Future health and safety skills in Expo spotlight

IOSH is just over a fortnight away from leading World Assembly workshops at the Global Initiative on Safety Health and Wellbeing, part of Expo 2025, in Japan. In the third blog from Jeremy Waterfield on these high-profile events in Osaka-Kansai, we turn our attention to the world’s occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals. We explore how they’ll be asked to deliver for a dynamic new world of work.

This 16 July focus on OSH competency levels will begin with ‘Workshop 4: The influence of global change on individual capability in the modern workplace.’ It will be presented by IOSH, in partnership with European Network Education and Training in Occupational Safety and Health (ENETOSH). IOSH Head of Advice and Practice Duncan Spencer and ENETOSH founder Dr Ulrike Bollmann will co-moderate. This late-morning session will focus on the OSH challenges brought by an era of rapid change in a fast-moving and volatile world.

Three particular aspects of this change will go under the spotlight.

Climate change – planet temperature, weather patterns and the fact extreme heat and catastrophic climate change events are becoming more frequent
Technological advancement – how digitalisation and big data is bringing in new ways of working and how the pace of the internet and social media is influencing cultural norms, morals and ethics
The wider ethical challenges.

The session will focus on new learning points and dealing with future ways of working. It will embrace the shift away from specific skills and expertise towards fostering flexibility, lifelong adaptability and the development of critical thinking with the capacity to make ethical judgements and decisions.

Time to measure up

Duncan Spencer will also co-moderate, with Lars Tornvig, Director at Human House, a related afternoon session on OSH competence: ‘Workshop 6: Leading with OSH Metrics – the way forward to better prevention.’ As organisations progress from compliance driven models to safety systems and culture-focused approaches, the workshop will consider how to define leading, lagging and predictive metrics while validating their relevance and impact.

Four key questions will be addressed.

What are the challenges that come with metric identification and measurement?
How does metric measurement change with organisational maturity?
Who is demanding metric measurements and why?
What methods are now available for metric measurement?

This workshop promises a blend of engaging discussion and practical insights. It will navigate the complexities of safety metrics and highlight responsible decision-making in dynamic organisational landscapes.

Other workshops

This theme of OSH competency in an ever-changing world of work will also feature across other World Assembly workshops held on the day, including:

Workshop 3: ‘Climate change and the future of work’
Workshop 7: 'How is the OSH profession transforming?’ – IOSH Immediate Past President Stuart Hughes will be one of the speakers at this one
Workshop 8: ‘The future of OSH partnerships and relationships with other professions’. This session will explore the potential benefits of collaboration across OSH bodies and other stakeholders with the common goal of keeping people safe, healthy and well.

IOSH members who would like to attend can take advantage of a 30 per cent discount. Create an account and register on the GISHW website. You can add the IOSH discount code TFPQP. If you have any questions, please email our Public Affairs team.

It’s a resounding ‘Yes’ to online poll

Our opening blog introduced our lead role at Expo 25 in running a programme of workshops at the World Assembly. This highlighted how one of the first workshops would focus on ‘The future of OSH within the sustainability agenda’. We shared the blog on LinkedIn and asked the question:

‘Do you believe workplace safety, health and wellbeing can build better future lives for all of us across the globe?’

The poll pulled in 635 votes, with 97 per cent voting ‘Yes’.

Last updated: 30 June 2025