Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Management
The compact safety diploma: 45 credits in four units on principles and regulation, safety in organisations, risk management and control, and hazards and emergencies. Level 6 standing for the experienced practitioner without a year and a half of study.
Particulars
| Awarding body | Qualifi Ltd, an Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation |
|---|---|
| Level | 6 on the RQF; the level of an honours degree1 |
| Qualification type | Diploma. Not a degree. |
| Credits | 45 |
| Total Qualification Time | See specification 2 |
| Ofqual number | 603/5226/73 |
| Duration | 9 months (standard) or 6 months (fast track) part-time; to be confirmed by LSPM |
| Study modes | Online, Blended, Evening classes (availability per intake to be confirmed) |
| Fees | From £999 (9 months, standard) or £1,299 (6 months, fast track) · how fees work |
| Next intake | Rolling intake — course starts when the fee is paid |
| Assessment | Written assignment per unit; no examinations |
The programmeWhat this diploma is
Not every safety professional needs 120 credits to prove they work at Level 6. This Qualifi award is for the ones who do not: practitioners with years behind them and a Level 5 qualification or three years' relevant experience, who want a regulated Level 6 award in their field and would rather do it in four substantial units than six. Its units are Principles of Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management and Regulation; Occupational Health and Safety in Organisations; Risk Management and Control in Occupational Health and Safety; and Working with Hazards and Emergencies in Occupational Health and Safety.
At 45 credits, it is the smallest award on this site by some distance. That is a design decision by Qualifi, not a deficiency, and it has consequences worth setting out plainly: the award is quicker, and it is also a smaller quantity of Level 6 credit, which matters if a university top-up is the eventual aim. Registered with Ofqual as 603/5226/7 at Level 6, it is unusual in size; the credit total is published, the hours figures are not.
Qualifi's entry wording is the most experience-friendly of the three safety awards here: a Level 5 qualification in a related sector, or three years' work experience demonstrating current and relevant industry knowledge, or, in certain circumstances, considerable experience without formal qualifications subject to interview. It is the route for the seasoned practitioner whose paperwork has not kept up.
StructureUnits and credits
Four mandatory units; no optional units. Titles as published by Qualifi.2 Qualifi's specification gives the credit for each unit; the published total is shown in the particulars.
| Unit | Credits |
|---|---|
| 01Principles of Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management and Regulation | See spec. |
| 02Occupational Health and Safety in Organisations | See spec. |
| 03Risk Management and Control in Occupational Health and Safety | See spec. |
| 04Working with Hazards and Emergencies in Occupational Health and Safety | See spec. |
| Total | 45 |
Four units allow a clean sequence. Principles of Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management and Regulation opens the programme and establishes the regulatory frame, including the environmental dimension that distinguishes this award. Occupational Health and Safety in Organisations follows, on how the function is structured and led. Risk Management and Control and Working with Hazards and Emergencies close the programme as a technical pair. Each unit carries more credit than a 20-credit unit elsewhere and its assignment is correspondingly fuller.
AdmissionEntry requirements
Qualifi sets the entry criteria; LSPM applies them. As published:2
- A minimum of a Level 5 qualification in a related sector or;
- A minimum of 3 years’ work experience which demonstrates current and relevant industryknowledge.
- In certain circumstances, students with considerable experience but no formal Qualifications may be considered, subject to interview and being able to demonstrate their ability to cope with the demands of the programme.
LSPM applies Qualifi's three routes as published. A Level 5 qualification in a related field admits on the certificate. Three years' relevant experience is evidenced by a CV and a conversation about current practice: LSPM wants to hear about real risk assessments, real investigations, real interaction with regulators or auditors. The third route, for candidates with considerable experience but no formal qualifications, requires an interview at which LSPM assesses the applicant's ability to cope with Level 6 reading and writing, and may involve a short written piece. It is used sparingly.
If you are unsure which route applies to you, enquire and say so; working that out is what the advice call is for.
MethodHow you are assessed
Each unit is assessed by a written assignment set against Qualifi's criteria. With only four units, each assignment is substantial: a regulatory and management-systems analysis of an organisation including its environmental obligations, an organisational study of how safety is led and resourced, a risk management and control programme for a defined set of hazards, and an emergency planning and hazard management case with a worked scenario. Assignments are written about the learner's own organisation wherever it can be done without breaching confidentiality.
The general arrangements for marking, moderation, feedback and resubmission are described on the how LSPM teaches page.
Time, honestly estimated
Qualifi does not publish a Total Qualification Time for this award; the figures below use the 45-credit convention of ten hours per credit as a planning guide, not a promise.
| If you finish in | Hours per week |
|---|---|
| Twelve months | about 9 |
| Eighteen months | about 6 |
| Twenty-four months | about 4 |
AfterwardsProgression
A university considering this award for a top-up will see 45 credits at Level 6, which is less than a third of the credit a bachelor's degree with honours requires at that level. Some safety and health top-ups will admit on it in combination with other qualifications and experience; many will ask for additional Level 6 credit or for a bridging route. Holders who intend a top-up should raise it with us and with the university before enrolling, and may find the 120-credit Qualifi award the better foundation.
Professionally, the award serves the purpose most of its holders take it for: a regulated Level 6 qualification in occupational safety that answers an employer's or client's requirement and supports an application to IOSH for a membership grade. IOSH's recognition of any award for any grade is its own decision and changes; confirm it with IOSH, quoting the Ofqual number, before enrolling if it is your object.
The mechanics of advanced standing, and the questions admissions tutors ask, are on the top-up degrees page.4 Slot: universities holding a current progression agreement for this award, verified before publication.
Not everyone wants the bachelor's. The other direction from here is a Level 7 diploma, at master's level, described on the companion site for Level 7 diplomas.
FitWho it suits, and who it does not
A good fit if you
- have practised in safety for years and want a regulated Level 6 award in the field without a year and a half of study;
- need Level 6 standing for an employer, a client or a membership application rather than for a university;
- hold a Level 5 award in a related sector or can evidence three years' current, relevant safety experience.
A poor fit if you
- intend to top up to a bachelor's degree; 45 credits is a slender foundation and the 120-credit awards serve that aim better;
- are new to safety; the entry routes and the assignments presume practice;
- want the broadest possible coverage, including culture and practitioner development as separate units; the Qualifi Health and Safety Management diploma has those.
QuestionsAsked about this programme
Is a 45-credit diploma really at the same level as a 120-credit one?
Yes, in level; no, in size. Level describes the demand of the work and both are Level 6. Credit describes the volume, and this award is under half the size. Both facts are on the Ofqual register and both matter, for different purposes.
How quickly can it be completed?
Qualifi does not publish TQT for the award. Using ten hours per credit, 45 credits imply about 450 hours; a practitioner studying ten hours a week would finish in around a year, and a more intensive pace is possible. Intake and unit timetable are to be confirmed by LSPM.
I have no formal qualifications but twenty years in safety. Can I apply?
Possibly, under Qualifi's third route for candidates with considerable experience, subject to interview and to showing you can manage the reading and writing at this level. LSPM uses that route carefully. Bring evidence of your practice and expect to be asked for a short written piece.
Does the environmental element make this an environmental qualification?
No. The first unit includes environmental management and regulation alongside occupational health and safety, reflecting how the two functions are often combined in organisations. The award remains a safety qualification and does not confer any environmental professional membership.
Why choose this over the 120-credit Qualifi safety diploma?
Speed, and a focus on the technical core. Choose the larger award if you want culture, practitioner development and law as separate units, or if a university top-up is in view. Choose this one if you want a regulated Level 6 credential in the field within about a year.
Documents and application
Applications are made on London School of Planning and Management's own website, not this site; this site is LSPM's independent recruitment agent. Most people enquire first; the apply link is for those who have already had that conversation.
Brochure slot. The programme brochure (PDF) belongs to LSPM, is to be supplied by LSPM, and will replace this anchor.
Notes and sources
- GOV.UK, list of qualification levels (Level 6 includes honours degrees). ↩
- Qualifi, Qualifi Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Management : qualification specification (PDF) consulted 30 September 2026; qualification page at qualifi.net. Source for units, credits, hours and entry wording. ↩
- Ofqual, Register of Regulated Qualifications, qualification number 603/5226/7. ↩
- QAA, Higher Education Credit Framework for England (credit volumes; advanced standing). ↩