Institution of Occupational Safety and Health
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health is a global organisation for health and safety professionals, based in the UK.
Structure
IOSH is the chartered professional body for health and safety in the workplace. It acts as a champion, supporter, adviser, advocate and trainer for those who protect the safety, health and wellbeing of others.IOSH has around 48,000 members, from over 130 countries. This includes an extensive trainer network who deliver well known courses including Leading Safely, Managing Safely and Working Safely. Over 179,000 delegates attended IOSH training courses in 2016.
History
IOSH was founded in 1945 when the Institution of Industrial Safety Officers was formed as a division of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. The Institution gained its charitable status in 1962 and continues to operate as a not-for-profit organisation.In 1981, the IISO was renamed as the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, and in 2002 was awarded a Royal Charter. From 2005, IOSH began awarding Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner status to recognise individual professionalism and commitment to continued learning and development.
In 2011 along with other health and safety bodies in the UK, IOSH developed the Occupational Safety & Health Consultants Register to raise awareness and promote the use of certified health and safety consultants in the workplace.
IOSH's work
No Time to Lose
IOSH’s No Time to Lose campaign was launched in 2014 to highlight the causes of occupational cancer and help businesses take action. The No Time to Lose website provides a host of free resources and information on workplace cancer, and offers the opportunity to sign a pledge to make changes and support the campaign.Occupational Health Toolkit
The Occupational Health Toolkit is a free resource to help tackle common occupational health problems such as skin disorders, work related stress and non-work related conditions including diabetes and heart disease. The toolkit brings together information, guidance, case studies and training materials.Guides and research reports
As part of their charitable work, IOSH produce a number of guides, such as Safe Start Up guides which are designed to help small business with health and safety. IOSH also fund and produce a number of research reports.Consultations
IOSH regularly post consultations, where members can respond and have the opportunity to influence national and international policies.IOSH Blueprint
IOSH Blueprint is a framework designed to measure skills and competencies in occupational safety and health. The tool is currently in a beta testing stage. IOSH members, and a number of select organisations, are using the self-assessment tool to identify training and development needs.IOSH Training and Skills
IOSH Training and Skills is a range of courses designed for different aspects of occupational health and safety. The courses are delivered by IOSH licensed trainers. Trainers must have suitable qualifications and experience before being approved to run IOSH courses.Leading SafelyManaging Safely and Managing Safely RefresherWorking SafelyEnvironment for BusinessFire Safety for Business and Fire Safety for Managers.Managing Safely and Working Safely courses are also available in Arabic.
IOSH tailored courses are developed by licensed training providers to meet the demands of specialist industry sectors, roles or skills. They are assessed and approved by IOSH to make sure they meet IOSH’s standards.
IOSH recently launched their own level 3 certificate, NCFE IOSH Level 3 General Certificate in Safety and Health for Business, which offers a more direct route to IOSH membership.
Publications
- A peer-reviewed journal published twice a year- - A bi-monthly magazine on safety, health and wellbeing in the world of work
- - Publications for professionals
- Guidance and research - A number of documents are available free from the website.
Enhancing the OSH profession: an update
Student Member: Must be studying for an IOSH qualification or equivalent.
Affiliate Member will be changed to Affiliate Member: Option to upgrade to technical or certified with relevant qualifications and experience or to certified or charted via the experiential route with relevant experience.
Technical Member no change: Continue to maintain CPD in Blueprint at 30 hours per year.
Graduate Member will be changed to Certified Member: Continue to maintain CPD in Blueprint at 30 hours per year.
Charted Member: IOSH e-learning and assessment and continue to maintain CPD in Blueprint at 30 hours per year. New designation of charted safety and health professional.
Charted Fellow: IOSH e-learning and assessment and continue to maintain CPD in Blueprint at 30 hours per year. New designation of charted safety and health professional.