New eighteen-hour NEBOSH award targets workplace risk assessment skills

by Featured NewsHealth and SafetySafetyTraining

Updated syllabus for the NEBOSH award

The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) has launched an updated version of its Health and Safety at Work Award to include mental health awareness.

This foundation-level qualification is designed to provide essential skills for identifying common hazards and conducting risk assessments across all industrial sectors.

The refreshed 2026 syllabus provides clearer expectations of learning outcomes and introduces a new section focused on mental ill-health in the workplace.

The course is structured as a bite-sized qualification that participants can complete within three days or eighteen hours of study time.

NEBOSH has aligned the refreshed award with its more advanced certifications to provide a clearer progression path for those pursuing higher-level professional study.

Janet Dawson, NEBOSH Product Development Senior Lead, said: “The NEBOSH Health and Safety at Work Award is the perfect entry point into the world of health and safety management.

“Learners gain important knowledge to make immediate improvements and reduce incidents.

“What’s more, the assessment is based on the learner’s own workplace so they can add instant value to their organisation during their studies.”

Global availability and professional progression

The qualification is currently available through a global network of learning partners with tuition provided in both English and Arabic.

Previous participants have given the course a 93% recommendation rating according to data released by the examination board.

Akram Ali Khan, an HSE Engineer in Saudi Arabia, used the award as a starting point before completing the NEBOSH General Certificate and Diploma.

Khan said: “I was keen to build a strong foundation in health and safety principles, and I felt this course would help me do that.

“Studying for the Award gave me a clear understanding of key areas such as risk assessment, hazard control and the importance of developing a strong safety culture.”

The assessment for the qualification requires learners to apply their knowledge directly to their own specific work environment.

SFPE releases Guide to Fire Risk Assessment 2nd Edition

by Featured NewsSafety

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers has announced the release of a new engineering guide: SFPE Guide to Fire Risk Assessment, 2nd edition.

The new edition of the guide provides guidance to qualified practitioners in developing, selecting, and using fire risk assessment methodologies for the design, construction, and operation of buildings, facilities, or processes.

The guide also addresses fire risk acceptability, the role of fire risk assessment and fire risk management in the fire safety design process, and associated communication/monitoring of fire risk. The guide includes a new flow chart that outlines the risk-assessment process, along with new information related to: risk perception, F-N curves, risk communication, residual risk management, risk monitoring and sensitivity analysis

Chris Jelenewicz, PE, FSFPE, Chief Engineer, Society of Fire Protection Engineers, commented: “Understanding the topic of fire risk assessment is essential to gaining insight into and characterizing fire-related risks to better inform the wide range of decisions that should be made concerning a building, facility, or process as part of the design, construction, or operation.

“As a result, implementing a fire risk assessment can lead to a safer, more efficient, and more cost-effective design — especially for fire engineers implementing a performance-based strategy, as it explicitly ad­dresses unique aspects or uses.”

The 160-page guide is available in various formats from SFPE. Institutional licensing options are available to academic, government, and corporate entities from SFPE.