The institution's 2017-2022 strategy, WORK 2022 -- Shaping the Future of Safety and Health, includes:
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working in partnership with professionals in countries facing local challenges related to work-related injury and illness
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rolling out the Blueprint OSH competency framework to allow professionals worldwide to map their career paths
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a programme to boost the image of safety and health as a first career and help ambitious young people become the leaders of the future
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introducing a new entry-level qualification to develop a clear route into the profession
WORK 2022 has been launched at IOSH's Middle East Conference in Doha, Qatar, which is preparing to host football's World Cup in five years' time.
The IOSH branch in Qatar has seen a five-fold membership increase in the past five years. Its members are working across industries to ensure health and safety standards keep pace with the country's rapid development.
To protect workers and improve workplaces, IOSH plans to seek to enhance the safety and health profession's standing, build strategic collaborative partnerships across industry and strengthen its influence globally through impactful research and development.
IOSH will draw on the skills and networks of its members to develop and implement a new model for how it works with businesses.
WORK 2022 was launched by Dr Bill Gunnyeon, chair of IOSH's Board of Trustees and former chief medical adviser for the UK government's Department of Work and Pensions.
Ahead of the launch, he said: "We know organisations across the world are striving to increase the protection of their workforces through improvements in health and safety.
"At IOSH we want to work with organisations to help ensure that, irrespective of where in the world they are, the protection and promotion of the health and wellbeing of their workforces will ultimately achieve the standard of the best.
"This will ensure that, over time, we see a significant reduction in the avoidable human and financial costs of work-related injury and ill health."
IOSH chief executive Bev Messinger said: "Our new strategy focuses priorities for IOSH and sets its direction for the next five years, helping enhance the profession, making improvements for members, increasing our influence and impact around the world. It will guide the work we do to achieve our mission and charitable aims in partnership with others."
A film about the strategy featuring Ria Sooknarine, a committee member of IOSH's Caribbean branch and head of health and safety for Massy Stores in Trinidad, and Matt Tyler, managing director of UK-based construction firm DriBuild, is at www.IOSHWORK2022.com
An IOSH Magazine interview with Bill Gunnyeon, in which he discusses the strategy and how IOSH plans to serve its members, features in this month's issue.