Introduction to Occupational Safety and Health

The Introduction to Occupational Safety and Health course from the American Institute of Safety Professionals provides the foundational understanding of workplace safety and health as a professional discipline. This is the course that answers the broadest question: what is occupational safety and health, why does it matter, and how does it work? It covers the hazard categories workers face (physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, psychosocial), the hierarchy of controls used to manage them (elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE), the regulatory framework that governs workplace safety (OSHA overview), basic workplace inspection methodology, incident investigation fundamentals, and the career pathways available in the safety profession.

This course is distinct from Introduction to OSHA (which covers the regulatory system specifically) and from the Safety and Health Program course (which covers programme design). This Introduction to OSH covers the discipline itself: the science, the hazards, the controls, and the professional practice. All training is delivered 100 percent online through Microsoft Teams and the American Institute of Safety Professionals LMS. Upon completion, graduates receive a certificate, wallet card, and transcript, employer-verifiable at amiosp.com/student-verifications.

Upon completing this program, participants will be able to:

• Explain the purpose of occupational safety and health: protecting workers from workplace hazards that cause injuries, illnesses, and fatalities, and the moral, legal, and economic case for workplace safety.
• Identify the five hazard categories: physical (noise, vibration, heat, radiation, electricity, machinery), chemical (gases, vapours, dusts, liquids), biological (pathogens, mould, animal-borne), ergonomic (manual handling, posture, repetition), and psychosocial (stress, fatigue, violence).
• Apply the hierarchy of controls: elimination (remove the hazard), substitution (replace with less hazardous), engineering controls (physical barriers, ventilation), administrative controls (procedures, training, scheduling), and PPE (last resort).
• Conduct basic workplace inspections: systematic walkthrough, hazard identification, finding documentation, and corrective action.
• Understand incident investigation fundamentals: evidence preservation, root cause thinking, recommendation development, and the purpose of investigation (prevention, not blame).
• Navigate the OSHA regulatory framework at overview level: the OSH Act, OSHA’s role, employer/employee responsibilities, and how standards protect workers.

Core Curriculum Topics

• What Is OSH: definition, purpose, moral/legal/economic case
• Hazard Categories: physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, psychosocial
• Hierarchy of Controls: elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE
• OSHA Overview: the OSH Act, OSHA structure, employer/employee duties
• Basic Inspections: walkthrough methodology, hazard identification, documentation
• Incident Investigation Basics: evidence, root cause thinking, recommendations
• Occupational Health Overview: exposure limits, health surveillance awareness
• Safety Management Systems: ISO 45001 awareness, PDCA cycle
• Career Pathways: safety officer, industrial hygienist, ergonomist, consultant

• No prior training required
• No academic degree required
• All instruction in English; working proficiency required

Upon completion, graduates receive an American Institute of Safety Professionals certificate, wallet card, and transcript. Employer-verifiable at amiosp.com/student-verifications.

• Anyone considering a career in occupational safety and health
• New safety professionals beginning their careers
• Workers interested in understanding workplace safety beyond their specific job
• Students exploring OSH as a professional discipline
• Anyone who wants the broadest possible safety foundation

• Introduction to Occupational Safety and Health — YOU ARE HERE (discipline overview)
• Introduction to OSHA (regulatory system)
• Safety and Health Program (programme design)
• Essentials of Occupational Safety and Health (deeper essentials)
• CHSO / certifications (professional qualifications)