Organisations and Industry Associations
Listed in alphabetical order of the name of the organisation.
Please note that this is NOT a definitive list and new items are constantly being added.
Also see OSHWORLD - lists hundreds of world wide occupational health, safety, environment, chemical, fire and related websites compiled by Sheila Pantry, OBE, BA, FCLIP, IOSH Lifetime Achievement award winner 2013. This collection of authoritative and validated organisations’ websites is listed first alphabetically under country name and then alphabetically under the first word of the organisation. The subject index expands the information of these websites, especially where there are many important sources of information which may not be apparent from a first look at a particular web site. If you have a favourite site which should be included in this list please email details to: sp@sheilapantry.com
UK Organisations
Over the years many organisations have been established to support the advancement of health and safety at work. Each organisation provides its own unique contribution.
All-Party Parliamentary Fire Safety and Rescue Group
The All-Party Parliamentary Fire Safety & Rescue Group is an informal cross-party interest group which has been in operation for over eighteen years; made up of 29 Members of Parliament and Peers. The Group is very active, well attended and successful, with more than 10 Peers and MPs frequently attending its meetings.
Whilst being properly balanced to reflect the parties of Government, it does take a position on some matters which may not always be consistent with Government current policy or direction. However, it is keen to work with Government and not to be in conflict with it.
In addition to running Launch/Commemorative Events and Parliamentary seminars in the Houses of Parliament, the All-Party Group meets bi-monthly to consider fire safety & rescue issues to bring to Government’s attention, as well as receiving updates and news of research and important safety matters arising from live incidents.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group has formed a strong relationship with the Fire Sector Federation. This is proving to have been a constructive and positive step to have taken.
Contact: Workstream Chair Ronnie King OBE, O St.J, QFSM, F.I.FireE, Tel: +44 (0)1269 844548, Mobile: +44 (0)7836 266614, E-mail: kbigchief@aol.com
Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL)
Not-for-profit campaign group the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has been fighting for the rights of injured people for more than 20 years. The association, which has around 4,500 members comprising mainly solicitors, barristers, legal executives and academics, strives to improve standards in personal injury practice, campaigns for improvements to the law and promotes the prevention of needless injury.
Among its campaigns, APIL fights to uphold standards of health and safety. In particular, the association has been vocal about proposals to water down workers’ rights to compensation when they have been injured as a result of a breach of health and safety regulations. APIL has also criticised proposals to dilute the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), exempt self-employed people from health and safety law and replace dockyard safety regulations with guidance.
British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS)
British Occupational Hygiene Society is a multidisciplinary learned society, which has members in over 30 countries. Details of activities and events.
British Safety Council
British Safety Council offers a wide range of activities, training courses and publications including the monthly magazine Safety Management.
British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF)
British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) website is designed to give members and non-members of the Federation access to a wide range of useful information. In it you will find details on the BSIF, its structure and activities. There are also useful links to other safety related sites and a full listing of member companies with links to individual company websites where these are available.
British Standards Institution (BSI)
British Standards Institution specifications and other information and can be found on the web site. The full text of standards are available on payment for downloading.
Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)
Chartered Institute of Environmental Health extensive information sources covering publications, events, seminars and exhibitions, training services and details on how to become an environmental health officer. List related organisations and activities.
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) information, guidance, practical advice, guidance, surveys, tools on a wide range of health and safety matters in the workplace.
Chemical Hazards Communications Society (CHCS)
Chemical Hazards Communications Society is a very active group which holds meetings, shares information and produces a Newsletter. The site has many useful links, including a list of relevant European Union Directives.
Facilities Management Health & Safety Group
The Facilities Management Health & Safety Group was set up in 2008 to encourage best practice in HSE across the FM industry. It was set up by Hays Health & Safety recruitment who have always recruited extensively across the FM sector for all the service providers. Over the years, they had noticed clients within these service providers were facing very similar challenges in the industry when recruiting safety professionals. Regular contract change-overs meant that clients were dealing with the same problems and often voiced to Hays that it would be useful to talk to the previous incumbent on how they dealt with specific Health & Safety challenges but without it compromising any contractual arrangements.
It became apparent to Hays that a forum would be useful, where Directors of Health & Safety for the FM industry could attend and share best practice, coming together as an industry to raise HSE standards in a confidential, honest manner. Hays Health & Safety with the help of Don Urquhart, who was working for Integral at the time, invited relevant Directors of HSE to attend and the Facilities Management Health & Safety Group was founded.
The Group meets four times a year and we discuss industry standards, best practice, updates in legislation as well as innovative ideas for safety improvements that save organisations time and money. The group also produces data every year on RIDDOR rates, lost time incidents, head count, hours worked to identify RIDDOR and LTI rates and frequency across the organisations who attend.
For more information, contact Caroline Binns at Hays Health & Safety | Caroline.binns@hays.com | Tel: 0207 259 8724
Fire Sector Federation
www.firesectorfederation.co.uk
The Fire Sector Federation is a forum of debate and discussion. It is where representatives of organisations who work with or within the built, natural, fire and rescue and national resilience environments in the UK can expertly consider issues of common interest.
The Federation seeks to give voice to and exert influence in shaping future policy and strategy related to the UK Fire Sector.
It aims to develop an informed fire sector, through original research and objective analysis; coordinating academic research and fire and rescue service evaluation and reviews; and disseminate knowledge and best practice through the production of advice and guidance.
Contact: To apply for membership please fill out the form on the website or telephone: +44 (0)1608 812543
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Information Service
Health and Safety Executive Information Service extensive site, gives information about news, guidance notes, press releases, publications, special projects, prosecutions, contact details and addresses, related sites, and other information. HSE’s Information Services database HSELINE is available in OSH UPDATE www.oshupdate.com
Institute of Industrial Accident Investigators (IIAI)
Institute of Industrial Accident Investigators (IIAI) portal to international research and development for the industrial accident investigation community. Has details on IIAI history, mission and a recent update on IIAI official research projects. Has information on professional training courses as well as the Examination Panel’s requirements for new or advancing members. IIAI membership... the only recognisable mark for professional industrial accident investigators.
Institute of Occupational Health (IOH), University of Birmingham
Institute of Occupational Health University of Birmingham gives details of the courses, seminars, training, research and publications.
Institute of Occupational Medicine
The Institute of Occupational Medicine is the premier independent UK centre for research, consultancy and training in occupational and environmental health, hygiene and safety. Carries out world class research, analysis, solutions and strategic advice for industry, governments, groups and individuals across the globe.
Institute of Petroleum (IP)
Institute of Petroleum forthcoming events, information services, new publications and details of membership, periodicals list and also list of titles of test methods and links to other pages in the petroleum industry.
Institute of Physics NanoTech
Institute of Physics nano technology site contains news, features, opinion, events and links.
Institute of Risk Management
Institute of Risk Management IRM is risk management’s professional education body. Established as a not-for-profit organisation, the Institute is governed by practising risk professionals and has strong links to leading universities and business schools across the world. Recognising that risk management is a multi-disciplinary field, we also work closely with many other specialist institutes and associations and seek to represent an increasingly broad and diverse set of stakeholders. The worldwide membership is drawn from industry, commerce, consultancy and the public sector. Members have backgrounds in many different risk-related disciplines: accountants, project managers, insurers, chartered surveyors, health care professionals, lawyers, bankers, auditors, health and safety professionals and engineers are among those represented. IRM Associateship (AIRM) is recognised worldwide as the sign of a risk management professional and is achieved through examination: Fellowship (FIRM) follows through accredited practical experience. Site includes links.
Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE)
Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) is the hub for chemical, biochemical and process engineering professionals worldwide. It is at the heart of the process community, promoting competence and a commitment to sustainable development, advancing the discipline for the benefit of society and supporting the professional development of members.
Institution of Civil Engineers
What’s new, knowledge expertise, government news, events knowledge and expertise, also Members Area.
Institution of Engineering and Technology
Contains details of activities, events and publications, also links.
Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE)
Institution of Fire Engineers site lists activities, publications, events and more news.
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
IOSH is the global Chartered body for safety and health professionals. We provide professional development support, events and technical guidance to 49,000+ members. We develop training courses and are an awarding organisation. We influence policy-makers, set standards and campaign for workers’ safety, health and wellbeing worldwide.
International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM)
The IIRSM is a professional body for health and safety practitioners. It was created to advance professional standards in accident prevention and occupational health throughout the world. Membership is open to all individuals who have an interest in occupational health, safety and risk management. The Institute was established in 1975 and is a non-profit making body registered with the Charity Commissioners. It has over thousands of individual members in the UK, Eire, the Channel Islands and in over 70 other countries throughout the world.
Lancashire Occupational Health & Safety Group
The Lancashire Occupational Health & Safety Group (LOHSG) was established in 1930 in the Preston area of the UK and celebrated its 80th birthday in 2010. The group gained registered charity status several years ago. LOHSG represents organisations of all types and sizes across the county, covering all aspects of occupational health, safety and accident prevention.
Mineral Products Association
Safequarry.com is the health and safety hub for the mineral products industries. It has been developed to enable all those working within the mineral products industries to have one location where they can access key health and safety information. It makes accessible invaluable information that is relevant to those working throughout the supply chain; whether working at the quarry face, in related value added operations, in manufacturing plants, product transport or at the customer’s sites – the hub will help you to make your operations safer.
National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH)
National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health NEBOSH extensive information source containing where to study, publications, newsletter, FAQs, and links to other relevant organisations’ web sites.
Northern Ireland Safety Group
Northern Ireland Safety Group (or the Northern Ireland Industrial Safety Group as it was first named) was founded following a meeting in the Scribbans-Kemp Biscuit Factory on the Springfield Road, Belfast in early 1953. The six founding members, all manufacturing companies, felt incident and accident prevention could only be improved by the promotion of good practice. They envisioned a workplace where injury and death weren’t the price for doing business.
60+ years later the Group’s mission is still exactly the same, but what’s changed are the methods of promoting occupational safety and health.
With a vibrant committee of dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers and a membership of close to 300 organisations the Group is well respected in Northern Ireland with solid links to the local IOSH Branch and HSENI.
You can see the history of the Group by viewing the 60th Anniversary Brochure.
For more information, contact Ernie Spence, NI Safety Group Secretary, 13 De Courcy Avenue, Carrickfergus BT38 7LJ | Tel: 028 9336 8928 | Mobile: 07938 049270
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has a wide range of services, publications and training courses for safety and health at work, water and leisure, education and at home. Established for over 90 years. RoSPA Information Services database is available in OSH UPDATE www.oshupdate.com
Safety Groups UK
The mission of Safety Groups UK (SGUK) is: “To promote health and safety by supporting a thriving national network of health and safety Groups”.
The organisation, which is a registered charity (was originally established in 1947) is the coordinating body for the network of around 73 local voluntary Occupational Health and Safety Groups located throughout the UK.
Purpose
Local Safety Groups, supported by their ‘umbrella’ organisation, Safety Groups UK (SGUK), exist to promote awareness and knowledge about work-related health and safety risks and how to manage them. They do this by bringing a wide range of people together to hear essential messages and to share experience, concerns and solutions.
Safety Groups, dating back in some cases to the 1920s and 1930s, are an established part of the UK health and safety system. Although their core membership includes health and safety professionals and specialists, their distinctive role is to support and educate non-specialists – those who have health and safety responsibilities as part of their wider remits, such as directors and partners of small firms, general managers, HR managers, contractors and suppliers. In this way, safety groups and SGUK contribute to the cause of reducing the toll of deaths and life-changing injuries and illnesses due to work activities.
Although the UK is a world leader in workplace health and safety, our society nevertheless loses £13 billion (3% of our GDP) and 27 million working days each year from needless and preventable occupational injury and disease. Over a million people suffer from work related illness and thousands die from past exposures to hazardous substances. Within the workplace every year around 150 workers are killed and many thousands sustain severe injuries, while over 500 more die on our roads in the course of their work and over 13,000 deaths occur for Occupational related diseases with many more suffering from ill-health.
SGUK is committed to raising awareness of workplace health and safety issues through:
- Recognising best practice with awards
- Promoting Group membership at H&S exhibitions
- Helping Groups
- Partnerships with other H&S organisations to promote initiatives
- Working with sponsors to reach out to small firms and help change behaviour
SGUK holds up to three open meetings a year, including its annual awards ceremony in January. It may also organise special seminars and events on its key topics.
Sheffield Occupational Health and Safety Association (SOHSA)
The British Industrial “Safety First” association was formed in 1917, and its membership in 1922 comprised 14 member firms in Sheffield, 70 in London and 17 in Birmingham. The Honorary Secretary of the Association was Sir Herbert Blain CBE who was the Assistant Managing Director of the London Underground Railway and the London General Omnibus Group.
Sheffield held its’ inaugural meeting on 23 January 1922 in the Norris Deakin Buildings, Kings Street, where 14 company representatives attended, and became the first area in the country to have its’ own safety group, known as the Sheffield Area Committee of the British Industrial ‘Safety First’ Association. London, Birmingham and Manchester soon followed Sheffield’s lead to launch their own area committee associations.
Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM)
Society of Occupational Medicine is a forum for its membership and aims to stimulate interest, research and education in occupational medicine. It has wide-ranging contacts with government departments and professional bodies and responds with the Society’s view to consultative documents and topics of interest. The site contains glossary, links, publications, news and Newsletter.
Trades Union Congress (TUC)
The Trades Union Congress offers a wide range of guidance and advice including office hazards. Gives details of events, news items and current topical issues.
International Organisations
International organisations have been included, including various “network” organisations, many of which have UK input and influence.
Asia-Pacific Occupational Safety and Health Organisation (APOSHO)
The Asia-Pacific Occupational Safety and Health Organization (APOSHO) is an international body composed of non-profit professional organisations devoted to the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases. Although full membership is given to non-governmental organisations in the Asia-Pacific region, any occupational safety and health organizations, even in the regions other than the Asia-Pacific, can join the APOSHO as associate or affiliate members.
European Network for Workplace Health Promotion (ENWHP)
European Network for Workplace Health Promotion (ENWHP) recognises that working in a highly competitive business environment and at a time of increasing pressure on the labour market, many employers in Europe are aware of the need to implement measures to improve productivity and efficiency and at the same time enhance the working environment and culture. Workplace health promotion has been shown to make a major contribution to the achievement of these outcomes. The ENWHP promotes good practice in workplace health promotion and advocates the adoption of such practice in all European workplaces.
European Occupational Safety and Health Network (EUROSHNET)
European Occupational Safety and Health Network (EUROSHNET) is a network of European occupational safety and health experts active in standardisation, testing, certification or applied research. The purpose is to facilitate contact and exchange of information between occupational safety and health experts.
International Association of Labour Inspection
International Association of Labour Inspection is a non-governmental international organisation recognised by the International Labour Office in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1972 in order to provide a professional forum for the exchange of information and experience about the work of Labour inspection and to promote closer cooperation between authorities and institutions concerned with such work. Disseminates information through its congress, symposia and workshops in collaboration with the national government of the country in which they take place.
International Labour Organisation (ILO)
The ILO is the international organisation responsible for drawing up and overseeing international labour standards. It is the only ‘tripartite’ United Nations agency that brings together representatives of governments, employers and workers to jointly shape policies and programmes promoting Decent Work for all. This unique arrangement gives the ILO an edge in incorporating ‘real world’ knowledge about employment and work. International Labour Organisation site contains the Conventions and Recommendations which are continually being developed to help countries that do not have any appropriate health and safety at work legislation.
International Network of Safety and Health Practitioner Organisations (INSHPO)
Members include: American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), America Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, Canada Industrial Foundation for Accident Prevention (IFAP), Australia Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), UK Institution of Occupational Safety and Health Management (IOSHM), Mauritius Safety Institute of Australia (SIA), Australia. Membership of INSHPO is open to generalist professional safety and health practitioner organisations throughout the world, but it is not open to individual practitioners.
International Occupational Hygiene Association IOHA
International Occupational Hygiene Association conducts a wide range of activities to promote and develop occupational hygiene worldwide. From its creation in 1987 the IOHA has grown to more than twenty member organisations, representing over 20,000 occupational hygienists worldwide. Promotes the exchange of information.