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On the day of its 75-year anniversary, IOSH has set out its policy position on supporting the OSH profession during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pointing out the importance of OSH professionals in supporting businesses through the crisis, the Institution said it is actively supporting the invaluable work of its members as they help organisations and countries to deal with this unprecedented public health emergency.
'The coronavirus pandemic and large-scale loss of life and human suffering is a public health crisis that tests the world’s collective capacity to respond,' IOSH said. 'Protecting people is the top priority and decision-makers must show leadership on this.'
IOSH reminded businesses of the essential need to protect workers’ physical and mental health, prevent exposure to Covid-19, monitor the disease and its spread, ensure access to the best treatment for any workers who become ill and provide wellbeing support for those who are quarantined.
Choosing to delay celebrations of its anniversary – which it had planned to mark with various activities – due to the Covid-19 outbreak, IOSH said it will now commemorate the milestone in 2021.
'The coronavirus outbreak has, of course, forced many of us to reprioritise, and IOSH is now focused entirely on supporting the occupational safety and health profession including our members, employers, strategic partners globally and our network of training partners in their response to the unprecedented challenges presented by Covid-19,' it said in a statement.
IOSH has published a collection of resources for OSH professionals, employers and other stakeholders, and will be holding a webinar on the role of the OSH professional has in supporting business throughout the Covid-19 crisis.