Nine of the UK’s most prominent Safety & Health organisations have united to form the Occupational Safety and Health Stakeholder Alliance. It will create a platform to offer a unified 360-degree perspective on critical Safety & Health issues for the first time.
The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), British Safety Council, British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF), Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM), Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on May 12th 2023 to create the Occupational Safety and Health Stakeholder Alliance. The National Examination Board for Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) and the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors (CIEHF) have since added their signatures to the Memorandum.
Collectively the Alliance members’ competencies span the full spectrum of OSH considerations, from education and regulation to policy creation, professional standards and thought leadership. It will provide a unified voice for the OSH industry, drawing on members’ collective expertise to inform and support OSH decision-making across government policy – maker, corporate and professional levels.
The Alliance members are delighted to be announcing the formation of the Occupational Safety & Health Stakeholder Alliance, a truly historic initiative with the potential to have a far-reaching positive impact on occupational safety and health management in the UK.
It is a non-exclusive group that welcomes wider involvement in the delivery of its aims.
It is committed to supporting the good practice that already prevails in the occupational safety and health space and to developing and implementing programmes, initiatives and activities that enhance it. The group will leverage members’ influence to deliver joint messaging and facilitate continuous progress on crucial OSH issues. They will also work to increase the visibility and value of the Safety & Health profession and its wider set of disciplines and practices as well as highlighting its role in delivering OSH goals.
While the UK has an enviable record in safety there remains much to be done. Beyond safety, the subject of health and specifically mental health will be an immediate area of focus for the Alliance. Mental health issues associated with the workplace account for more than 50% of all workplace “incidents” according to the latest statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The UK is less well advanced regarding the mitigation of mental health issues than many of its EU counterparts. The consequences of this go far beyond the direct impact on individuals and their employers, including an already-stretched NHS. An early priority for the Alliance will be to prioritise, identify, develop and implement measures to equip the OSH profession to more effectively mitigate the risk factors giving rise to mental health issues in the workplace.”
About the OSH Stakeholder Alliance
The Occupational Safety and Health Alliance is a collaboration of the UK’s most prominent health & safety bodies dedicated to uniting OSH expertise to ensure better occupational safety, health and wellbeing for all.
The Alliance membership includes BOHS, British Safety Council, BSIF, CIEH, IIRSM, IOSH, RoSPA, NEBOSH and CIEHF. The profiles of each member are set out below.
British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS)
The British Occupational Hygiene Society is the definitive voice of occupational hygiene in the UK.
BOHS has strong national and international alliances with other health and safety organisations, the HSE, trade unions and business. With a multi-disciplinary membership from industry, health education and research, we are by far the most prominent hygiene society in Europe and now form a single focal point to promote and drive forward the profession on behalf of all practitioners, regulators, academics and students.
As a learned and professional society, established over 60 years, we provide internationally recognised qualifications, scientific conferences, membership services and publications. The Faculty of Occupational Hygiene within BOHS is recognised internationally as a significant professional examination and qualification body and plays a vital role in developing and maintaining the professional standards of its practitioners.
British Safety Council
British Safety Council is a registered charity and believes that no-one should be injured or made ill through their work. We campaign to protect worker health, safety and wellbeing, believing that a healthy and safe work environment is also good for business. British Safety Council offers a range of services and products working with organisations, charities and individuals who share our vision of ensuring that every worker goes home at the end of the day as healthy as they were when they went to work.
British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF)
The British Safety Industry Federation was established in 1994 to serve and represent businesses who help keep people safe and healthy at work. The Federation was preceded by the “Personal Safety Manufacturers Association” and now includes over 350 manufacturers, importers and distributors of personal protective equipment and safety products as well as providers of specialist services such as Approved Bodies and accredited test houses.
The Federation works to shape UK legislation and strives to influence national, European and global standards relevant to our market. As appropriate we work closely with the relevant authorities such as the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Health and Safety Executive and Trading Standards organisations. BSIF administers the Fit2Fit respiratory protection face fitting competency scheme and supports best practice in the UK with the Registered Safety Supplier Scheme to ensure product quality and individual capability necessary in this critical market.
Working together with our members and on their behalf we will reinforce pride in what we collectively do, keeping people safe and healthy when they are at work.
Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)
CIEH is the professional voice for environmental health representing over 7000 members working in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Building on its rich heritage, CIEH ensures the highest standards of professional competence in its members, in the belief that through environmental health action people’s health can be improved.
Environmental health has an important and unique contribution to make to improving health and reducing inequalities. CIEH campaigns to ensure that government policy addresses the needs of communities and business in achieving and maintaining improvements to our environment and our health.
Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM)
The Institute of Risk and Safety Management is a UK based professional organisation with a global footprint. We help individuals and organisations around the world to feel safe, supported and empowered to raise and manage risks, protecting their environments and lives.
By collaborating with a variety of organisations we have developed an unparalleled understanding of the challenges and opportunities they face. Joining our community is an investment in the resilience of your organisation and in the future of your people.
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
IOSH, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, is the global Chartered body and largest membership organisation for health and safety professionals worldwide. Since 1945 we have supported our members in their efforts to create workplaces that are safe, healthy and more sustainable. As a charity with international NGO status, a qualifications Awarding Organisation, a developer of training and advocate of positive transformation, we seek to build excellence in our profession, drive action from everyone who can influence occupational safety and health standards and keep protecting people at the heart of sustainability.
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. (RoSPA)
RoSPA is a leading voice in health and safety that campaigns to reduce avoidable accidents. Our vision is to create a life free from accidental injury and with the support of our members, this is at the core of everything we do. We lobby Government on issues that matter, pioneer the world’s largest health and safety awards and provide a suite of RoSPA qualifications that help learners and employers keep their colleagues safe from accidents and ill-health.
National Examination Board for Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH)
NEBOSH is an internationally recognised charity that enables and inspires the world of work and wider environment to be a safer and healthier place through the provision of inclusive, world-class and accessible, health, safety, environment, risk and wellbeing qualifications and services. Through NEBOSH qualifications, learners and their employers improve the lives of people around the world by keeping their colleagues and communities safe from work-related accidents and ill-health.
Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors (CIEHF)
The Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors (CIEHF) is the home and voice for ergonomics and human factors professionals offering peer-to-peer networking, thought leadership, training and professional development opportunities. Our vision is to help create a world where integrated design improves life, well-being and performance – making life simpler, safer and more enjoyable. Our members work across many sectors including healthcare, transport, defence, energy and manufacturing.