Occupational hazards - May 2025

IF GOVERNMENTS are serious about an upturn in their economies, they need to ensure that the focus on work and productivity is actually about ensuring the provision of ‘good work’ and, therefore, good occupational safety and health.

As IOSH has pointed out consistently, including in its manifesto before last year’s UK general election, workplaces must lead with prevention-first strategies which seek to reduce instances of work-related injuries and ill health. People-centred approaches should also be implemented to support people to stay in work and return to work, whilst reducing absences and boosting productivity.

Which brings me to two questions. Firstly, what is good work? Well, that is work that is safe, healthy, sustainable and accommodates peoples needs. Secondly, what do we mean by good occupational safety and health? I’m sure many of you reading this will have been asked this yourself, whether it’s asked by senior leaders or workers at work or in conversation with families and friends.

It’s certainly something I’ve been asked many times over my career – especially in recent times since a safe and healthy working environment was recognised as a fundamental principle and right at work in 2022. And the question still presents itself today. This is why IOSH set out try to articulate what it means by identifying a set of universal principles which good occupational safety and health is based on, in the current world of work. 

We were delighted to have engagement from a wide range of stakeholders, bringing OSH and non-OSH perspectives, and perspectives across our membership levels and from different geographies. We’ve been on a journey to discuss and gather feedback on what the principles should be, which has been an iterative process along the way. 

We published an early version of the principles and the roadmap on our website a couple of months ago and I was also able to take delegates through them at the recent Health and Safety Event in Birmingham. It is important to recognise that they have been developed in consultation with partner organisations, businesses and other stakeholders, with several roundtables being held with different groups.

What started as a set of two principles – one for government and one for businesses – with the help and contribution of those involved, has evolved as our initial thinking was enhanced and enriched through these consultations. We have currently arrived at a list of ten overarching and universal guiding principles, from rights and prevention to rehabilitation and commitment. Sitting below are the features of each guiding principle along with the key responsibilities for governments and regulators, businesses and duty holders and workers. We still have work to do, to identify what these mean for OSH professionals and other key actors such as investors. 

We will also look to produce guidance, policy positions and toolkits to help promote, implement, and embed these principles with IOSH stakeholders, across the work we do, to help realise our vision of a safe and healthy world of work and to drive action across all those who can influence and impact occupational safety and health. 

We are living and working in uncertain times. Conflict and politics are dominating the news headlines. It’s crucial that as we seek to navigate our way through this uncertainty, we keep in mind the reason we do what we do: to prevent harm and ensure everyone goes home safe and well every day. Doing this not only protects everyone basic rights, but successful delivery can play a major role in supporting plans for growth.

Ruth Wilkinson CMIOSH is head of policy and public affairs at IOSH. For more information, visit www.iosh.com