IOSH
Making IOSH fit for the future
Find out how we are changing to meet the needs of members and serve the profession
We’ve reviewed some areas of our governance to make sure we are meeting the needs of our growing and diverse membership. By doing this, we can support an evolving occupational safety and health profession and open up more opportunities to get involved for all members.
What changes are we making?
Council and Presidential team
We are:
- reducing the size of Council to 12 members
- changing the selection process for Council from an election to an appointment process
- making the eligibility criteria the same for Vice-President and President-Elect
- making Immediate Past President an honorary role.
Networks
We are:
- moving to a community-based approach for building networks and volunteering
- making it easier to get involved in volunteering and encourage diverse participation, including a simple recruitment process
- increasing member engagement and more equal access to benefits for members all over the world
- creating a structure that makes it easier for all members to join communities based on their interests, rather than physical location.
Why make these changes?
We believe there’s a wide range of benefits.
What’s happened so far?
Approval from our members
We needed to update the Byelaws in our Royal Charter to make all these changes.
This required approval through two special resolutions at our annual general meeting (AGM) in November 2024.
Both special resolutions received strong support from voting members. They were approved with more than 90 per cent of the vote, well above the 75 per cent needed.
The special resolutions were drafted after separate reviews of our Council and our networks. Both reviews included opportunities for input for members across all different grades.
How did we consult with members?
The changes we are making to Council and the Presidential team came from Council’s own review of how they work. Stuart Hughes, during his year as President, led a full review looking at how to make Council as effective and responsive to our membership as possible.
Council ran a six-week member consultation that included drop-in sessions and a member survey. There was also the chance to provide feedback using an online form. We promoted this on our website, social media channels and email newsletters to reach as many members as possible.
The survey results were supportive of the proposed changes to Council and the Presidential team.
We conducted a separate review of our member networks. Working with members and volunteers we reviewed the current structure. We wanted to find out what works well for our members in the existing set-up.
We also considered what needs to change so our networks can best support occupational safety and health professionals, both now and in the future. We held focus groups with a range of members from different grades, backgrounds and experience to hear their views. We also gave all members the chance to answer a survey.
Privy Council approval
We submitted a formal application to the Privy Council asking for their approval to amend our byelaws. At their meeting on 14 February 2025, the Privy Council formally approved the changes. This is a significant milestone as it allows us to begin implementing the changes.
What happens next?
Council will reduce from 36 to 24 members this year as existing members terms come to an end. It will operate using approved standing orders. The Presidential team is at full capacity, in line with the changes.
Our networks now move into the transition phase. We are starting the move from networks to communities. We will request formal governance approval to change the name of branches and groups to communities. We will also be formally dissolving districts and sections. The new regulation for communities will come into effect. This will all be completed by May 2025. We will continue to communicate changes to members and engage with committees through this transition phase.