Health and Safety Training
Quick answer
We deliver accredited health and safety training for UK workplaces — Level 1, 2 and 3 Health & Safety, plus Manual Handling, Risk Assessment and COSHH. Courses run as group training at your premises for up to 12 people, as open course places for individuals, and online. Health and safety training is not optional: the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to provide adequate training on recruitment and whenever people face new or increased risks.
Most employers know they need health and safety training. Far fewer are told which level their people actually need, or where the legal duty begins and ends. This page sets both out, and shows what we currently deliver.
Which level does each person need?
| Level | Who it is for | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Awareness |
Everyone on site, including new starters, temporary staff and contractors | Basic hazards, safe behaviour, reporting, personal responsibility |
| Level 2 Health & Safety in the Workplace |
Employees and team leaders in workplaces with real day-to-day risks | Hazard identification, risk control, workplace-specific duties, incident reporting |
| Level 3 Supervising |
Supervisors and managers responsible for other people | Managing risk, supervising safely, legal responsibilities, investigating incidents |
If you are not sure, tell us what your people do and we will tell you what is proportionate. Call 0845 838 4643.
What the law requires
Three pieces of legislation do most of the work here.
| Legislation | What it requires | The practical effect |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 | Ensure health, safety and welfare so far as reasonably practicable, naming information, instruction, training and supervision explicitly | A written health and safety policy if you have 5+ employees |
| Management of H&S at Work Regulations 1999 | Suitable and sufficient risk assessment; adequate training on recruitment and on exposure to new or increased risks | Record the significant findings if you have 5+ employees |
| Section 9, HSWA 1974 | No charge to an employee for anything done to meet a specific statutory H&S requirement | Training happens on work time, and the employee does not pay |
There is no legal rule that says “your staff must hold a Level 2 certificate”. What the law asks is that training is adequate for the risks in your workplace — and an accredited qualification is the clearest way to evidence that you have met the duty. See what “accredited” actually means.
When training is required
The 1999 Regulations name specific trigger points. If any of these has happened and training has not followed, that is a gap:
- On recruitment — including temporary, seasonal and agency staff, before their first shift
- New equipment or a change to existing equipment
- A new process, or a change to an existing one
- A change of role or of responsibilities
- New substances brought into the workplace
- A new site or layout
Courses for specific duties
Some risks carry their own regulations, and generic health and safety training does not discharge them:
| Course | The duty behind it | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Manual Handling (L2) | Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 — avoid, assess, reduce | Anyone lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling as part of the job |
| Risk Assessment (L3) | MHSWR 1999 — suitable and sufficient assessment | Whoever actually carries out and records your assessments |
| COSHH (L2) | COSHH Regulations 2002 — prevent or adequately control exposure | Anyone who may be exposed to hazardous substances |
Worth noting on manual handling: handling, lifting and carrying accounts for 17% of RIDDOR-reported non-fatal workplace injuries (HSE, 2024/25), second only to slips and trips. It is one of the highest-return training investments most employers can make.
Health and safety courses you can book
Deals
Health & Safety Courses
Level 1 Health & Safety Group Course
Price range: £370.00 through £450.00 Excluding Vat
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Level 2 Health & Safety Group Course
Price range: £445.00 through £555.00 Excluding Vat
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Level 2 Health & Safety Open Course
£65.00 Excluding Vat
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Level 2 Health and Safety Online Course
£25.00 Excluding Vat
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Level 2 Manual Handling Group Course
Price range: £370.00 through £450.00 Excluding Vat
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Level 2 Principles of COSHH Group Course
Price range: £370.00 through £450.00 Excluding Vat
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Level 3 Health & Safety Group Course
Price range: £1,495.00 through £1,875.00 Excluding Vat
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Level 3 Risk Assessment Group Course
Price range: £645.00 through £725.00 Excluding Vat
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Group training or open places?
| Format | Best for | Priced | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group / company course | 4 or more people, or a whole team | Per course, up to 12 people | Your premises |
| Open course | 1–3 people | Per person | Our training venues |
| Online | Awareness-level training at each person’s own pace | Per person | Anywhere |
For four or more people a group course is almost always cheaper, and the examples used in training can be drawn from your own workplace rather than a generic one. We are based in Bolton and deliver on-site training across Greater Manchester and the wider North West.
Do certificates expire?
Unlike first aid, there is no fixed statutory expiry for health and safety qualifications. What the law requires is that training stays adequate, so it should be refreshed when roles, equipment, processes or risks change.
Many employers set a three-year refresher cycle as policy, which is a sensible convention rather than a legal rule. The more useful test is the trigger list above: if any of those has happened since the training, refresh it regardless of the date.
The other duties that sit alongside this
- First aid training — a separate duty under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981, decided by a first aid needs assessment. See how many first aiders you need.
- Food safety training — required for food businesses in proportion to what food handlers actually do. See which level is required.
- Mental Health First Aid — not a legal requirement, but a common part of an employer’s response to the duty to assess the risk of work-related stress. See the honest position.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, in substance. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 names training among the things an employer must provide, and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require adequate health and safety training on recruitment and whenever employees face new or increased risks. The law does not name a specific course — it requires the training to be adequate for your risks.Is health and safety training a legal requirement in the UK?
Level 1 is awareness training suitable for all employees. Level 2 is the standard workplace qualification for staff and team leaders in workplaces with day-to-day risks. Level 3 is for supervisors and managers responsible for other people and for risk assessments. Your own risk assessment should decide which is proportionate.What level of health and safety training do my staff need?
No. Section 9 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 prevents an employer charging an employee for anything done to meet a specific statutory health and safety requirement, and the training should take place during working hours.Do employees have to pay for health and safety training?
Unlike first aid, there is no fixed statutory expiry for these qualifications. What the law requires is that training stays adequate, so it should be refreshed when roles, equipment, processes or risks change — and many employers set a refresher cycle of around three years as a matter of policy.How long does a health and safety certificate last?
If you have five or more employees, yes — the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires a written health and safety policy. The same five-employee threshold applies to recording the significant findings of your risk assessment under the 1999 Regulations.Do we need a written health and safety policy?
Yes. Group courses are delivered at your own site for up to 12 people and priced per course rather than per person, which also means no travel time or travel costs for your team. We cover Greater Manchester and the wider North West.Can you train our whole team at our premises?
Yes. The requirement for adequate training on recruitment does not distinguish between permanent, temporary and agency workers. At minimum they need to know the hazards, the emergency procedures and how to report a problem before their first shift.Do temporary and agency staff need health and safety training?
Whoever actually carries out and records your risk assessments. It is a Level 3 qualification because assessing risk is a judgement-making role, not a box-ticking one — and a poor assessment is worse than none, because it creates a record of a decision that was not properly made.Who should do the Risk Assessment course?
Handling, lifting and carrying accounts for 17% of RIDDOR-reported non-fatal workplace injuries, second only to slips and trips. For any workplace where people move things, it is one of the highest-return pieces of training available.Is manual handling training worth it?
Get a price
Tell us what your people do, how many need training and where you are, and we will come back with the right level and a price. Call 0845 838 4643 or send us an enquiry.