Strategy

As a focal point for health and safety professionals involved in major hazard industries, we aim to:

• provide specialist support for IOSH and its members on hazardous industries
• provide a structure for consultation and discussion through presentations and focused meetings
• help to review and develop legislation, codes of practice and guidance notes on significant hazard issues
• give our members information about effective risk management in major hazard industries and supporting activities
• organise and facilitate site visits, activities and networking opportunities
• establish links with key external organisations.

Specifically, we intend to:

• provide a forum for discussion on health and safety matters in the sector, especially between a relatively small group of major companies and an ever-increasing SME sector
• offer unified professional guidance in this large sector, with its many subcontracted service and support industries
• evaluate and promote voluntary protection programmes for significant hazard sites
• promote the sharing of information, data and best practice in a way that will facilitate health and safety benchmarking across the sector
• help to develop industry standards
• encourage those working in hazardous industries to get more training and qualifications, and to join IOSH
• promote partnership with other stakeholders, particularly enforcement agencies, insurers and specialist contractors and service providers
• help to improve the performance levels of health and safety practitioners and others in hazardous industries
• develop standards for training throughout the sector
• influence change in the sector by advising and working with key organisations in the UK and EU
• work with other groups and especially IOSH branches to improve efficiency.

We also want to forge effective links with employers, investors, government departments, standard-setting bodies, enforcement agencies and other interested parties so we can offer authoritative comments based on our members' vast experience. We want to make this experience and knowledge available as a valuable resource for IOSH and its members.