Working Safely Course Online

A Working Safely Course is a general health and safety induction that gives workers the knowledge to protect themselves and the people around them. Health and safety is one of the few areas where the law places specific duties on employees as well as employers, so knowing what is expected of you, and how to stay safe in practice, is vital for individuals and businesses alike.

This online course is IIRSM approved, takes around 150 minutes and can be completed at your own pace from anywhere in the UK. It is a strong first step into our wider range of health and safety courses and online training courses.

Most workers feel that accidents only happen to other people. In reality, too many people are harmed by not following health and safety rules or not working to safe systems of work, and the physical, mental and financial burden can affect them, their families and their colleagues.

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers must provide the information, instruction and training needed to work safely, and employees must take reasonable care of themselves and others and cooperate with their employer. Working safely training helps you to:

• Understand your own health and safety responsibilities at work
• Tell the difference between a hazard and a risk
• Recognise common workplace hazards before they cause harm
• Use safe working practices, PPE and controls correctly
• Contribute to better safety performance and protect the environment

For a wider look at duties and welfare, see our Workplace Health and Safety course, Health, Safety and Welfare course and Behavioural Safety course.

This course is a great induction for anyone who needs a solid grounding in health and safety. Most of the examples relate to the construction industry, so it is ideal for people starting work on a site for the first time. It may suit:

• New starters and site beginners: labourers, general operatives, apprentices and trainees
• Construction and building trades: builders, joiners, plumbers, electricians, roofers, painters and decorators
• Maintenance and facilities teams: engineers, caretakers, estates and property maintenance staff
• Contractors and agency workers: self-employed workers and temporary staff moving between sites
• Employers and supervisors: managers who want a consistent induction standard for their teams

Planning to work on site? Combine it with our Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment course, or prepare for your CSCS Green Card with our CITB Health, Safety and Environment test preparation. Managers and clients should also see our CDM Awareness Course.

The course covers a wide range of topics in some detail. Each topic links to a more specialist course if you need to go further.

Learn what a hazard is, what a risk is and why the difference matters. This is the foundation for everything else, and our Introduction to Risk Assessment course builds on it.

Understand common fire hazards and how to reduce the chance of a fire starting. Continue with Basic Fire Safety or the Fire Marshal course.

Find out why asbestos is dangerous and why suspect materials must not be disturbed. Our full Asbestos Awareness Course goes into much more detail, and designers can take Asbestos Awareness for Architects and Designers. See also the HSE asbestos guidance.

Falls from height remain a major cause of serious injury in construction. Follow up with our Working at Height course.

Understand the basics of hazardous substances and how exposure can be controlled. The COSHH Awareness course covers this more thoroughly. See the HSE COSHH guidance.

Learn why PPE is the last line of defence and the basics of electrical safety. Go further with our Personal Protective Equipment course and Electrical Safety course.

The course also covers methods for improving safety performance and protecting the environment, and finishes with a hazard perception module to help you spot hazards in realistic workplace scenarios.

• Broad coverage: a strong base to build on with more specialist training
• IIRSM approved: meets the standards of this leading industry body
• Flexible and cost effective: progress through the modules at your own pace and fit training around work and home life
• No travel: study on a phone, tablet or computer wherever you are
• Instant start: try the free trial first, then book when you are ready

Our Working Safely Course is delivered fully online, so it is available to learners in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh and across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you are searching for working safely training near you, there is no need to travel or take a day off site: you can start whenever suits you.

GRUPO Training also runs classroom-based courses, including SIA security courses and first aid training. Learn more about GRUPO Training or contact our team if you need help choosing the right course for your role.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain why working safely matters and what your responsibilities are
• Define hazard and risk and tell them apart
• Identify common hazards, including fire, asbestos, working at height, hazardous substances and electricity
• Understand the role of PPE and safe working practices
• Describe ways to improve safety performance and protect the environment
• Spot hazards in workplace scenarios using hazard perception skills

The course has seven modules. Tap a module to see what it covers.

Working Safely gives you a broad foundation. Choose follow-up training that matches your work:

Employers must provide information, instruction, training and supervision so employees can work safely, and must assess and control risks. Employees must take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others, follow instructions and training, use equipment and PPE correctly and report hazards. This is a general summary, not legal advice. Read the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the HSE construction guidance to confirm what applies to you.

Learn → Review → Final assessment → Hazard perception. The course includes a final assessment in Module 6 and a hazard perception module in Module 7. The assessment is the provider’s course assessment and is not an externally regulated examination.

On successful completion, learners receive a course completion certificate as evidence that they have completed Working Safely training. The course is IIRSM approved. The certificate is not a formal occupational qualification and does not replace site-specific or role-specific training.

• Flexible access, so you can fit training around work and personal commitments
• Self-paced learning with no classroom attendance
• Take the modules in your own time, in around 150 minutes in total

Check with your employer or site operator that online training meets their own induction policy.

Last reviewed: 8 October 2026 by the GRUPO Training team. Health and safety information is based on HSE and GOV.UK guidance and may change, so check the official sources for current requirements.