You can do health and safety training online in the UK with Lift College. Health and Safety Training is 3 hours of online learning in 6 short modules, covering employer and employee duties, risk assessment, COSHH and RIDDOR, for £19.99 pay once, with a CPD certificate issued by Lift College the same day you pass and a free refresher every 3 years. It is one of twelve Lift College health and safety courses, each £19.99. This guide explains what HSE says employers must provide, how awareness CPD differs from IOSH and NEBOSH, and compares Lift with High Speed Training, Virtual College, British Safety Council and iHASCO, with prices checked on 17 October 2026.
What HSE says employers must provide
HSE's guidance for employers starts here: "Everyone who works for you needs to know how to work safely and without risk to their health." That includes contractors and self employed people, and HSE says: "You must give your workers clear instructions and information, as well as adequate training and supervision."
HSE says everyone should have the right level of information on:
- hazards (things that could cause them harm)
- risks (the chances of that harm occurring)
- the measures in place to deal with those hazards and risks
- how to follow any emergency procedures
HSE asks employers to include people with particular training needs, such as new recruits, people changing jobs and young employees. For a low risk business such as an office, HSE says simple information or instructions are likely to be enough. Training "should take place during working hours and must be free for employees", and training records help you decide when a refresher is needed.
HSE does not name a certificate that every employer must accept. Your employer decides what training your role needs, based on its own risk assessment.
Awareness CPD, IOSH and NEBOSH: what is the difference?
Awareness CPD courses. Lift College's twelve health and safety courses are awareness level CPD. Each covers one topic in 1 to 3 hours online, ends with a final test (80% to pass, unlimited free retakes) and gives you a CPD certificate issued by Lift College. They are not IOSH or NEBOSH courses.
IOSH Working Safely. IOSH calls it an awareness course "designed for people with little or no formal safety and health training". It lasts one day, run by IOSH approved training providers in person, online or hybrid, depending on the provider. Successful delegates receive an IOSH Working Safely certificate that can be verified with IOSH. RoSPA is one provider that sells it as an online course.
IOSH Managing Safely. For line managers and team leaders: three days, and IOSH says the certificate does not expire.
NEBOSH National General Certificate. A qualification for "managers, supervisors, or anybody with health and safety management responsibilities". NEBOSH says it sits at SCQF Level 6, comparable to RQF Level 3, and needs a minimum of 66 taught hours plus about 40 hours of private study. It is assessed by an open book examination and a 3 hour practical risk assessment, and every learner registers with a NEBOSH Learning Partner, which can teach it face to face, by distance learning or online.
In short: awareness CPD for staff who need to know their own hazards and duties; IOSH for a one or three day course; NEBOSH for people who will manage health and safety.
Online health and safety awareness courses compared
Lift College is listed first. Each row is the provider's general awareness course, from its own page; where a page does not state a fact, the table says Check provider.
| Provider | Course (prices checked on 17 October 2026) | Price as shown | Length | Refresh or validity as stated | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lift College | Health and Safety Training, online | £19.99 pay once; nothing added at checkout | 3 hours, 6 modules; final test, 80% to pass, unlimited free retakes | Recommended refresh every 3 years; refresher free | CPD certificate issued by Lift College as a PDF the same day you pass, with a unique number and a verification link |
| High Speed Training | Health and Safety Training For Employees, online | £30 +VAT | 3 hours (meta description says 3 to 4), 6 modules; 15 questions, 80% pass mark | Recommended renewal: 1 year; certificate does not have an expiry date | Same day digital certificate; printed certificate posted next working day |
| Virtual College | Health and Safety at Work Training Course, online | £28.00+ VAT (Self Printed Certificate) | 45 minutes to 1 hour, 6 modules; 15 questions, 80% to pass | Check provider | Self printed certificate; page says its Awareness of Health and Safety course is RoSPA assured |
| British Safety Council | General Health, Safety and Environmental Awareness, digital learning | £20.00 (+ VAT) | Check provider; multiple choice assessment | Check provider | Certificate of Completion; page says it does not result in a formal qualification |
| iHASCO | Essential Health and Safety Training, online | Sold by credits: 100 credits £300 (excl. VAT), £3 a credit; credits for this course: Check provider | 45m shown on the page (length not stated in words), 2 sections; 20 question test | Expiry date printed on certificate; period: Check provider | Printable certificate with pass percentage, completion date and expiry date |
Prices change, so check each provider before you buy. For seven courses compared on price, see Lift College vs High Speed Training.
Which Lift College course fits which role
Every course is £19.99 pay once, with a CPD certificate issued by Lift College the same day and 14-day money back. See all twelve on the health and safety courses page.
| Your role or hazard | Lift College course | Length | Refresh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every employee, from new starters to supervisors | Health and Safety Training | 3 hours, 6 modules | 3 years |
| Every employee in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland | Fire Safety Training | 2 hours, 5 modules | 12 months |
| Nominated fire marshals and fire wardens | Fire Marshal Training | 2 hours, 6 modules | 3 years |
| Anyone who lifts, carries, pushes or pulls loads | Manual Handling Training | 3 hours, 5 modules | 3 years |
| Anyone who uses a screen daily, at the office or at home | Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Training | 2 hours, 5 modules | 3 years |
| Anyone whose work could disturb the fabric of a building | Asbestos Awareness Training | 2 hours, 6 modules | 12 months |
| Anyone who uses, handles or stores hazardous substances | COSHH Training | 1.5 hours, 5 modules | 12 months |
| Facilities and maintenance staff, landlords, caretakers and duty holders | Legionella Awareness Training | 1 hour, 4 modules | 12 months |
| Anyone who works at height in construction, maintenance, warehousing, retail or cleaning | Working at Height Training | 1.5 hours, 5 modules | 3 years |
| Anyone who works alone or out of sight of colleagues | Lone Working Training | 1 hour, 4 modules | 3 years |
| Every employee, especially in kitchens, shops, warehouses, care and cleaning | Slips, Trips and Falls Training | 2 hours, 5 modules | 3 years |
| Workplaces in the Republic of Ireland | Fire Safety Training (Ireland) | 2 hours, 5 modules | 12 months |
Courses with a practical side. For fire marshal, manual handling and working at height, the online course covers the knowledge and your employer arranges any practical assessment. Specific equipment, such as a harness or a mobile elevating work platform, also needs practical training on that equipment. Our fire marshal vs fire warden guide explains those two roles.
Asbestos awareness. HSE says awareness training is for anyone whose work could disturb asbestos or who supervises or influences that work. It also says "Awareness training does not allow you to undertake work which will disturb asbestos", and that workers who plan to carry out non licensed work on asbestos need additional information, instruction and training. Lift College's course is written around regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012; see our asbestos awareness training guide and our guide to health and safety training online.
Buying health and safety training for a team
HSE says health and safety training must be free for employees. A free Lift College organisation account takes 15% off every course for every person, so each CPD course is £16.99. There is no account fee and no minimum. You pay by card, or by invoice on 30 day terms with your own PO number, and you can follow each learner's progress and download a progress report that opens in Excel.
Training your team? Open a free organisation account and every health and safety course is £16.99 a person.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I do health and safety training online in the UK?
Which online health and safety certificate do UK employers accept?
What health and safety courses can I do online with Lift College?
Where can I do asbestos awareness training online in the UK?
Is Lift College Health and Safety Training an IOSH or NEBOSH course?
Sources checked
- https://liftcollege.co.uk/cpd/health-and-safety-training (checked 17 October 2026)
- https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/training/index.htm (checked 17 October 2026)
- https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/training/decide.htm (checked 17 October 2026)
- https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/introduction/training-for-work-involving-asbestos.htm (checked 17 October 2026)
- https://iosh.com/qualifications-and-courses/courses/awareness-courses/working-safely (checked 17 October 2026)
- https://iosh.com/qualifications-and-courses/courses/managing-safely (checked 17 October 2026)
- https://www.nebosh.org.uk/qualifications/national-general-certificate/ (checked 17 October 2026)
- https://www.rospa.com/shop/health-and-safety-courses/iosh-courses/iosh-working-safely/iosh-working-safely-e-learning-training-course (checked 17 October 2026)
- https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/courses/health-and-safety/health-and-safety-training-for-employees/ (checked 17 October 2026)
- https://www.virtual-college.co.uk/courses/health-and-safety-at-work-training (checked 17 October 2026)
- https://www.britsafe.org/catalog/product/general-health-safety-and-environmental-awareness (checked 17 October 2026)
- https://ihasco.co.uk/courses/detail/health-and-safety-essentials (checked 17 October 2026)