Creation of new OSH Stakeholder Alliance
Major OSH organizations form historic alliance to promote better safety, health, and well-being for all
A NUMBER of the UK’s most prominent safety and health organizations have united to form the Occupational Safety and Health Stakeholder Alliance. It will create a platform to offer a unified 360° perspective on critical safety and 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 & 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 12 May 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 occupational safety and health (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 policymaker, corporate and professional levels.
According to the Alliance members, the formation of the Occupational Safety & Health Stakeholder Alliance is 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, and 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. It will also work to increase the visibility and value of the safety and 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 which 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 prioritize, 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.
For more information about the OSH Stakeholder Alliance, contact: [email protected]
