Choose Safety Programme

The Choose Safety Programme is a free programme available to post-primary schools and colleges of Further Education and Training (FET). It introduces students to the principles of workplace safety and health. 

The school pack consists of a student workbook, and a teacher text.  The pack is also available as Gaeilge do mhic léinn, agus do mhúinteoirí. 

The student and teacher texts are provided free of charge to schools and Colleges of Further Education and Training. Soft copies are available for download.  If you wish to order hard copies of the books, please contact our Contact Centre at contactus@hsa.ie.

The programme provides material for more than 20 hours of tuition.  The lessons may be expanded or condensed to suit the timetable arrangements in schools and the ability range of students. It is particularly suitable for those students who will engage in work experience during the school year.

The programme is designed around six Units. Each Unit contains enough material and teaching suggestions to cover five or more class periods. Teachers may dip into the text and engage in those topics and student activities that best suit the level of knowledge of the students.

For information on the support available to you for the Choose Safety Programme during the 2025/2026 academic year, please see here: Choose Safety Programme: Guidance for Teachers and Education Institutions (2025/2026 Academic Year)

For all enquires related to the Programme (including registration, ordering books and obtaining student certificates), please contact the HSA at contactus@hsa.ie. For data protection queries, please contact dpo@hsa.ie.

Please note: the HSA will not be providing technical support for Digital Badges during the 2025/2026 school year. This includes assistance with new registrations and technical troubleshooting. Schools that already have an active Digital Badges account may continue to award badges as normal. More information on Digital Badges, is provided below.

Choose Safety Course Structure:

• Unit 1 focuses on general health and safety in the workplace for young workers, key responsibilities, employment rights, and induction.
• Unit 2 introduces the concept of hazard and risk and the process of risk assessment. The Unit also focuses on manual handling and ergonomics, slips, trips and falls, and fire safety.
• Unit 3 considers effective controls within the context of the management of
•  working at height, workplace transport safety, and chemicals. It also looks at two key work sectors - farming and hospitality.
• Unit 4 addresses the specific roles of a safety officer and safety representative and the work environment. It also covers workplace health and well-being.
• Units 5 and 6 challenge the student to reflect and discuss how the principles of health and safety can be applied to real-life work practices. It also focuses on accident prevention.
• Unit 6 completes Choose Safety by examining actual case studies. This Unit revisits the issues raised earlier in the course.

Student Certificates

Each student who has successfully completed the Choose Safety Programme can receive a Certificate of Completion in recognition of his/her increased understanding of health and safety at work. The teacher can judge whether or not the student has engaged adequately to deserve accreditation. For most, a Certificate of Completion can be reasonably awarded. Students meriting a Certificate of Distinction must show advanced understanding of the issues raised. They will have completed almost all the activities, including each of the "short projects" and at least one of the major assignments in Unit 6.

Certificates are available in either English or Irish. Certificates are issued digitally by the teacher. The certificate features an image of the HSA CEO signature. The teacher completes the student and educational institution details on the certificate. To obtain certificates for your student, please contact the HSA at contactus@hsa.ie. Please note that the individual requesting the certificates should be a teacher or tutor within the institution who is responsible for implementing the Programme.

Digital Badges

Digital badges can also be awarded to students who participate in Choose Safety and for completion of any of the six individual Units and any of the four Choose Safety full programmes on offer. Click on Digital Badges for further information.

Please note that the HSA will not be providing technical support for Digital Badges during the 2025/2026 school year. This includes assistance with new registrations and technical troubleshooting. Schools that already have an active Digital Badges account may continue to award badges as normal. However, if your school has not previously registered with the Digital Badges platform, you will not be able to award badges for the 2025/2026 year. The HSA will provide an update once Digital Badges registration is reactivated.