New Alliance to Enhance Occupational Safety and Health Management

Major UK safety and health organisations have come together to launch the Occupational Safety & Health Stakeholder Alliance, aiming to provide a comprehensive approach to safety and health issues.

In a historic move, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), British Safety Council (BSC), British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF), Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM), the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish this influential alliance.

Shaping the industry

The combined knowledge and expertise of the member organisations cover the full range of occupational safety and health (OSH) aspects, from education and regulation to policy development and professional standards. The alliance intends to function as a single voice for the OSH industry, leveraging the collective know-how of its members to inform and bolster decision-making at both governmental and corporate levels.

Members said they are thrilled about the formation of this unprecedented alliance, which poised to have a significant positive influence on OSH management across the UK. The group has invited broader involvement in the pursuit of its goals.

Enhancing practices and raising visibility

Committed to promoting prevailing good practice in the OSH sector, the alliance also aims to conceive and enact programmes and activities that augment it. Members will harness their collective influence to deliver unified messaging and stimulate consistent advancement on critical OSH issues.

Part of their efforts will also include raising the profile and worth of the OSH profession, underlining its key role in achieving OSH goals, and broadening the understanding and application of its varied disciplines and practices.

Prioritising mental health in the workplace

The alliance has also pledged to continue to lobby government departments to safeguard crucial UK safety and health legislation, primarily that derived from the EU. Despite the UK’s commendable record in safety, much work is yet to be done, particularly in the realm of health and, more specifically, mental health.

Workplace-related mental health problems constitute over 50 per cent of all workplace incidents, according to the latest Health and Safety Executive data. The alliance is determined to prioritise the mitigation of these issues, which is currently not as well-handled in the UK as it is in several other EU countries.

The adverse consequences of these issues extend beyond the affected individuals and their employers to the already burdened National Health Service (NHS). The alliance has outlined a priority of identifying and implementing measures that enable the OSH profession to more effectively mitigate the risk factors leading to workplace mental health problems.