Our collaborations

We work with partner organisations at global, regional, local and workplace levels to promote our vision of a safe and healthy world of work. We support them to build safe and healthy workplaces and they benefit from the expertise we provide through our members, research activities and expertise.

• World Health Organization (WHO)

  We work with the WHO to raise global workplace health and safety standards. In 2022 we signed a memorandum to formalise the partnership. Three key areas of collaboration:

  • supporting WHO’s efforts towards promoting strategies for healthier, safer and more resilient workplaces for all workers
  • building capacities for the development and implementation of occupational health and safety programmes for health workers
  • development and dissemination of practical tools for addressing priority occupational risks.
• United Nations Global Compact

  We joined the United Nations Global Compact in 2021 as a non-business participant. It is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative and supports companies to align their strategies and operations with universal principles on:

  • human rights
  • labour rights (including occupational safety and health)
  • environment
  • anti-corruption.

  We work with interested local networks to share good practice on protecting workers’ safety and health.

• International Social Security Association (ISSA)

  We are a long-standing member of the ISSA and sit on its special commission for prevention. We chair the International Section of the ISSA on Education and Training for Prevention.

  We co-developed the Vision Zero training package and deliver this through our network of licensed trainers. ISSA’s Vision Zero is a preventative approach bringing together safety, health and wellbeing at all levels of work. It’s based on the assumption that all accidents, harm and work-related ill-health are preventable.

• International Labour Organization (ILO)

  We work with the UN's International Labour Organization (ILO) to improve working conditions and protect workers around the world.

  The ILO is the primary UN body supporting working conditions and worker protection globally. It represents workers, employers and governments across 187 member states. For more than a century, it has set labour standards, including those on occupational safety and health, developed policies and programmes promoting decent work for all working people.

  We signed a memorandum of understanding with the ILO in 2021.

• Commonwealth

  We're accredited by the Commonwealth as a professional and civil society organisation.

  IOSH is one of fewer than 100 accredited organisations, and the only one specialising in occupational safety and health, supporting the Commonwealth.

  It provides opportunities for us to support Commonwealth member countries to create safe and healthy workplaces for all.

• European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)

  We’re a long-term partner and supporter of EU-OSHA’s healthy workplace campaigns. The campaign focus from 2023-25 is on keeping workers safe and healthy in the digital age.

• International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

  We played a key role in the development of ISO 45001 – the first internationally-agreed health and safety management systems standard. Standards like ISO 45001 are developed to help organisations manage their processes and risks in a systematic and consistent way.

  We were involved on the technical committee responsible for creating the standard and continue to support related developments. We are part of task groups focused on issues such as:

  • OSH risks from climate change
  • emerging OSH themes
  • small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
  • communications, including publicising the benefits of the standard and the role of the technical committee.
• European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

  Our partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) provides opportunities for our members to make a lasting impact. The EBRD matches our members' expertise with organisations looking for support and training in occupational safety and health.

  Examples of our members’ joint work with the EBRD includes:

  • support for a good practice guide on safe working in confined spaces
  • help finding ways to reduce the high numbers of worker and third-party injuries and fatalities in the rail sector.
• International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN)

  We're not-for-profit members of the ICGN. This allows us to engage with global investors on all occupational safety and health-related aspects of corporate governance.

  An IOSH representative (or Head of Policy) sits on the ICGN's Human Capital Committee.