Joining IOSH, and the IOSH Membership Levels
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is the largest membership organisation for health and safety professionals worldwide. IOSH membership is a fantastic way for these professionals to build their knowledge, grow their network and develop their career in occupational safety and health.
In this article, we will look at the benefits of joining IOSH, as well as the different membership categories and levels that IOSH offer.
What are the IOSH membership benefits?
Becoming a member of IOSH has a range of benefits that can help health and safety professionals to further their knowledge, experience and career. These include:
- The ability to demonstrate expertise using post-nominal letters, such as AIOSH and GradIOSH.
- Access to career development support, such as courses and mentoring opportunities.
- Access to information on regulatory changes and industry best practices.
- A large network of health and safety professionals with whom to share ideas and experiences.
What are the different IOSH membership levels?
IOSH has several different membership levels. Each of these levels have a different set of IOSH membership requirements that must be met:
Student Member
Student membership is designed for students who are considering a career in occupational safety and health. At this level, IOSH will support students throughout their studies and help them to develop the skills they need to transition to employment.
Affiliate Member
IOSH affiliate membership is the lowest professional membership level they offer, and is designed for anyone who is actively engaged in or considering a career in safety, health and wellbeing.
Associate Member (AIOSH)
Associate membership is suitable for those beginning their career in health and safety who hold a nationally-recognised, IOSH-accredited qualification.
Technical Member (TechIOSH)
Technical membership is designed for those with an appropriate Level 3 qualification and experience working in a range of health and safety roles. To remain an IOSH technical member, a person must maintain an appropriate CPD record to ensure that their skills, knowledge and experience are up to date.
Graduate Member (GradIOSH)
The IOSH graduate membership requirements include holding a recognised and relevant degree-level qualification in health and safety. A person must be a graduate member of IOSH before they can become either a chartered member or chartered fellow.
Chartered Member (CMIOSH)
IOSH is the only membership organisation in the world that can offer Chartered membership to health and safety professionals, making this a prestigious and highly sought-after level. Before becoming a chartered member of IOSH, professionals must qualify for graduate membership, complete IOSH's Initial Professional Development (IPD) scheme, and maintain an appropriate CPD record.
Chartered Fellow (CFIOSH)
This is the highest membership level that IOSH offers, and is awarded to long-standing chartered members who have demonstrated 'an outstanding dedication to the profession'.
How do I get an IOSH membership?
New members can join on the IOSH website. Anyone who joins IOSH begins as a Student Member or an Affiliate Member, and will be transferred to a different membership level by IOSH if their health and safety knowledge and experience allows it.
What is the IOSH membership cost?
There is an IOSH membership fee that must be paid yearly. At the time of writing, this is £133/year (plus a £58 joining fee) for affiliate, associate, technical and graduate members, £168/year for chartered members and £184/year for chartered fellows.
Student members are only required to pay a one-off fee of £15, which grants them IOSH membership for the duration of their studies.
If you have any further questions about IOSH, click here to view our IOSH FAQs article.
Also, as an IOSH-approved training provider, Commodious offers several IOSH training courses that can be used to develop your health and safety knowledge and ensure that your workforce is safe and healthy:
