About consultation documents

Latest live consultation documents ...

Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008: Consultation on the Primary Authority Scheme

Find out more about our process and view our archive

What are consultation and discussion documents?

Consultation and discussion documents are issued by government agencies and other bodies to gain the opinion of stakeholders on proposals for new policy or legislation or for amendments to current legislation/Approved Codes of Practice (ACoPs). The changes presented in these documents can be driven by a number of factors such as UK governmental policy, the need to comply with European Directives, changes in the nature of work or society and public or media pressure.

Why members should get involved

As an organisation IOSH is an important stakeholder in European and UK policy in the areas of occupational health, safety and increasingly, the environment. As a membership organisation our members have a stake in IOSH policy, and as individuals are likely to be directly affected by changes to regulations and ACoPs in their professional lives. Consultation means:

our members have a voice in the changes that most affect them
legislators benefit from our members knowledge and experience
policy or legislative changes are more effective and accepted

The consultation process

The aim of our consultation process is to gather the opinions of IOSH members in the areas that most affect them. Often consultation documents have an attached questionnaire that explores issues raised in the text. These questions can be useful, but do give identified options only, therefore presenting a 'closed' agenda. IOSH has an 'open' agenda so respondents can answer the set questions but can also discuss issues that are not covered by them. We are interested in the opinions, experience and innovative ideas our members can bring to the consultation process.

View the interactive flowchart describing the process.

How to get involved

Within the live documents section, you will find the latest consultations with dates for the submission of your comments. There are links to download the full text from the issuer's website or read a summary of the main issues. If you would prefer a hard copy, please contact Murray Clark giving your full postal address. We look forward to receiving your opinions in the format you find most convenient.

Contact details:

Murray Clark
IOSH,
The Grange,
Highfield Drive,
Wigston,
Leicestershire,
LE18 1NN, UK
f +44(0)116 257 3107