The 56th president of IOSH was celebrated last week at an event held at Westminster University in London.
Lawrence Webb CFIOSH, who is safety, health and environment strategy director at construction giant Costain, has been a member of IOSH for nearly 30 years.
For his presidential year, he will be challenging employers and organisations to eliminate harm at source wherever possible and has also chosen three areas for particular focus:
Future Leaders and the next, next generation
‘This means developing and supporting our discipline pipeline, continuing to support our great Future Leaders programme and inspiring and motivating people to join this wonderful profession as first choice careers where possible,’ explained Lawrence (pictured above).
‘We need to dispel the myth that we are unapproachable, single-minded, clipboard carrying dis-enablers with an allergy to fun rather than the fun-loving enablers that we really are.’
Diversity
‘We are all different,’ noted Lawrence. ‘Diversity in people is both an opportunity and a massive potential, so are we reflecting the neurodiversity that exists to influence, engage and represent the profession and the wider world of work?’
Grass roots OSH
‘Are we supporting the 80% of businesses within the global ecosystem that are really doing the hard yards?’ Lawrence asked the audience.
‘These themes build on previous work, and reflect some of today’s challenges and opportunities, relating back to IOSH’s point of being, its influence and of course its members,’ he said. They also align directly with the incoming strategy, he told guests at the lunch last Friday.
Lawrence’s election brings Louise Hosking’s year-long term as IOSH’s 55th president to an end. During a speech (pictured above), she said: ‘I have now come to the end of my term as president. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve.’
The theme for Louise’s term has been people, sustainability and putting heart into health and safety. ‘The Catch the Wave initiative has been at the centre of this,’ she said. ‘By putting our people first, articulating to organisations the value we bring when we focus on social sustainability; harnessing modern leadership skills and by encouraging a culture of care, curiosity and compassion we will contribute to tackle the very real challenges the world is facing right now.
‘This is about aligning our profession with a different approach. Organisations of the future need to innovate, empower, enable, adapt and keep adapting. And so do we.
It is time for us to thrive in the grey space between the black and white. It is time to move away from transactional and hero leadership styles and caring about how one another feels.’
Louise takes up the role as immediate past-president and will continue to work alongside the Presidential team, supporting Lawrence, and the new president elect, Stuart Hughes, head of health and safety at the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team.