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IOSH Managing Safely

Practice Questions100 questions

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: IOSH Working Safely Exam

29 questions

Assessment Size (21 knowledge + 8 hazard-spotting)

IOSH Working Safely assessment

1 day

Course Duration

IOSH

Hazard Groups Taught

IOSH Working Safely syllabus

80/85 dB(A)

Noise Exposure Action Values

Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005

No expiry

Certificate Validity (3-year refresher recommended)

IOSH

£65-£250

Typical Course Fee

IOSH approved training providers

IOSH Working Safely is the entry-level safety certificate for any employee in any industry - no prerequisites, completed in a single day through an IOSH-approved training provider for roughly £65-£250. The assessment has two parts: a 21-question multiple-choice knowledge test (about 20 minutes) and an 8-question image-based hazard-spotting exercise (about 10 minutes); both must be passed, with pass marks set at roughly two-thirds of available marks. Content spans the moral, legal and financial reasons for working safely; hazard and risk definitions including the six hazard groups (mechanical, physical, chemical, environmental, biological, organisational) and risk = likelihood x severity; common hazards such as slips and trips, work at height, electricity, COSHH chemicals, fire, manual handling (TILE), noise action values at 80 and 85 dB(A), vehicles and stress; controls including the hierarchy of control with PPE as the last resort; and protecting the environment. The certificate never expires, but IOSH recommends a refresher every three years.

Sample IOSH Working Safely Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your IOSH Working Safely exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1The IOSH Working Safely course gives three main reasons why everyone should work safely. Which set correctly lists them?

A.Profit, productivity and promotion

B.Insurance, inspection and induction

C.Moral, legal and financial reasons

D.Training, supervision and discipline

Explanation: Working Safely teaches that organisations and individuals work safely for moral reasons (people should not be hurt by work), legal reasons (duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974), and financial reasons (accidents and ill health cost money).

2Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, what is the main legal duty placed on individual employees?

A.To write the company's risk assessments

B.To take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others affected by what they do or fail to do

C.To provide their own personal protective equipment

D.To carry out annual workplace inspections

Explanation: Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires employees to take reasonable care of themselves and of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions, and to cooperate with their employer.

3What duty does the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 place on employers towards their employees?

A.To ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees

B.To eliminate every workplace risk completely, whatever the cost

C.To insure employees only against fatal accidents

D.To provide health and safety training once every ten years

Explanation: Section 2 of the Act requires employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees, including safe plant, systems of work, information, training and supervision.

4According to Great Britain's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) annual statistics, which of these accounts for the greatest number of working days lost each year?

A.Fatal accidents at work

B.Slips and trips resulting in broken bones

C.Fires in commercial premises

D.Work-related ill health such as stress, depression, anxiety and musculoskeletal disorders

Explanation: HSE statistics consistently show that work-related ill health - especially stress, depression or anxiety and musculoskeletal disorders - causes far more lost working days each year than workplace injuries do.

5A pallet falls from a forklift and crashes to the floor in an empty aisle, harming no one. What is this event called?

A.An accident

B.A near miss

C.A hazard group

D.An occupational disease

Explanation: A near miss is an unplanned event that did not cause injury, ill health or damage to people, but had the potential to do so. Near misses should be reported so the causes can be fixed before someone is hurt.

6The Working Safely course distinguishes between 'attitude' and 'behaviour'. Which statement describes the difference correctly?

A.Attitude and behaviour mean exactly the same thing in health and safety

B.Behaviour is what you think; attitude is what you do

C.Attitude is the way you think and feel about something; behaviour is what you actually do

D.Attitude only applies to managers and behaviour only applies to workers

Explanation: The course defines attitude as the way you think or feel about something, while behaviour is what you actually do. A positive safety attitude tends to lead to safe behaviour, and unsafe behaviour is a root cause of many accidents.

7Which of the following is an ORGANISATIONAL factor most likely to push workers into unsafe behaviour?

A.Production targets that reward speed over safe working methods

B.A worker's height

C.The colour of the company logo

D.The age of the office furniture catalogue

Explanation: When an organisation rewards output and speed while ignoring how the work is done, workers learn to cut corners. Production pressure is a classic organisational factor behind unsafe behaviour and accidents.

8Who is responsible for health and safety in the workplace?

A.Only the health and safety officer

B.Only the most senior director

C.Only the enforcement authorities such as the HSE

D.Everyone - the employer carries the main legal duties, but all workers share responsibility

Explanation: A core message of Working Safely is that health and safety is everyone's responsibility: employers hold the primary legal duties, but every worker must take reasonable care of themselves and others and cooperate with safety arrangements.

9Beyond the immediate pain of injury, which of the following is a realistic personal consequence for a worker seriously hurt at work?

A.Automatic promotion on return to work

B.Long-term loss of earnings and being unable to continue hobbies or family activities

C.A guaranteed compensation payment within seven days

D.Exemption from future health and safety training

Explanation: Working Safely emphasises the human cost of accidents: serious injury can mean months off work, reduced or lost income, inability to enjoy hobbies and family life, and sometimes never returning to the same job.

10A worker lets off a fire extinguisher as a prank, leaving it empty. Which duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 has been breached?

A.The employer's duty to prepare a written health and safety policy

B.The duty to consult safety representatives

C.The duty not to intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided for health, safety or welfare

D.The duty to report dangerous occurrences to the HSE

Explanation: Section 8 of the Act makes it an offence for any person to intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare - including fire extinguishers, guards and first-aid equipment.

About the IOSH Working Safely Exam

IOSH Working Safely is a one-day, entry-level health and safety course from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, designed for every employee in any sector with no prerequisites. It covers four modules: introducing working safely, defining hazard and risk, identifying common hazards, and improving safety performance, including protecting the environment. Candidates are assessed by a short multiple-choice knowledge test and an image-based hazard-spotting exercise on the same day. The certificate does not expire, although IOSH recommends refresher training every three years.

Questions

29 scored questions

Time Limit

About 30 minutes total: roughly 20 minutes for the knowledge test and 10 minutes for the hazard-spotting exercise

Passing Score

Both parts must be passed; pass marks are set by IOSH at roughly two-thirds of the available marks on each part

Exam Fee

£65-£250 depending on the training provider and delivery format (classroom, virtual or e-learning); the assessment is included in the course fee (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), delivered through approved training providers)

IOSH Working Safely Exam Content Outline

12%

Introducing Working Safely

Moral, legal and financial reasons for working safely; HASAWA 1974 employer and employee duties; attitude vs behaviour; the human cost of accidents and ill health; near misses; competence and induction

16%

Defining Hazard and Risk

Definitions of hazard, risk and hazardous event; the six hazard groups (mechanical, physical, chemical, environmental, biological, organisational); risk = likelihood x severity; the five-step risk assessment; 'reasonably practicable'; residual risk

30%

Identifying Common Hazards

Slips, trips and falls; work at height and ladder rules (1-in-4 angle, 30-minute guideline); electricity (230 V mains, 110 V CTE); COSHH and CLP pictograms; the fire triangle and extinguisher colour codes; manual handling and TILE; noise action values (80/85 dB(A)); vibration/HAVS; workplace transport; stress; asbestos; DSE

12%

Hazard Spotting

Image-based exercises: identifying the most serious hazard in workplace scenes - blocked fire exits, wet floors, overloaded sockets, unguarded openings, unstable stacks, unsegregated vehicles - and prioritising by risk

22%

Improving Safety Performance

Hierarchy of control with elimination first and PPE last; safe systems of work and permits-to-work; safety sign shapes and colours; RIDDOR reporting; near-miss reporting; first aid; active vs reactive monitoring; HSE/local authority enforcement and improvement vs prohibition notices; consultation; health surveillance

Protecting the Environment

The waste hierarchy (prevention first); surface-water drains and pollution offences; waste segregation and hazardous waste; spill kits; the duty of care for waste and transfer notes; everyday energy-saving behaviour

How to Pass the IOSH Working Safely Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Both parts must be passed; pass marks are set by IOSH at roughly two-thirds of the available marks on each part
Exam length: 29 questions
Time limit: About 30 minutes total: roughly 20 minutes for the knowledge test and 10 minutes for the hazard-spotting exercise
Exam fee: £65-£250 depending on the training provider and delivery format (classroom, virtual or e-learning); the assessment is included in the course fee

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

IOSH Working Safely Study Tips from Top Performers

1Memorise the six hazard groups - mechanical, physical, chemical, environmental, biological, organisational - and practise sorting examples like noise (physical), solvents (chemical) and bullying (organisational) into the right group

2Learn the risk formula (risk = likelihood x severity) and the five risk assessment steps in order: identify hazards, decide who might be harmed, evaluate and decide precautions, record findings, review

3Know the hierarchy of control cold: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, then PPE as the last resort - and be ready to explain why PPE comes last

4Drill the safety sign colours: red circle with bar = prohibition, blue circle = mandatory, yellow triangle = warning, green rectangle = safe condition, red rectangle = fire equipment

5Remember the key numbers: noise action values at 80 and 85 dB(A), the 1-in-4 (75-degree) ladder angle, the 30-minute ladder guideline, 110 V CTE site supplies, and asbestos risk in pre-2000 buildings

6For the hazard-spotting exercise, scan each scene methodically (floor, height, electrics, fire exits, vehicles, people) and always pick the hazard with the most serious likely consequence first

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IOSH Working Safely assessment format?

It has two parts taken at the end of the one-day course: a 21-question multiple-choice knowledge test lasting about 20 minutes, and an 8-question image-based hazard-spotting exercise lasting about 10 minutes. Both parts must be passed. Some e-learning providers run an online variant with a different question count.

Who is IOSH Working Safely for, and are there prerequisites?

It is designed for every employee at any level in any industry - office, retail, construction, manufacturing or hospitality. There are no entry requirements and no prior health and safety training is needed.

What are the six hazard groups in IOSH Working Safely?

Mechanical, physical, chemical, environmental, biological and organisational. The course teaches you to classify workplace hazards into these groups - for example noise is physical, bacteria are biological, and bullying or excessive workload is organisational.

How is risk defined on the IOSH Working Safely test?

Risk combines the likelihood that a hazard will cause harm with the severity (consequence) of that harm. Simple risk ratings multiply likelihood by severity - for example likelihood 3 x severity 4 gives a risk score of 12 on a 5 x 5 matrix.

How much does the IOSH Working Safely course cost?

Prices are set by the approved training providers who deliver it, typically between about £65 for e-learning and £250 for classroom delivery. The assessment and certificate are included in the course fee.

Does the IOSH Working Safely certificate expire?

No - the certificate has no expiry date. However, IOSH recommends refresher training roughly every three years to keep knowledge current, and many employers set their own refresher cycles.

What happens if I fail one part of the assessment?

Both the knowledge test and the hazard-spotting exercise must be passed. If you miss the pass mark on either part, your training provider will arrange a resit of the failed part - policies and any resit fees vary by provider.

What is the difference between IOSH Working Safely and IOSH Managing Safely?

Working Safely is a one-day awareness course for all workers, focused on personal hazard awareness and safe behaviour. Managing Safely is a three-to-four-day course for supervisors and managers, going deeper into risk assessment, control, investigation and measuring performance.