WHEN MOST people think about modern slavery, they imagine organised crime, human trafficking, or exploitation taking place somewhere far away. Yet the reality is much closer to home. Exploitation can be found in the supply chain for the products we buy, and the services we use every day. It exists in sectors that are fundamental to our economy and, too often, it remains hidden in plain sight. 

There are an estimated 50 million people living in modern slavery globally, including 27 million trapped in forced labour. In the UK alone, official figures recorded 23,411 potential victims in 2025, the highest number since records began. These statistics should dispel any notion that modern slavery is a distant problem. It is a contemporary issue rooted in the way work is organised, managed and governed. 

IOSH recently published a white paper, Hidden in plain sight: confronting modern slavery in today’s economy, highlighting the issue and setting out why governments, businesses and occupational safety and health professionals have a critical role to play.

Traditionally, modern slavery is viewed through the lens of criminal justice, ethics or corporate responsibility. While these perspectives remain important, they do not tell the whole story. Many of the warning signs associated with exploitation are also recognised occupational safety and health risks. Excessive working hours, unsafe working conditions, lack of training, restricted worker voice, coercive management practices and the inability to refuse unsafe work are all indicators that something is wrong. 

Modern slavery develops in environments where oversight is weak, workers are vulnerable and systems fail to identify and address risk. In that sense, exploitation is often the consequence of failures in how work is designed, managed and governed. When health and safety systems are robust, inclusive and properly implemented, they can help identify early indicators of exploitation risk and support timely intervention. By integrating modern slavery indicators into routine risk assessments, audits, inspections and worker engagement processes, organisations can strengthen their ability to identify vulnerabilities and take preventive action.

The challenge, however, is significant. Our survey of 1,000 business leaders found a worrying gap between awareness and action. Large proportions of organisations had not formally assessed modern slavery risks, mapped their supply chains, provided training to staff, or established safe mechanisms for workers to raise concerns. 

If organisations are serious about prevention, modern slavery must be embedded into everyday risk management processes. For health and safety professionals, this presents both a responsibility and an opportunity. OSH practitioners are often among the few professionals with direct visibility of working conditions and worker health, safety and wellbeing. Through inspections, audits, risk assessments and worker engagement activities, they are well placed to identify indicators that may otherwise be overlooked. 

However, prevention of modern slavery requires more than spotting red flags. It requires organisations to tackle the underlying conditions that allow exploitation to flourish. That means responsible recruitment, meaningful worker engagement, effective due diligence, supply chain transparency and clear accountability at leadership level. It also means ensuring workers have safe, confidential and accessible ways to raise concerns, without fear of retaliation. 

IOSH is calling for a stronger legislative framework that moves towards mandatory human rights due diligence, stronger enforcement and clearer accountability.  Given that exploitation can happen throughout the supply chain, and beyond first tier suppliers, supply chain visibility and due diligence is essential. 

Ultimately, this is about the kind of world of work we want to create. Where work is unsafe and unhealthy, where workers lack voice and where governance is weak, exploitation becomes more likely. But where organisations prioritise safety, health, decent work, dignity and accountability, the risk of exploitation can be significantly reduced.

Modern slavery may be hidden in plain sight, but it does not have to remain hidden from those responsible for protecting workers. Health and safety professionals have a unique opportunity to help identify risks, strengthen systems and ensure that decent work really does mean work that is safe, healthy and free from exploitation.

Ruth Wilkinson is head of policy and public affairs at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). For more information, visit www.iosh.com