Volunteer with IOSH

You do not need Chartered or Certified membership to volunteer for these roles.

• Mentoring: support another member’s development, or be supported yourself. You can register any time as a mentor, mentee, or both.
• Council: our representative body of members, advising on strategic, professional and policy issues, and nominating the Presidential team.  We advertise vacancies when they arise.
• Community committees: regional and industry communities, engaging members and organising local activities. We advertise vacancies twice a year, in January and June.
• Benevolent Fund Trustees: governs the fund, administering hardship grant applications and making sure the charity meets its objects. We advertise vacancies when they arise.

These opportunities are ideal for our Student Members and those who have recently entered the health and safety profession.

• Future Leaders Community committee: represent and shape the direction of this community. Applications to join this committee open again in October 2027.
• Student champions: promote IOSH membership to fellow students. This casual role is for current Student Members and helps with early career profile-building. Apply at any time.

Each role has its own requirements, for most you need to be a Chartered Member or Fellow.

• Board and governance committees: manage IOSH's affairs and legally accountable for all its activities. Can also sit on board committees covering audit, finance, policy, performance, people, our commercial subsidiary or the awarding organisation. We advertise vacancies when they arise.
• Presidential team: IOSH’s member ambassadors, delivering our messages to members and the wider health and safety profession. We advertise vacancies when they arise.
• Chartered Fellowship portfolio assessor: review written evidence from member portfolio submissions. We advertise vacancies when they arise.
• Thought leadership panel: this panel of Chartered Fellows review and discuss ideas to make sure they’re practical before we use them in our materials. We advertise vacancies when they arise.
• Corporate (Chartered) Member Trustee: bring member insight and professional expertise to the Board, helping ensure IOSH remains focused on delivering its Charitable Objects while supporting the needs of the profession. Also open to retired Chartered Members and Fellows.
• Professional Contributor: we're looking for experienced professionals to represent IOSH, and act as trusted expert voices on the issues that matter most.

For members with specific knowledge or research and academic expertise.

• Expert national and international committees: shape standards and regulation in your area of expertise. For example, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) technical committees and sub-groups in the UK. These roles are open to Certified and Chartered Members and Fellows and advertised when they come up.
• Support our research: advise and get involved with our research activities, including the use of our public benefit research fund. You can express an interest in being a peer reviewer or research study participant at any time. We advertise Research Advisory Group vacancies when they arise.
• Independent Trustee: bring external perspectives, challenge and expertise that strengthen Board decision-making and governance.
• Professional Contributor: Do you have specialist knowledge, professional expertise or recognised experience in occupational safety and health, worker wellbeing or a related field?

Yes, for most roles. Sometimes we recruit for independent members to our Board and governance committees, research advisory group and Benevolent Fund trustees.

It varies by type of volunteering role. Some are flexible, such as mentoring. Committee roles involve at least a few meetings a year, while being a member of the Presidential team is a more significant ongoing commitment.

Volunteering is unpaid but reasonable expenses are covered for most roles.

Yes, many roles are open to members internationally.

Policies and guidance are on the volunteer community platform.

Please email volunteers@iosh.com if you’re unable to find the answer on our website.

If you are already a volunteer, we recommend you contact your designated IOSH support person in the first instance.