Home The Lock Blog Safety Certifications in Europe: NEBOSH, IOSH and Equivalents
May 16, 2025

Safety Certifications in Europe: NEBOSH, IOSH and Equivalents

Which safety certifications employers in Switzerland, Germany and France ask for, what each one requires, and why NEBOSH does not replace the national titles.

Safety Certifications in Europe: NEBOSH, IOSH and Equivalents

Safety certifications in Europe come in two kinds: international qualifications such as NEBOSH and IOSH, which employers recognise across borders, and national qualifications that Swiss, German and French law ask for by name. The NEBOSH International General Certificate alone has more than 265,000 holders.[1]

Table of Contents
  1. Safety Certifications at a Glance
  2. NEBOSH International General Certificate
  3. IOSH Managing Safely
  4. NEBOSH Equivalents by Country
  5. SCC, VCA and ISO 45001 Lead Auditor
  6. Where The Lock Box Fits

Before you book, settle three questions:

  1. Which country's law will you work under?
  2. Must the role be formally appointed (a Swiss ASA specialist, a German Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit), or does the employer only want proof of competence?
  3. How much time can you give: three days, a few weeks, or a year alongside your job?

Part 1: Safety Certifications at a Glance

International certificates prove knowledge; the law asks for national qualifications when a safety specialist must be appointed.

Certification Awarded or set by Entry requirements Time
NEBOSH International General Certificate NEBOSH (UK) None; English at IELTS 6.0 recommended 63 taught hours plus about 40 hours of study[1]
IOSH Managing Safely IOSH (UK) None 3 days[3]
Sicherheitsfachmann / Sicherheitsfachfrau (CH) Recognised courses under the Swiss Eignungsverordnung Vocational qualification and 3 years' experience At least 20 days[6]
Spezialist/in ASGS, federal diploma (CH) Federal professional examination Vocational certificate (EFZ) and more than 3 years' experience, or equivalent Suva course: 26 days over 12 months[8]
Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit (DE) Recognised course providers, such as the DGUV Akademie Engineer, technician or master craftsperson, 2 years' experience About 85 weeks part-time[11]
IPRP (FR) Registration with the DREETS Relevant degree or 5 years' prevention experience A registration, not a course[14]

Part 2: NEBOSH International General Certificate

The IGC is the international entry point for a safety career. NEBOSH revised it for 2026, with first assessments on the new syllabus from 4 March 2026.[1]

  • Assessment: GIC1 is a scenario-based open-book examination with a closing interview. GIC2 is a 3-hour practical risk assessment of your own workplace, with an action plan.
  • Entry: no formal requirements. The IGC is also taught in French, Spanish, Portuguese and other languages.
  • Time: at least 63 taught hours and about 40 hours of private study; fast-track courses take 10 working days.
  • Cost: set by each accredited Learning Partner; self-study is not possible.

One catch in Europe: the IGC counts towards IOSH membership only if the assessment was taken in the UK, unless you registered with NEBOSH before 31 August 2022.[1] The next step is the NEBOSH Level 6 International Diploma: at least 185 taught hours, 144 hours of self-study and 80 assessment hours, with the General Certificate strongly recommended first.[2]

Part 3: IOSH Managing Safely

Managing Safely is a three-day course for line managers and supervisors, with no prior safety knowledge needed. It covers assessing and controlling risks, responsibilities, hazards, incident investigation and measuring performance. The certificate does not expire; the price depends on the training provider.[3]

It is an awareness course, not a professional qualification: right for a production manager, not a safety specialist. The closest Swiss equivalent is the Sicherheitsassistent/in ASGS, a course of a few days with no admission requirements.[7]

Part 4: NEBOSH Equivalents in Switzerland, Germany and France

There is no single European NEBOSH equivalent. Each country names its own qualification, and a NEBOSH certificate does not replace it.

Switzerland: ASA specialists

ASA stands for "Arbeitsärzte und andere Spezialisten der Arbeitssicherheit": occupational physicians and other occupational safety specialists. Employers must call them in where the risk, the headcount or missing expertise require it (VUV Art. 11a), as set out in FCOS Directive 6508, the ASA Directive.[4][5]

  • Sicherheitsfachmann / Sicherheitsfachfrau (chargé de sécurité): a relevant vocational qualification, at least three years' experience and a recognised course of at least 20 days, ending in an exam.[6]
  • Spezialist/in für Arbeitssicherheit und Gesundheitsschutz with federal diploma: the route EKAS recommends, and passing the exam qualifies you in the Sicherheitsfachmann role (VUV Art. 11d).[5][7] Suva quotes CHF 15,300 for its preparation course, or CHF 5,083 after federal and EKAS contributions, as a non-binding estimate.[8]
  • Sicherheitsingenieur/in: a science or engineering degree, two years' experience and a recognised 35-day course.[6][7]

Trained abroad? Suva must first recognise your training as equivalent, and you then attend a course on Swiss law.[9]

Germany: Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit

Employers appoint a Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit (Sifa) in writing (ASiG § 5). The person must be an engineer, technician or master craftsperson with the required safety expertise (§ 7).[10] Under DGUV Vorschrift 2 § 4, that means a vocational base qualification, at least two years' experience and a recognised training course. At the DGUV Akademie it takes about 85 weeks part-time, or 60 weeks fast-track, with placements in a company; if your accident insurer registers you, it pays the course and travel costs.[11]

France: salarié compétent and IPRP

French law asks for no single certificate. The employer must designate one or more competent employees for occupational risk prevention (Code du travail, art. L. 4644-1).[12] Where that expertise is missing, the employer can call in an IPRP (intervenant en prévention des risques professionnels). Independent IPRPs register with the DREETS with an engineering degree, two to three years of relevant higher education, or five years' prevention experience. Registration is renewed every five years.[13]

Best Practice: Choose by the job, not the logo. A UK-led multinational may ask for NEBOSH; a Swiss employer appointing an ASA specialist needs the Swiss title; a German one needs a Sifa. New to safety? Our guide to landing your first safety job covers how to build the experience these routes require.

Part 5: SCC, VCA and ISO 45001 Lead Auditor

SCC and VCA are contractor safety schemes for operational staff and supervisors. In Germany, VAZ e.V. owns SCC: personnel certificates under SCC-VAZ 2021 are valid for five years, and from 1 November 2026 certificates under the old SCC 2011 rules are no longer accepted.[14] In Belgium, operational staff of VCA-certified firms need a basic B-VCA diploma less than ten years old.[15]

ISO 45001 Lead Auditor suits safety managers who audit management systems. CQI and IRCA certify the courses, usually five days with an exam, which meet the training requirement for IRCA auditor certification.[16]

Part 6: Where The Lock Box Fits

Once qualified, you write procedures and specify the equipment for them; in Germany, advising on the purchase of work equipment is a Sifa duty (ASiG § 6).[10] Lockout tagout is a common first project, and our guide to the lockout tagout procedure sets out the steps. For the first paperwork, use our free risk assessment worksheet and general work permit, in PDF, Word or Excel.

For a maintenance team, the Valve & Electrical Lockout Kit in a polypropylene case holds four 38 mm steel padlocks, twelve tags and lockouts for circuit breakers and valves. Style 1 LOTO Signage Tags are write-on PVC, with wording customised on order. Other sizes are in our lockout kits collection.

Specifying Equipment for a New Safety Role?

Tell us what your site needs to isolate and we will suggest a starting kit: contact The Lock Box.

References

  1. NEBOSH. International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. https://www.nebosh.org.uk/qualifications/international-general-certificate/ (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
  2. NEBOSH. Level 6 International Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals. https://www.nebosh.org.uk/qualifications/international-diploma-for-health-and-safety-management-professionals/ (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
  3. IOSH. Managing Safely awareness course. https://iosh.com/qualifications-and-courses/courses/awareness-courses/managing-safely (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
  4. Federal Coordination Commission for Occupational Safety (FCOS/EKAS). When occupational safety specialists are needed. https://www.ekas.admin.ch/en/occupational-health-and-safety/information-for-employers/when-occupational-safety-specialists-are-needed (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
  5. Swiss Federal Council. Verordnung über die Unfallverhütung (VUV), SR 832.30, Art. 11a and 11d (German). https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/1983/1968_1968_1968/de (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
  6. Swiss Federal Council. Verordnung über die Eignung der Spezialistinnen und Spezialisten der Arbeitssicherheit, SR 822.116, Art. 1, 2 and 6 (German). https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/1996/3121_3121_3121/de (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
  7. EKAS. Weiterbildungsangebote Arbeitssicherheit und Gesundheitsschutz (German). https://www.ekas.admin.ch/de/arbeitssicherheit-und-gesundheitsschutz/weiterbildungsangebote (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
  8. Suva. Spezialistin / Spezialist ASGS: Vorbereitungskurs (German). https://www.suva.ch/de-ch/praevention/beratung-kurse-und-angebote/weiterbildung-kurse-und-lehrgaenge/ausbildungsstufen-sibe/spezialist-asgs (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
  9. Suva. Anerkennung ausländischer Ausbildungen im Bereich Arbeitssicherheit (German). https://www.suva.ch/de-ch/praevention/beratung-kurse-und-angebote/weiterbildung-kurse-und-lehrgaenge/anerkennung-ausbildung-im-ausland-asgs (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
  10. Federal Ministry of Justice (Germany). Arbeitssicherheitsgesetz (ASiG), §§ 5-7 (German). https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/asig/BJNR018850973.html (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
  11. DGUV Akademie. Beschreibung des Qualifizierungslehrgangs zur Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit 2027, version 2.0, 5 Oct 2026 (German, PDF). https://www.dguv.de/medien/akademie/qualifizierung/dokumente/sifa/2027_beschreibung_lf1-6.pdf (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
  12. INRS. Salarié compétent (French). https://www.inrs.fr/demarche/salarie-competent/ce-qu-il-faut-retenir.html (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
  13. INRS. IPRP, des compétences techniques ou organisationnelles en matière de santé et de sécurité au travail (French). https://www.inrs.fr/demarche/iprp/intervenant-prevention-risques-professionnels.html (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
  14. VAZ e.V. SCC-VAZ 2021 and SGU-Personal (German). https://www.vaz-ev.de/index.php/zertifizierungsprogramme/scc (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
  15. BeSaCC-VCA. Basic safety (B-VCA). https://www.besacc-vca.be/en/basisveiligheid-b-vca/ (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
  16. CQI | IRCA. ISO 45001:2018 Lead Auditor (OHSMS) course. https://www.quality.org/training/ISO-45001-lead-auditor-OHSMS-course (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
← How to Get a Safety Job With No Experience: 5 Steps11 Construction Safety Topics for Toolbox Talks, With Free Slides →