A conference in Ireland focusing on how workers can be empowered to drive positive safety, health and wellbeing solutions in the workplace takes place on Wednesday 12 February.
Organised by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s (IOSH) Ireland South Branch, the event, titled “Start a ripple, create a wave”, highlights how adapting our approach to safety can help to inspire, lead and encourage those in our organisations to bringing about positive change in how we go about our work.
Leading speakers from the Health and Safety Executive (UK), Northumbria University, Maersk, the Health and Safety Authority and more will share examples of organisations which have seen dramatic improvements in safety and health management through adopting an adaptive safety approach, that sees people as providing the solutions and tapping into that.
The event will provide practical techniques for delegates to take back into their own workplaces to influence and create a safer and healthier workplace culture.
Investing in safety and health can lead to significant return on investment for businesses. A report by the International Social Security Association (ISSA) suggests there is a return of €2.20 for every one euro invested in occupational safety and health.
One of the case studies that will be presented by Professor Robert J de Boer shows how over £2M was saved annually by adopting a restorative just culture, and demonstrates that as well as being the right ethical approach to take, health and safety really is good for business.
Marion Kiely, conference organiser and a member of IOSH’s Ireland South Branch committee, said: “This event will showcase the benefits of adopting an adaptive safety approach to work. By tapping into our most valuable resource – our people – and treating them as part of the solution rather than the problem, we can reveal opportunities to evolve our organisation in a desirable direction that previously lay hidden to us.
“Listening to and empowering employees across a business can help to create a resilient organisation, and can lead to significant benefits right across the board.”
The conference, “Start a ripple, create a wave”, takes place on Wednesday 12 February at Cork International Hotel, Cork Airport Business Park, County Cork, Ireland, T12 H516.
