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Upgrade your IOSH membership

How to progress to your next membership grade

It’s important to upgrade your membership when applicable, to ensure it accurately reflects your health and safety qualifications and experience. It can also make you more attractive to prospective employers. The qualifications and/or experience needed for each category are displayed below.

New members

Once you join IOSH, you can request an initial review to see if you are eligible to upgrade to Technical or Certified membership. 

Are you interested in joining IOSH but wish to confirm your membership grade eligibility first? Please email our team along with your documentation.

    To upgrade to Technical membership, or request an initial review, please email the documents listed below to our Professional Development and Standards team.

    • IOSH-accredited level 3 (or equivalent) qualification certificate(s).
    • Supporting unit transcript, unit certificates, result notification letter or formal headed letter from your awarding body confirming the content of the qualification.
    • A full, up-to-date CV/resume explaining your relevant health and safety experience (at least one year), which you are welcome to support with your LinkedIn profile, OR completed IOSH membership category transfer form.

    Please note, we may request further information after the initial review.

    To upgrade to Certified membership, please email the documents listed below to our Professional Development and Standards team.

    • IOSH-accredited level 6 or 7 (or equivalent) qualification final certificate and module transcript OR an official letter from your university or awarding body confirming that you have passed the qualification and the units that you have passed. 
    • A full, up-to-date CV/resume explaining your relevant health and safety experience (at least two years), which you are welcome to support with your LinkedIn profile, OR completed IOSH membership category transfer form.

    Please note, we may request further information after the initial review.

    OR

    If you have five to 10 years’ relevant OSH leadership experience but don’t have an accredited level 6 qualification, you may be eligible to progress your membership through our experiential route.

    If you’re a Certified Member, you can progress to Chartered membership through our Professional Development Assessment (PDA) route. You’ll build on your current knowledge, understanding and experience through our supported professional development assessment process.

    OR

    If you have significant current knowledge, understanding and OSH leadership experience, you may be eligible to progress your membership through our experiential route.

What should I include in my CV/resume?

To help us process your upgrade request as quickly as possible, please include the following information for all your health and safety jobs. Start with your current role.

  • Job title
  • Organisation name
  • Start date and end date in month/year format
  • Role and responsibilities

Provide details of what each role involved – don’t assume we know. Focus on specific health and safety tasks and responsibilities and avoid generalisation or broad statements.

Use the following action words to describe your role and responsibilities.

  • Apply – to put into operation.
  • Lead – to guide and take responsibility for others.
  • Support/assist – to help with.
  • Manage – to hold the main responsibility of a function or to lead others on an activity.
  • Produce/prepare – to undertake an activity and develop an outcome.
  • Carry out/undertake – to be responsible for completing an activity.
  • Create/draft – to develop or produce.
  • Oversee – to review other’s activities.
  • Review – to check other’s activities.

You also need to include details of your health and safety qualifications as described in the grades section above.