Nine prominent Safety & Health organisations in the United Kingdom have formed the Occupational Safety and Health Stakeholder Alliance (OSH Stakeholder Alliance) to provide a '360-degree' perspective on critical safety and health issues for employers and building operators.
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 members of the new alliance offer a full spectrum of competencies focused on occupational safety and health (OSH), 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 collaboration has been established on a non-exclusive basis and 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.
Additionally, the group will leverage members’ influence to deliver joint messaging and facilitate continuous progress on crucial OSH issues.
For more information about the OSH Stakeholder Alliance, contact: [email protected].
Despite the UK's enviable record in safety, the group says much remains 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).
Additionally, the group observes the United Kingdom is less well advanced regarding the mitigation of mental health issues than many of its EU counterparts - with the consequences extending 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 OSH profession to mitigate the risk factors giving rise to mental health issues in the workplace more effectively.
For more information about the OSH Stakeholder Alliance, contact: [email protected].
