NEBOSH also holds the ISO 9001 quality management standard, reassurance of the high standards we hold ourselves to.

What NEBOSH is doing

NEBOSH qualifications have been accredited for membership by IOSH for many years and we are doing everything we can to minimise the impact on any of our learners who want to use their NEBOSH qualification for IOSH membership applications.

We are currently exploring other options that will meet IOSH requirements, including applying for additional regulation. Applying for additional regulation will take many months but we are working as quickly as we can to find a solution and will provide updates as we go through the process.

In the meantime, learners who take our qualifications overseas have other major professional bodies which they can use our qualifications to join. These are the IIRSM, Saiosh, the BCRSP and the BCSP. Together these organisations represent tens of thousands of health, safety, and risk professionals around the world.

Please also refer to the qualification pages on our website for the recognition available to your qualification: www.nebosh.org.uk/qualifications/ (under the Professional Recognition tab)
Holders of a NEBOSH Diploma or Masters qualification are also eligible to join the NEBOSH Alumni. It is free to join and provides resources and events to support professional development.

Important learner information

The information in the sections below is correct at the time of publication (8 August 2022). As and when NEBOSH secures additional regulation then we will communicate updates – and associated impacts - as soon as possible.

The information here is given in relation to the list of IOSH accredited qualifications provided earlier in this statement.

  • NEBOSH qualification holders whose parchment features an SQA Accreditation logo do not need to take any action. They can continue to use their qualification towards membership applications as normal according to IOSH’s rules at the time of application.
  • NEBOSH qualification holders who took their assessments outside of the UK, whose parchment does not feature an SQA Accreditation logo and who want to apply for IOSH membership, can still do so, provided they were registered or enrolled with NEBOSH before 31 August 2022. Their parchment will be printed with a declaration date and this will provide evidence of their inclusion on NEBOSH systems before the 31 August 2022 deadline.
  • Learners who intend to take a NEBOSH assessment outside of the UK and use the associated qualification towards IOSH membership must have registered or enrolled on NEBOSH systems (via their Learning Partner) by 31 August 2022 and have completed their qualification by 31 August 2024.**

If you have not yet enrolled/registered and intend to use your qualification towards IOSH membership, then please contact your Learning Partner immediately. Learning Partners have until 22 August 2022 to provide NEBOSH with your data so that we can administer your registration/enrolment before the 31 August 2022 deadline.

Please refer to the ‘Key dates’ section and FAQs for more information about how these changes could impact you.

*IOSH retains the right to change its membership standards, recognition, and grade entry requirements. Please check the latest IOSH membership eligibility criteria at the time of applying.
**To allow for administration of the registration/enrolment process, NEBOSH will require learner data from Learning Partners by 22 August 2022 in order to meet the 31 August 2022 deadline. All Learning Partners have been emailed with details of this process and internal deadlines.

Key dates
  • 31 August 2022
    Learners who intend to take a NEBOSH assessment outside of the UK must be enrolled/registered with NEBOSH on their qualification in order to be able to use it towards IOSH membership. Please talk directly to your Learning Partner who will be able to do this for you. To allow for administration of the registration/enrolment process, NEBOSH will require data from Learning Partners by 22 August 2022 in order to meet the 31 August deadline – please contact your Learning Partner immediately if you require them to register/enrol you.
  • 31 August 2024
    Learners registered by 31 August 2022 must have completed their qualification in order to use it towards IOSH membership.
Frequently Asked Questions

*IOSH retains the right to change its membership standards, recognition, and grade entry requirements. Please check the latest IOSH membership eligibility criteria at the time of applying.

  • How long will it be until IOSH accreditation for NEBOSH qualifications is available where assessments were taken internationally?
    Of the solutions we are exploring, all are anticipated to take many months as applying for additional regulation is a very thorough process. We are working on this as a matter of urgency and will provide updates as and when we can throughout the process.

  • I have a NEBOSH qualification that does not feature an SQA Accreditation logo. Can I use it towards my application for IOSH membership?
    If it does not feature an SQA Accreditation logo then the declaration date will be printed on your parchment and this will provide evidence that you were registered/enrolled with NEBOSH prior to 31 August 2022.
    Please check your parchment. If it features an SQA Accreditation logo then you can use it towards membership as usual in line with IOSH’s rules at the time of your application.

  • I am planning to take a NEBOSH assessment outside of the UK
    • If you have already enrolled on a Diploma qualification or registered for a Certificate qualification, then you will already be on NEBOSH’s systems prior to the 31 August 2022 deadline. Please contact your Learning Partner if you would like to confirm they have done this for you.
    • If you have not yet enrolled on a Diploma qualification or registered for a Certificate qualification and intend to use it towards IOSH membership, then please contact your Learning Partner immediately. Learning Partners have until 22 August 2022 to provide NEBOSH with your data so that we can administer your registration/enrolment before the 31 August 2022 deadline.

  • I am a Learning Partner. What do I need to do?
    We have emailed all Learning Partners directly with information and guidance, including how they can assist their learners. Please refer to this email for full details. The important thing is for learners who plan to take their assessment outside of the UK to be enrolled/registered within NEBOSH systems by 22 August 2022 and for you to support your learners to achieve all units of their qualification by 31 August 2024.

  • I have not yet received my certificate, will IOSH accept my results notification as proof of achievement?
    Yes, IOSH will accept your results notification as long as it’s the official result notification letter that confirms pass or fail for each unit of the qualification. It must be less than six months old. If it is older IOSH expect the applicant to have received a certificate. IOSH may also require proof of registration.
  • I took or plan to take my assessment outside of the UK. What if I am asked for evidence of enrolment or registration before 31 August 2022?
    • Diploma holders – you will already have a parchment and unit certificates. These documents are printed with your declaration date and provides evidence of your achievement date(s).
    • Current Diploma learners – you will automatically receive an email upon enrolment and can use this to evidence enrolment before the 31 August 2022 deadline.
    • Certificate holders – you will already have a parchment. This document is printed with your declaration date and provides evidence of your achievement date(s).
    • Current National/International General Certificate learners:
      • If you have already taken one or more assessments towards your qualification then you will already be registered within NEBOSH’s systems. If you require evidence of your registration date then you can use your Assessment Registration Confirmation or copy of your Unit Results Notification.
      • If you have not yet taken an assessment then you may not yet be on NEBOSH’s systems. Please contact your Learning Partner to request registration with us before 22 August 2022. Once NEBOSH has received data from Learning Partners and added you to our systems then we will send an email notifying you. This email can then be used as evidence and should be kept safe.

  • I hold or intend to take a NEBOSH National Diploma or National Certificate outside of the UK. Will this qualification(s) be accredited by IOSH for membership purposes?
    At the time of writing (July 2022), the National qualifications are accredited by IOSH for use towards membership applications (see list of qualifications earlier in this statement). However, if you took or will take your assessments outside of the UK then your final parchment will not feature an SQA Accreditation logo. Therefore:
    • If you have already achieved the qualification then you do not need to do anything. Your parchment will be printed with your declaration date and provide evidence that you were a learner on NEBOSH’s systems before 31 August 2022.
    • If you have already been enrolled on a Diploma programme or taken a unit(s) of a Certificate qualification, then you will already be on NEBOSH’s systems. You must achieve all units of your qualification before 31 August 2024 to be able to use this qualification towards IOSH membership.
      Diploma holders will have received notification of their enrolment which they can use as evidence. Certificate learners can use their Assessment Registration Confirmation or copy of your Unit Results Notification.
    • If you have not yet been enrolled on a Diploma programme or taken/been registered for a Certificate assessment then it is unlikely that you are a learner on NEBOSH’s systems. Please talk to your Learning Partner immediately to request they register you in time. You must then complete your qualification by 31 August 2024.

  • I hold or intend to take a NEBOSH International Diploma or International Certificate from the UK. Will this qualification(s) be accredited by IOSH for membership purposes?
    Update 16 August 2022: international applications are now accredited for membership applications (see updated lists above) however please note that the regulatory requirement and changes remain the same. 

    At the time of writing (July 2022) applications for these qualifications have been made to IOSH for accreditation. If/when accreditation is achieved we will update our website with the latest information for these circumstances.