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Our collaborations

Who we work with around the world

We work with partner organisations at global, regional, local and workplace level to promote our vision of a safe and health world of work. We support them to build safe and healthy workplaces and they benefit from the expertise we provide through our members, research activities and expertise.

We are an Organisation in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 2023.  

We are also an organisation on the International Labour Organization's (ILO's) Special List of international non-governmental organisations since 2006.

    We work with the WHO to raise global workplace health and safety standards. In 2022 we signed a memorandum to formalise the partnership. Three key areas of collaboration:

    • supporting WHO’s efforts towards promoting strategies for healthier, safer and more resilient workplaces for all workers
    • building capacities for the development and implementation of occupational health and safety programmes for health workers
    • development and dissemination of practical tools for addressing priority occupational risks.

    We joined the United Nations Global Compact in 2021 as a non-business participant. It is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative and supports companies to align their strategies and operations with universal principles on:

    • human rights
    • labour rights (including occupational safety and health)
    • environment
    • anti-corruption.

    We work with interested local networks to share good practice on protecting workers’ safety and health.

    We are a long-standing member of the ISSA and sit on its special commission for prevention. We chair the International Section of the ISSA on Education and Training for Prevention.

    We co-developed the Vision Zero training package and deliver this through our network of licensed trainers. ISSA’s Vision Zero is a preventative approach bringing together safety, health and wellbeing at all levels of work. It’s based on the assumption that all accidents, harm and work-related ill-health are preventable.

    We work with the UN's International Labour Organization (ILO) to improve working conditions and protect workers around the world.

    The ILO is the primary UN body supporting working conditions and worker protection globally. It represents workers, employers and governments across 187 member states. For more than a century, it has set labour standards, including those on occupational safety and health, developed policies and programmes promoting decent work for all working people.

    We signed a memorandum of understanding with the ILO in 2021.

    We're accredited by the Commonwealth as a professional and civil society organisation.

    IOSH is one of fewer than 100 accredited organisations, and the only one specialising in occupational safety and health, supporting the Commonwealth.

    It provides opportunities for us to support Commonwealth member countries to create safe and healthy workplaces for all.

    We’re a long-term partner and supporter of EU-OSHA’s healthy workplace campaigns. The campaign focus from 2023-25 is on keeping workers safe and healthy in the digital age.

    We played a key role in the development of ISO 45001 – the first internationally-agreed health and safety management systems standard. Standards like ISO 45001 are developed to help organisations manage their processes and risks in a systematic and consistent way.

    We were involved on the technical committee responsible for creating the standard and continue to support related developments. We are part of task groups focused on issues such as:

    • OSH risks from climate change
    • emerging OSH themes
    • small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
    • communications, including publicising the benefits of the standard and the role of the technical committee.

    Our partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) provides opportunities for our members to make a lasting impact. The EBRD matches our members' expertise with organisations looking for support and training in occupational safety and health.

    Examples of our members’ joint work with the EBRD includes:

    • support for a good practice guide on safe working in confined spaces
    • help finding ways to reduce the high numbers of worker and third-party injuries and fatalities in the rail sector.

    We're not-for-profit members of the ICGN. This allows us to engage with global investors on all occupational safety and health-related aspects of corporate governance.

    An IOSH representative (or Head of Policy) sits on the ICGN's Human Capital Committee.

We recognise that sustainable positive change in improving safety, health and wellbeing at work requires committed long-term partnerships. We are here to support you with our world-renowned expertise. This includes technical support, training of workers, managers and leaders, as well as trainers, advocacy and regulatory reform.

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Other partnerships

We’re proud founder members of the Center for Safety and Health Sustainability and the European Network of Safety and Health Professional Organisations (ENSHPO).

We also work with a range of partners to develop expertise and competence in occupational safety and health around the world. These include:

Our members can become official IOSH representatives on national and international committees. This is a great way to support our vision of a safe and healthy world of work.