Providing assurance in uncertain times

01 June 2017 -

Global economic and political instability, swift advancements in technology and ever-changing social and demographic trends are all contributing to a redefining of ‘the workplace’

Bryan Henesey

The world is changing. Political and economic stability is creating an uncertain environment in which to operate, and technological social and demographic evolutions are changing the way we work.

What is clear is that these trends and factors have concentrated the mind of business, sharpening its focus on worker protection and the many risks associated with getting it wrong. Organisations understand the human cost of health and safety failures, but also, increasingly, their resulting impact on reputation, business continuity and productivity.

At the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), we are seeing a growing appetite in business, particularly among larger organisations and in developed countries, for dealing with health and safety at a strategic level.

Occupational safety and health is part of an emerging sustainability agenda; it is now a key element of corporate social responsibility.

This is also reflected in the growing trend towards assessment against global standards, which in themselves are increasingly shifting their focus from technical standards to those which target leadership and governance within organisations.

IOSH, as the chartered professional body for people responsible for safety and health in the workplace, and its members are working to provide business some assurance in these uncertain times.

Skilled training

IOSH offers the most comprehensive and accessible range of occupational safety and health courses available anywhere. Around 180,000 delegates participated in IOSH-accredited training courses last year, in more than 70 countries across the world.

Whether it was Leading Safely - a short course for senior leaders on the value of safety and health, Managing Safely – a flexible course on safety and health issues for responsible managers, or Working Safely – which explains to all employees the fundamentals of health and safety at work, IOSH’s training products can help organisations promote a safety-conscious culture throughout their workforce, and to solve real problems using practical and effective tools, processes and knowledge.

IOSH also offers tailored courses for specific industries, job roles and skills. New for 2017, Environment for Business is a one-day course focused on proving sustainable practice can transform a business. Fire Safety for Managers, meanwhile, offers insight into how managers can demonstrate effective leadership in a fire emergency.

Each course is designed to equip managers with the best possible knowledge and skills to help them lead a highly effective and motivated workforce.

Vision for the future

Effective health and safety management requires strong leadership, worker involvement and competent advice.

In the rapidly evolving world of work, there is increasing recognition of the assurance that IOSH’s 47,000 members worldwide are providing, and the positive impact their work is having.

However, with fast-paced changes in working environments and practices, this positive trend presents both challenges and opportunities for the safety and health professional and the profession as a whole. To keep apace, they too must develop and evolve.

Through its new 2017-2022 strategy, ‘WORK 2022 – shaping the future of safety and health’, IOSH demonstrates how it will support the development and evolution of the health and safety profession and professional, and help address the complex, often specific challenges faced by organisations in different industry sectors and locations around the world.

Its focus is to enhance the profession, build strategic collaborative partnerships across industry and strengthen IOSH’s influence globally through impactful research and development.

In 2017-18, the Institution plans to release IOSH Blueprint – its global model for defining competency in occupational safety and health – to the wider profession and world of work.

For the first time, organisations will have a framework that reflects the standards IOSH has set, to assess the safety and health skills at their disposal and access the tools and development required to achieve their goals.

IOSH’s strategy also includes plans to develop a programme to help ambitious young people become the leaders of the future, and to introduce an entry-level qualification to develop a clear route into the profession.

For more information about IOSH and its vision for the future, visit www.iosh.co.uk and www.IOSHWORK2022.com

Join the debate

More than a third of delegates at our annual conference are either CEOs, COOs, presidents or chairs, board directors, heads of department, non-board directors or company owners.

This year’s conference, IOSH 2017, will take place at the International Convention Centre (ICC), in Birmingham, UK, on 20-21 November with the theme ‘Transforming Health and Safety across the world’.

Issues to be covered include globalisation and occupational safety and health; the changing world of work, including the impact of technology on health and safety; and how to integrate health and safety across the workplace.

Journalist and TV presenter Cathy Newman will chair proceedings, with former Paralympic athlete Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson also confirmed as a keynote speaker.

Visit www.ioshconference.com for more details.

This is a sponsored feature from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health