Inside RoSPA’s new OSH Skills Commission launch at the House of Lords
Future‑proofing safety
The world of occupational safety and health is changing fast, and the UK’s ability to keep workers safe is being tested like never before. Skills gaps are widening, experienced professionals are leaving the sector, and the demands created by new technologies, new ways of working and mounting economic pressures are accelerating.
Many in the profession have been sounding the alarm for years: unless we act now, the UK risks losing the competent, confident workforce it needs to maintain its reputation as a global leader in health and safety.
This is the challenge at the heart of RoSPA’s newly launched OSH Skills Commission - an ambitious, sector‑wide effort to examine what the UK needs to rebuild, strengthen and future‑proof the skills that keep workplaces safe.
Launched at the House of Lords and led by RoSPA Vice President Baroness Crawley of Edgbaston, the Commission brings together some of the UK’s most respected voices from policy, trade unions, professional bodies and industry. In partnership with Speedy Hire, the Commission will explore how the OSH profession can adapt to a changing landscape and ensure the next generation is equipped to protect workers across every sector.
A pivotal moment for OSH
The Commission comes at a critical time. Skills England and a new post‑16 strategy are reshaping the national skills agenda, and industries across the country are grappling with labour shortages and rapidly evolving risks. Employers are reporting difficulties recruiting competent people, experienced practitioners are retiring or leaving the profession, and remaining staff face increasing pressure.
For Baroness Crawley, this is a national wake‑up call.
“Our nation faces a growing occupational safety and health skills shortage that is impacting productivity and putting people in danger. Together, we have an opportunity to future‑proof OSH skills, support national productivity, and build a safer, stronger workforce.”
Her message is clear: the UK cannot afford to treat OSH skills as an afterthought. They are the backbone of national resilience.
Five expert‑led workstreams
To deliver practical, evidence‑based recommendations, the Commission will convene five expert roundtables, each chaired by a leading figure in their field. Together, they reflect the core challenges shaping the future of OSH:
1. Recruitment of Competent People
Claudia Jaksh, CEO, Policy Connect
How do we ensure new professionals enter the workforce with the skills employers actually need?
2. Retention of Competent People
Rick Bate, President, IOSH
As pressures mount and workloads grow, how can organisations retain talent and protect knowledge built over decades?
3. Consultation and Worker Representation
Luke Collins, National Health & Safety Officer, Unite the Union
How do we strengthen worker voice and ensure consultation remains central to good safety outcomes?
4. Wellbeing, Culture & Psychological Safety
Nick Pahl, CEO, Society of Occupational Medicine
What skills will OSH professionals need to navigate the growing focus on mental health, wellbeing, culture and psychosocial risk?
5. Technology in OSH
Kate Field, Global Head of People & Social Sustainability, BSI
From AI to automation, how can we embrace technology without losing sight of human safety?
Each roundtable will gather insights, identify challenges and explore real‑world solutions - all feeding into a final, strategic report for government and industry.
Industry voices: a shifting workforce and new risks
For industry partners like Speedy Hire, the skills challenge is being felt every day across the UK.
Group HSSEQ Director Andy Johnson says a major shift in workforce patterns is creating fresh risks:
“A transient, industry‑agnostic workforce is moving rapidly between roles. While this brings energy, it also creates skills and knowledge gaps that present new risks for the OSH profession.”
This pace of movement means traditional models of training and competence no longer fit the needs of modern workplaces. The Commission aims to understand how training, mentoring and competency frameworks must evolve.
Supporting the people at the heart of workplace safety
For the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM), the Commission’s focus on wellbeing and worker voice couldn’t be more timely. Nick Pahl, CEO of SOM, believes the Commission has an opportunity to reshape the future of the profession:
“The Commission is putting skills at the heart of the key issues of recruitment, retention, wellbeing and the impact of technology. The solutions we identify must empower people and businesses rather than burden them.”
With mental health, workplace culture and psychological safety now integral to OSH, professionals need new tools and new training to meet rising expectations.
Driving national change
The OSH Skills Commission marks the beginning of a much wider conversation; one that spans education, industry, regulation and national workforce planning. RoSPA’s ambition is to help shape policies that recognise OSH skills as essential to productivity, national wellbeing and economic resilience.
Over the coming months, the Commission will gather evidence, speak with experts across sectors, and share emerging insights. Its final report will offer a set of strategic, practical recommendations that government, educators and employers can act on.
Because one thing is clear: without a strong, skilled and adaptable OSH workforce, the UK cannot build the safe, prosperous future it aspires to.