Professional Organisations in Occupational Safety and Health Scotland – POOSH
About POOSH
POOSH Scotland conveys information to and from the Partnership on Health and Safety in Scotland (PHASS). PHASS was set up by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), and is supported by Scottish and UK Ministers.
POOSH Scotland was established in 2005 at the request of PHASS, to promote co-ordinated action to improve workplace health and safety in Scotland. It brings together a wide variety of bodies whose aim is to improve occupational health and safety in the workplace, and provides direct input to how the HSC's UK-wide strategy for workplace health and safety is being taken forward in Scotland.
POOSH Scotland provides a similar framework to POOSH in England and Wales (external site), which exists to promote the continuous improvement of the practice of occupational safety and health through education, communication, and the encouragement of co-operation between all persons and agencies involved in the provision of a healthy and safe working environment.
POOSH Scotland meets three times per year to share information, exchange details of current initiatives and to forward plans.
Objectives
POOSH Scotland's objectives are to:
- exchange views, knowledge and information on matters of interest to members
- to offer comments on consultative documents and national strategies for occupational health and safety
- discuss and develop common initiatives and policies for consideration by PHASS
- to promote professional standards and competence among health and safety practitioners, including appropriate qualifications and continuing professional development schemes.
Research and consultation activities
POOSH also undertakes activities at the request of PHASS.
The leading example of this to date is the report Mapping Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Professional Body Activities in Scotland.
The purpose of the report is to:
- provide guidance, in particular, for small- and medium-sized businesses on where they can go for competent advice and how to select what advice is needed
- provide a source of reference material for regulators, service providers and professionals to signpost potential clients
- encourage and support professionals from related disciplines to broaden their range of skills and qualifications for application in the world of work
- provoke and generate a debate about Scotland's occupational safety and health professions: where capacity might need building; and in what direction it should develop to support the agenda on what makes 'good work'.
→ Download Mapping Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Professional Body Activities in Scotland (PDF - 980KB)
Participating organisations
All links are to external sites:
- Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Occupational Health and Ergonomics
- British Occupational Hygiene Society
- Division of Occupational Psychology-Scotland
- Ergonomics Society
- Faculty of Occupational Medicine
- Institution of Occupational Safety and Health
- Royal College of Nursing Occupational Health Nurse Forum Scotland (RCN OHN Forum Scotland)
- Partnership on Health and Safety in Scotland
- Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland
- Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives
- Scottish Chamber of Safety
- Society of Occupational Medicine
Further information
For further information on POOSH Scotland, please contact our Adviceline on 0800 019 2211.
