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Upgrade your IOSH membership

How to progress to your next membership grade

It’s important to upgrade your membership, to ensure it accurately reflects your health and safety qualifications and experience. It can also improve your job prospects. This page displays the qualifications and experience needed for each membership grade.

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.

You can advance to one of our higher membership grades by following one of our assessment routes. If you’re eligible and would like to to do this, you will need to pay the appropriate fee. We’ll let you know at the time when your membership is due for renewal. See our renewals page for details, including costs for your grade.

For each membership grade, we set out the qualifications and experience that are required. We have also listed the qualifications accredited by IOSH. Once you have checked that your qualification is recognised by IOSH, use the membership grade transfer form below to apply. Remember to send all requested documents to avoid unnecessary delay to your application.

    To upgrade to Technical membership, or request an initial review, please email the following documents 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 training provider or awarding body to confirm the content of the qualification.
    • A full, up-to-date CV or resumé explaining your relevant health and safety experience (at least one year), which you are welcome to support with your LinkedIn profile, or a  completed IOSH membership category transfer form.

    We may request further information after the initial review. This generally applies to qualifications which are not accredited by IOSH. We need to check that the content of the qualification(s) is equivalent to the level required for the membership grade you are seeking to join. To avoid unnecessary delay, please send all required documentation.

    To upgrade to Certified membership, or request an initial review, please email the following documents 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 course provider to confirm that you have passed the qualification, showing the units you have passed. 
    • A full, up-to-date CV or resumé explaining your relevant health and safety experience (at least two years), which you are welcome to support with your LinkedIn profile, or a completed IOSH membership grade transfer form.

    We may request further information after the initial review. This generally applies to qualifications which are not accredited by IOSH. We need to check that the content of the qualification(s) is equivalent to the level required for the membership grade you are seeking to join. To avoid unnecessary delay, please send all required documentation.

    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.

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

Eligibility for membership grades

Your eligibility for one of IOSH’s higher membership grades depends on your qualifications and experience.

Your health and safety qualification might not appear in our list of IOSH-accredited qualifications. We may need to check that it is equivalent to the qualification(s) specified for the membership grade that you wish to transfer to.

That’s why it is important for you to provide all requested documentation with your membership application. Please email us at nonmemberctrequest@iosh.com, attaching your documentation.

What should I include in my CV or resumé?

To help us process your upgrade request as quickly as possible, please include the following information for each of 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 others’ activities.
  • Review – to check others’ activities.

You must also include details of your health and safety qualifications, as described in the Grades section above.