Course and certificate
Management HMS Course (Working Environment Act section 3-5)
For managing directors, owners and other managers in Norway who must complete training in health, environment and safety work (HMS) under section 3-5 of the Working Environment Act (arbeidsmiljøloven). Ten short lessons in plain English explain the employer's responsibility, systematic HMS work, risk assessment, safety representatives and the working environment committee (AMU), the occupational health service, the psychosocial and physical working environment, working hours, accidents and sickness absence, and inspections by the Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet). Then you take a test of 30 questions.
- Jurisdiction
- 🇳🇴 Norway
- Languages
- Norsk bokmål, English
- Lessons
- 10
- Time needed
- About 55 minutes for the lessons and the test
- Assessment
- 30 questions, pass mark 80%
- Refresher
- No set period
- Content updated
- 27 October 2026
- Certificate fee
- kr 690.00, payable after passing
01Who this course is for
- New managing directors who must complete HMS training under section 3-5 of the Working Environment Act
- Owners and founders who start a limited company or a sole proprietorship with employees
- Department managers, operations managers and other managers with staff responsibility
- Managers who want to refresh their knowledge of the Working Environment Act, safety representatives and internal control
- Safety representatives and employee representatives who want to understand the employer's duties
02Syllabus
- 01The Working Environment Act and the employer's responsibility
- 02Systematic HMS work and internal control
- 03Risk assessment and action plan
- 04Safety representatives, the working environment committee and employee participation
- 05Occupational health service
- 06The psychosocial and organisational working environment
- 07The physical working environment, ergonomics and chemicals
- 08Working hours
- 09Work injuries, reporting and follow-up of sickness absence
- 10Inspections, sanctions and penalties from the Labour Inspection Authority
03Assessment
30 multiple-choice questions drawn from the whole course. The pass mark is 80%. The test is free and can be retaken as often as needed; wrong answers point to the lesson to read again.
04The certificate
- With your name, your score and the date you passed.
- A unique number, recorded in our register.
- Your employer or an inspector scans it to see that it is genuine.
- Download it, print it or show it on your phone.
05Sources
The course follows the published guidance below. We are not affiliated with the bodies that publish it.
- Internkontrollforskriften § 5
- Arbeidsmiljøloven § 4-3
- Arbeidsmiljøloven § 10-6
- Arbeidsmiljøloven § 6-1
- Forskrift om utførelse av arbeid; Arbeidstilsynet
- Forskrift om organisering, ledelse og medvirkning § 8-1
06Questions
Do I have to take HMS training as a manager?
Section 3-5 of the Working Environment Act says that the employer must complete training in health, environment and safety work. In practice, this applies to the person who leads the business, often the managing director. The duty is personal. The law does not say how many hours the training must be, who must give it or how it must be carried out. This course can be part of your training, but as the employer you decide for yourself whether it covers the needs of your business and industry. Other managers have no course duty of their own under section 3-5, but the employer must make sure they have the skills they need.
Is the course certificate a qualification set by the authorities?
No. There is no public scheme that assesses HMS courses for employers, and the law sets no requirements for who gives the training. The certificate is proof of a completed course. It is not a regulated or publicly approved qualification. The Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet) says that the employer must be able to document in writing that the training has been completed, and a course certificate can be part of that documentation. As a manager, you are still personally responsible for having sufficient knowledge.
How long does the course take, and does it have to be a set number of hours?
Most people spend about an hour on the lessons and the test, some a little more. The law does not set a particular number of hours for the employer's training, and the time you spend here does not in itself show whether the training is enough for your business. The 40 hours apply to safety representatives and members of the working environment committee, not to the employer. You can take breaks and continue later on the same device.
Is this the same as the 40-hour safety representative course?
No. Safety representatives and members of the working environment committee (AMU) have their own rules on training in the regulations on organisation, management and employee participation, sections 3-18 to 3-21. This course is for managers and goes through the main lines of the Working Environment Act and the HMS work. It does not replace safety representative training.
What do I still have to do myself in the business?
The course gives you knowledge, but not ready-made answers for your business. You must make risk assessments and action plans yourself, give the employees training in the work they do, make sure there are safety representatives, an AMU and an occupational health service where required, follow up sickness absence and report accidents. The employer cannot hand the overall responsibility to others.
What if I fail the test?
It costs nothing. You see which lessons you should read again, and you can take the test as many times as you like.
When do I pay, and how much?
Only after you have passed: NOK 690 for the course certificate. The course and the test are free.
How can others check the certificate?
Every certificate has a number and a QR code. When someone scans the code or types the number on our verification page, your name, the course and the date you passed are shown.
Do I have to take the course again?
The law sets no deadline for renewing the employer's training. The certificate therefore has no expiry date. The rules can change, and you should update your knowledge when your role or the business changes.
Does the course cover the rules in my industry?
The course goes through the rules that apply to all businesses. Some industries have additional requirements, for example on occupational health services, chemicals or working hours. Check the rules for your industry at arbeidstilsynet.no.
The certificate confirms that you completed this course and passed its test. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification; your employer decides whether this training meets their requirements.