Skip to main content
IOSH Magazine: Safety, Health and Wellbeing in the world of work - return to the homepage IOSH Magaazine logo
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit @ioshmagazine on Twitter
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on LinkedIn
Policy Highlights: How the landscape has changed
Member Interview: The next stage of Malaysia's health and safety plan
Digital Edition: Download the latest issue

Main navigation

  • Home
    • Browse previous issues
  • Health
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Accident reduction
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Sickness absence
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Rehabilitation
      • Personal injury
      • Return to work
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Professional skills
      • Qualifications
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
  • Jobs
  • Covid-19
  • Knowledge Bank
    • Infographics
    • Podcast
    • Reports
    • Webinars
    • Videos
  • Products & Services
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Sickness absence
      • Accident reduction
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Leadership
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Qualifications
      • Professional skills
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
  • Transport and logistics
  • Third sector
  • Retail
  • Mining and quarrying
  • Rail
  • Rehabilitation
    • Personal injury
    • Return to work
  • Utilities
  • Manufacturing and engineering
  • Construction
  • Sector: IOSH Branch
    • Sector: Northern Ireland
    • Sector: Midland
    • Sector: Merseyside
    • Sector: Manchester and North West Districts
    • Sector: Ireland East
    • Sector: Ireland
    • Sector: Edinburgh
    • Sector: Desmond-South Munster
    • Sector: Qatar
    • Sector: Oman
    • Sector: Singapore
    • Sector: South Coast
    • Sector: South Wales
    • Sector: Thames Valley
    • Sector: Tyne and Wear
    • Sector: UAE
    • Sector: West of Scotland
    • Sector: Yorkshire
  • Healthcare
  • Sector: Fire
  • Sector: Financial/general services
  • Sector: Energy
  • Sector: Education
  • Sector: Communications and media
  • Sector: Chemicals
  • Sector: Central government
  • Catering and leisure
  • Agriculture and forestry
  • Sector: Local government
  • Sector: IOSH Group
    • Sector: Financial Services
    • Sector: Sports Grounds and Events
    • Rural industries
    • Sector: railway
    • Public Services
    • Sector: Offshore
    • Sector: Hazardous Industries
    • Sector: Food and Drink
    • Sector: Fire Risk Management
    • Education
    • Construction
    • Sector: Aviation and Aerospace
Quick links:
  • Home
  • Categories
  • Products and services

RoSPA celebrates centenary year in 2017

Sponsored content
Open-access content Monday 6th February 2017

karen_mcdonnell

As RoSPA reaches its centenary year in 2017, it's perhaps unsurprising that, through the nature of what we do, the charity has helped to shape the health and safety community and influence health and safety related policy development over the past 100 years.

RoSPA was founded in December 1916 as the London "Safety First" Council, with the purpose of reducing the number of pedestrians being killed by cars during the blackout conditions of the First World War. By creating and promoting "the rule of the footpath", which asked people to walk facing oncoming traffic while on the side of the pavement closest to the road, casualty numbers were cut by around 70 per cent in the space of a year.

Within the first year of its creation the council turned its attentions to workplace health and safety, and RoSPA has been working hard to ensure that every employee gets home safe ever since.

At the hub of RoSPA's work in the field of occupational health and safety is our National Occupational Safety and Health Committee (NOSHC), formerly the National Industrial Safety Committee formed in the 1920's. NOSHC is a voluntary association of people drawn from organisations representing a broad cross-section of occupational safety and health interests, including IOSH. It acts as an advisory committee to RoSPA and assists in identifying ways and means of improving occupational safety and health, and shapes RoSPA policy and key issues.

RoSPA's role as catalyst in developing the health and safety community that IOSH members operate in has been pivotal, and our centenary year provides an opportunity for us to articulate this.

We share the same roots -- in 1943 RoSPA appointed a sub-committee to consider the formation of an 'Institute of Safety Engineers'. This was discussed in great detail by the management committee of RoSPA and, after consideration, the charity suggested the formation of an interim body in the form of an Industrial Safety Officers Section. The inaugural meeting was held in London on April 21, 1945. It was clearly understood that it was an interim body, the main purpose of which was to lay plans for the eventual formation of another body, either separate or as part of RoSPA, which would be able to give its members a professional background!

The RoSPA annual report 1948/49 says of its Industrial Safety Officers Section: "this very live section continues to develop as an autonomous body within the general framework of the society. Its constitution has been amended to include entrance examinations for future applicants. A syllabus is now being prepared as well as a text book for the guidance of candidates. This decision marks a great step forward in the work of giving the Industrial Safety Officer the proper professional standing."

The formation of IOSH in 1953 brought this thread of RoSPA work to fruition, and we have continued to work together as proactive partners since.

In 1947 the Industrial Group Advisory Council to RoSPA, now Safety Groups UK (SGUK), was formed to raise the standard of work in industrial accident prevention by the various groups throughout the country, pooling and disseminating experience and information for the mutual benefit of all groups. And again SGUK, RoSPA and IOSH work together with other key stakeholders to improve standards of occupational health and safety across GB and indeed the wider world.

We have this shared history, and a story to tell in terms of the progress made in occupational health and safety standards here in GB.

In 2011, NOSHC decided to take forward the History of Occupational Safety and Health project in order to create a suitable 'map' of occupational safety and health information sources and materials from an historical point of view, with as many links to original texts as possible. The website, www.historyofosh.org.uk, was launched to mark the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on April 28, 2014. The oldest full text document available is 500 years old -- De Re Metalica by Georgius Agricola, translated from the latin in 1950.

In this, RoSPA's centenary year, we want to celebrate the culture of partnership working that exists here in GB, reflect on the progress made to date, and recognise the work that needs to be done in the next 100 years to tackle occupational ill-health, the challenges linked to our aging workforce, and the unforeseen hazards and risks associated with emerging technologies.

Topics:
Products and services
This content is paid for and not an endorsement from IOSH or IOSH magazine.

You might also like...

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Health, Safety and Environmental Coordinator (EMEA)

£30000 - £35000 per annum + Excellent benefits
Reference
5448187

CDM and Health & Safety Consultant

Birmingham
£35k - 40k per year + dm c
Reference
5448186

Human Factors Consultant

Edinburgh
£35k - 50k per year + actor
Reference
5448185
See all jobs »

Today's top reads

Sign up for regular e-alerts

Receive the latest news and features, free to your inbox

Sign up

Subscribe to IOSH magazine

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
IOSH Covers
​
FOLLOW US
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
CONTACT US
Contact us
Tel +44 (0)20 7880 6200
​

IOSH

About IOSH
Become a member
IOSH Events
MyIOSH

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to IOSH magazine
Write for IOSH magazine

IOSH Magazine

Health
Safety
Management
Skills
IOSH Jobs

Copyright © 2021 IOSH. IOSH is not responsible for the content of external sites.