IOSH drives global initiative at Japan Expo

One of these events sets the tone for the extent to which IOSH has been entrusted by its international partners. The Expo Salon, in Osaka-Kansai, will host a policy symposium on Saturday 19 July. This is endorsed by the Global Coalition for Social Justice, an initiative of our partner the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The policy for discussion will be ‘Sustainable financing mechanisms and investment in occupational safety and health’. IOSH Chief Executive Vanessa Harwood-Whitcher will be one of a panel of high-level speakers. IOSH Strategic Engagement Manager Marijana Zivkovic Mtegha will act as moderator, joined by Tomoka Omoto form the ILO’s Social Finance Branch, based in Geneva.

While it’s impossible to put a price on the life of any worker, occupational health, safety and wellbeing still needs to be paid for. This session will examine how and where the necessary investment can be found. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. Yet, with 2.78 million people still dying from their work every year, a lot more investment is still needed in OSH.

So, how can we mobilise private finance, philanthropic giving and institutional investor capital to unlock this investment? How can we ensure the benefits are shared across continents and that they provide decent, safe and healthy work for all?

Evolving landscape

An earlier symposium will look at the tremendous opportunities being delivered by advancing technology and the evolving landscape of predictive digital solutions. But it will also consider how this is reshaping our notion of worker safety and operational efficiency. It will examine how the new technologies can only be adopted successfully if employers first commit to looking after their people, prioritising workers’ safety, rights and skills development.

This session, at the INTEX exhibition hall, will address ‘Predictive digital solutions – from AI and big data to virtual engineering’. It will mine the integration of technologies like:

• predictive analytics
• virtual simulations
• artificial intelligence (AI)
• extended realty (XR)
• internet of things (IoT).

It will consider how this will enhance safety, boost productivity and improve overall wellbeing. But the session will assess such exciting, mind-blowing potential in the context of the challenges that come with this level of innovation. For example, ethical concerns, data security and the need for skilled workers to be placed in charge of these complex systems.

IOSH President Kelly Nicoll will act as moderator. James Pomeroy, director of Global Health, Safety and Quality Management at international engineering and design consultancy Arup, will be one of the top speakers. James was a leading contributor to the Arup/IOSH report ‘Towards a safe and healthy future of work’, published last year.

Looking for meaning 

While IOSH is leading the full symposia programme, there’s one more session it will have a closer handle on - ‘Mental health and wellbeing – the impact of meaningful work’ (19 July, at INTEX). It will be moderated by Kelly Nicoll and with IOSH Thought Leadership Manager Dr Christopher Davis as a speaker. This symposium will explore the impact of meaningful work on mental health and wellbeing through both theory and practical perspectives.

What is ‘meaningful work’? Delegates will be guided through its psychosocial components, such as resonance, dignity of labour and social connection. They will be asked to consider how work plays such a central role in our lives. This includes how it moulds our identity, contributes to our social connections and, hopefully, gives us a sense of purpose and belonging.

But the session will be no talking shop. The discussions will conclude with actionable takeaways. Kelly will invite delegates to go away and reflect on one actionable change they can advocate for, or implement, in their own workplace. The challenge is: would it help to establish a more meaningful work environment?

For full details of the three-day symposium programme (17-19 July 2025), go to International Symposium on Safety, Health and Well-being for All.