Major health and safety bodies have formed a historic alliance to 'offer a unified 360-degree perspective on critical issues for the first time', with an early focus on mental health.
Nine of the UK’s most prominent health and safety organisations have united to form the Occupational Safety and Health Stakeholder Alliance (OSHSA).
Those involved are:
- 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)
- Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)
- National Examination Board for Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH)
- Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors (CIEHF)
The group plans to use members’ influence to deliver joint messaging and increase the visibility and value of the health and safety profession.
Mental health will be an immediate area of focus for the alliance, which highlighted that such issues account for more than 50% of all workplace 'incidents', according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
It argued that the UK is 'less well advanced regarding the mitigation of mental health issues than many of its EU counterparts'.
The alliance aims 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'.
In a statement, the OSHSA said: '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.'
An original seven bodies signed a Memorandum of Understanding on May 12th 2023 to create the alliance - with NEBOSH and CIEHF adding their signatures later.
It is a non-exclusive group and said that it welcomes wider involvement.
For more information about the OSH Stakeholder Alliance, contact: enquiries@osh-alliance.co.uk
