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Introducing the OSH Skills Commission

A RoSPA initiative bringing together experts and industry leaders to strengthen occupational safety and health capability in the UK.  

Why this matters

  • Across the UK, occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals are grappling with significant challenges.
  • Widening skills gaps, the loss of experienced professionals, and mounting pressures on remaining staff are creating a perfect storm that threatens workplace safety. 
  • Difficulty attracting and retaining talent combined with rising salaries and increasing regulatory demands, underscores the urgency of action.
  • Our Safer Lives, Stronger Nation report highlighted a troubling trend: accident rates across society are rising.
  • Without strategic support and investment, the OSH workforce will struggle to meet growing expectations for safety and wellbeing, which threaten to exacerbate social mobility challenges and deepen skills shortages over time.
  • Addressing these issues now is essential to protect lives, build resiliency into the workforce, and ensure a safer future for all.

"The UK cannot afford to fall behind on the skills that keep our people safe. As workplaces evolve, so must our approach to developing and sustaining OSH capability. The OSH Skills Commission is our commitment to driving a smarter, more resilient national skills landscape—one that empowers organisations, protects workers, and prepares industry for the challenges ahead. ”

In partnership with: 

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What will the OSH Skills Commission do?

RoSPA is now preparing to launch an OSH Skills Commission to explore the current and emerging skills challenges and opportunities within the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) profession. This comes at a pivotal moment, as Skills England and a new post-16 skills strategy are identifying priority work areas. These developments present a timely opportunity for RoSPA to lead the national conversation and help shape the future of OSH skills development, ensuring the profession is equipped to meet evolving safety needs across sectors.

The 5 key Commission outcomes

   Identify the key skills needed for the future of OSH and sustainable business

  Promote best practices, showcasing employers with effective policies or initiatives that have positively impacted skills development, retention or attraction through a series of Commissioner-led roundtables focused on:

    • Recruitment of competent people
    • Retention of competent people
    • Consultation and worker representation
    • Wellbeing, culture & psychological safety
    • Technology in OSH

       Understand the barriers to recruitment, retention, and progression in the OSH profession and wider workforce

       Develop strategic recommendations for government and industry to support future-proof skills development and workforce resilience

       Publish a public findings report in June 2026

    Press office

    For enquiries about the OSH Skills Commission, contact our press office
     
     
    Call: +44 (0)121 248 2134 - lines open 24/7
    Email: pressoffice@rospa.com

    Our partner