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How we make a difference

Activate 2028 – a strategy for everyone

One person dying because of work is a tragedy – 7,500 a day is a travesty. Yet an estimated 2.78 million people still die every year due to work-related illnesses and accidents. We’ve developed Activate 2028 with this figure in mind.

Creating a safer world for all workers

Activate 2028 is all about action – and the entire occupational safety and health (OSH) community coming together to deliver a safe and healthy world of work.

It’s bold. It’s ambitious. It’s about building on what we’ve achieved so far and progressing our profession. It champions and supports you, our extraordinary members, and OSH professionals everywhere.

Our mission, vision and goals

We remain committed to our vision – a safe and healthy world of work. This is both simple and true to our charitable purpose.

Our mission is threefold:

  • build excellence in our profession
  • drive action from everyone who can influence excellence in global OSH standards
  • put people at the heart of social sustainability.

Activate 2028 focuses on the actions and outcomes needed to help us achieve our vision and mission.

Our charitable objects

These are at the heart of everything we do. We continue to be dedicated to each one through Activate 2028.

  1. Charitable object 1

    To promote systematic and organised methods of improving OSH and to advocate, advise on, disseminate, explain and advance the principles, methods and systems of their application at work generally.

  2. Charitable object 2

    To facilitate the exchange of information and ideas among the members of the Institution and of other professional bodies in the field of OSH and to work together with other professional bodies in pursuit of mutual objectives.

  3. Charitable object 3

    To do all such other things as may be necessary or desirable for maintaining and improving the professional status of members of the Institution and of people engaged in professions requiring a knowledge of the matters mentioned in the first charitable object. 

Activate 2028 strategy document cover

Read about the steps we’re taking to create better working lives.

Our goals

We’ve created four main goals for Activate 2028 to underpin our charitable objects, deliver our public benefits and help us reach our vision. They are:

  • to be a leading authority in global OSH to maximise influence and impact
  • to develop and recognise the excellence and expertise of OSH professionals to improve global standards in OSH
  • to champion the role of OSH in social sustainability to drive business success
  • to connect diverse professionals to continually develop the world of health and safety.

96 per cent of organisations in the G250 report on sustainability, demonstrating the commercial and ethical role of OSH.

Our shared values

We’ve created a set of values to inspire and unite the OSH profession. 

Act with integrity – we stay true to our beliefs, our dedication to workers’ safety and our commitment to continuously champion workers’ safety and health.

Always be inclusive – we champion a world of work where everyone can be their authentic self and are utterly committed to protecting the right for everyone to feel safe and empowered in the world of work.

Together we innovate – we empower organisations to face an ever-changing and pressurised world through collaboration and communication. We’re committed to developing successful solutions that are dynamic and innovative.

  1. Build capacity and keep pace with change with the help of our competency framework.

  2. Benchmark yourself against the competencies by doing your self-assessment in Blueprint.

  3. Uphold the reputation of our profession by taking our Ethical Practice in OSH e-learning and assessment.

Why Activate 2028?

This strategy builds on what we have achieved so far and is being delivered at a time when OSH has never been more important to working lives. 

In 2022, the International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted a safe and healthy work environment as a fundamental principle and right at work. We’re proud to have influenced this milestone through the work we do on the global stage and with the ILO. 

We are focusing on three new key areas to make more of a difference:

  • lead the drive to a more equitable and inclusive world of work
  • shift to a more sustainable and regenerative economy
  • adapt to technological evolution in the workplace.

Equality, diversity and inclusion is a priority area for 75 per cent of organisations worldwide (PwC 2021).

Celebrating our profession

Our collective commitment and actions can bring about extraordinary changes and progress. So, we're celebrating the impactful work that's already happening in the world of OSH. 

We’ve created an honour – the award of IOSH Champion. We’ll award this whenever and wherever we feel individual excellence in health and safety practice deserves to be recognised.

Meet our Champions and read their inspirational stories.