emita is pleased to announce IOSH as September's Member of the Month. You can find out more about this local company below from their Media Officer, Ruth Davies, including the company’s overseas challenges, international achievements and aspirations for the future

1.    Please provide a company background including when it was established, where it is located, how many staff you employ etc.

 

     We are a chartered professional body and registered charity that was founded in 1945 initially as the Institute of Industrial Safety Officers. We were re-named IOSH in 1982, granted our Royal Charter in 2003 and in 2005 the Privy Council gave us permission to create chartered membership for our most senior categories of members. The vision of creating ‘a world of work that is safe, healthy and sustainable’ has always existed at our core and we currently have over 39,000 members, working in over 85 countries around the world. Currently, 143 permanent employees work from our headquarters in Wigston, Leicestershire. We also accredit and deliver health and safety courses around the world, in an effort to raise standards in workplaces across the globe.

 

2.    Please provide an overview of the products and services offered and areas of specialisation.

 

     IOSH exists in two parts;  one half as a charity and the other half as a commercial enterprise whose funds are ploughed back into our overall activities. In the mid 1990s, thanks to a European grant, we created two courses – Working Safely and Managing Safely - that form the backbone of the health and safety awareness training we offer today. We have a significant trainer network that delivers these courses. We also accredit university courses – both in the UK and overseas - to provide professional membership qualifications. We’re also hoping to expand the awareness training courses we offer overseas as part of our new five year strategy.

 

     As well as all this, one of our main goals is always to expand our branch and group networks that members can access, to provide local hubs for them to share best practice, to network and learn with others in their own region. These networks are also a great base from which our overseas members can lobby their own governments and regulatory authorities for health and safety change.

 

3.   How did you find out about emita and what benefits do you find the most valuable?

 

We knew of EMITA as a membership trade association with a reputation for offering companies and organisations the right kind of advice on approaching different cultures. We’ve benefitted no end from the knowledge of international trade, imports and exports, as well as crucial appreciation of cultural nuances. We get a local take on international vision and are able to make links in other countries through networking opportunities and seminars that EMITA provides. The big difference with EMITA is that advice isn’t based on academia, it’s based on practices of similar organisations who are currently doing business in those countries we want to target.

 

4.    How long has your company been active in the export / import market and which countries do you currently trade with?

 

IOSH has less to do with the export and import markets in trading products, but instead ‘trades’ its services. We now have over 4,300 international members in over 85 countries and have international networks established to allow our members better access to those services. Our first international network was started in Ireland and has been running for nearly 30 years now. Our Hong Kong Branch is our second largest, but we’ve also recently opened one in Singapore and have very active Middle East and Caribbean branches.

 

5.    What made you decide to expand your business overseas?

 

Expansion overseas formed part of our very first corporate plan, and our vision to see a world of work that is safe, healthy and sustainable has always extended well beyond the UK. More than 10 per cent of our members are now internationally based, so to meet our charitable and professional aims we have to expand globally. Just this year we’ve opened a Singapore Branch, but all of our networks begin because our members have a need or a want for them – they meet a demand. And in opening them we’ve always known we will be better able to provide face-to-face support and training, as well as access to other benefits such as networking with like minded professionals..

 

6.    What has been your biggest exporting / importing challenge?

 

It’s always a challenge when you are an organisation with UK headquarters, but an international remit. A lot of organisations do face the same hurdle. But we’ve found that in building relationships with our international members, we’re able to bridge the geographical, cultural and language gaps and people find they can cherry pick the best practice techniques we’ve found work in the UK. We’ve also established good international links through our membership with INSHPO (International Network of Safety and Health Professional Organisations), APOSHO (Asia Pacific Occupational Safety and Health Organisation) and ENSHPO (European Network of Safety and Health Professional Organisations).

 

7.    What’s the most helpful piece of international trade advice you have received?

 

It’s vital when developing members in different countries of the world that you understand their differing cultures, as well as the needs of that region’s health and safety practitioners - that has always been a crucial piece of advice. Talking to people in the market at the coal face has also given us accurate cultural awareness, breaking down barriers in the process.

 

8.    What does the future hold? Any particular markets you are looking to target next?

 

Over the next five to 10 years we aim to increase our international membership and training activity at a faster rate than in the UK, becoming a truly international organisation. We also want to raise more awareness of IOSH and what we’re trying to achieve. At the moment, we’re on our way to achieving those aims through a number of collaborative projects across the Middle East and South East Asia, as well as European countries such as Macedonia, Romania and Turkey. We’ll be looking to strengthen our ties and provide more support to members across the globe, especially those that don’t yet have official IOSH networks formed.