World Assembly Programme

"The Role of Occupational Safety, Health and Wellbeing in Designing Future Society for Our Lives"

The first World Assembly of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Professionals will take place at the Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, Japan, in July 2025.

The World Assembly will welcome safety and health professionals, experts, and business sustainability leaders and advocates, academics and students from Japan and all over the world for a unique opportunity to network, engage in discussions and learn from the World’s leading specialists and practitioners in workplace safety, health and wellbeing.

Highlighting the fast-changing world of work and challenges, with both natural and man-made developments, that impact the safety, health and well-being of people at work around the world, the World Assembly will be held over two days:

Thematic workshops on the challenges and opportunities for the Occupational Safety and Health profession, to be organised on Wednesday, 16th July 2025 at the INTEX Osaka Exhibition Centre
World Assembly Plenary, a celebratory event highlighting the vital role of Occupational Safety and Health professionals to workplaces and societies, to be organised on Friday, 18th July 2025 at the Expo Hall
This not to be missed event aims to inspire new generations of Occupational Safety, Health and Wellbeing professionals and foster lasting partnerships and a strong sense of pride and belonging to a community of professionals who positively contribute to workplaces and societies at large.
Thematic workshops

On 16th July 2025, at Intex Osaka, participants will be able to take part in curated interactive workshops delving into pressing topics related to safety, health and wellbeing in the changing world of work.

Eight workshops will be organised over the course of the day, addressing ley topics: four parallel workshops in the morning and four parallel workshops in the afternoon:

Morning workshops:

  • “The Future of Occupational Safety and Health within the Sustainability Agenda”, co-organised by ENSHPO and IOSH
  • “The Future of Work and Workplaces: Harnessing Digitalisation for Safety, Health and Well-being”, co-organised by DGUV and PKG
  • “Climate Change and the Future of Work”, co-organised by IOHA and ICOH
  • “Occupational Safety and Health Competencies, Training, and Skills for the Future World of Work”, co-organised by IOSH and ENETOSH

Afternoon workshops:

  • “The Evolution of Human-Centric Workplaces: How to advance workplace wellbeing”, co-organised by Human House and (TBC)
  • “Leading with Occupational Safety and Health Metrics – the way forward to better prevention”, co-organised by IOSH and Human House
  • “How is the Occupational Safety and Health profession transforming?”– co-organised by INSHPO and IOHA
  • “The Future of Occupational Safety and Health Partnerships and Relationships with other professionals – co-organised by INSHPO and ENSHPO

Participants are encouraged to actively contribute to the discussions examining key topics and share their thoughts on how the Occupational Safety and Health profession is evolving in the rapidly transforming world of work. The workshops are open to diverse professionals, business and sustainability leaders, experts, students and all those with interest in the safety, health and well-being of workers and its impact on business and societies at large.

Key insights from the eight workshops will be included in the World Assembly outcome document, which will be presented, together with a Declaration, at the World Assembly Plenary on 18th July 2025.

16 July 2025

Morning Sessions
Workshop 1
Workshop 2
Workshop 3
Workshop 4
The Future of OSH within the Sustainability Agenda

TIME:
10:00 - 13:00

VENUE:
INTEX Osaka

ORGANISERS:
ENSHPOIOSH

MODERATORS:
Francesco Santi
President
European Network of Safety and Health Professional Organizations (ENSHPO)
Stuart Hughes
Immediate Past President IOSH/Head of Health & Safety
Mercedez-AMG Petronas Formula One Team
This workshop explores the critical intersection between occupational safety and health (OSH) and the sustainability agenda. It emphasises the role of OSH in achieving the both the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the broader Agenda 2030. It will address the need for value-driven business, responsible and ethical leadership, and healthy, diverse workforces in the pursuit of a sustainable future.

The workshop will be structured around two of the most significant and interdependent dimensions of the sustainability conversation – firstly, articulating and realising the vision of socially sustainable work and, secondly, the challenge of aligned measurement and reporting on it.
The Future of Work and Workplaces: Harnessing Digitalisation for Safety, Health and Well-being

TIME:
10:00 - 13:00

VENUE:
INTEX Osaka

ORGANISERS:
DGUVPocketknife Group

MODERATORS:
Sven Timm
Director of Central Prevention Division
DGUV
Cam Stevens
CEO Work Design & Safety Transformation Coach
Pocketknife Group
2030 Scenario: "Digital Evolution“

Digitalisation has brought about a fast evolution in work culture, with AI and digital tools fostering significant improvements in safety, health, and well-being. Yet, this digital utopia is not without its shadows. The reliance on technology has sparked a countermovement advocating for "digital mindfulness," stressing the importance of human connection and mental health in the tech-saturated workplace. The conversation shifts towards finding harmony between technology and humanity, exploring innovative ways to blend digital efficiency with worker well-being.
Climate Change and the Future of Work

TIME:
10:00 - 13:00

VENUE:
INTEX Osaka

ORGANISERS:
IOHAICOH

MODERATORS:
Andrea Hiddinga-Schipper
Past President
International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA)
Martin Hogan
Vice President
International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH)
Learning that everything in the world of work is interconnected. In this session we learn this by looking at the topic of climate change. This session will show that working on one topic will have impact on other related topics. By inviting industries to present the problems they are facing in relation to climate change, we want to show the audience that industry and scientist should address issues together. It promotes greater transparency and a holistic way of working. And on top of that, a multidisciplinary approach will have a positive impact on the sustainability of the solutions.
The evolving OSH profession: What lies behind us and how do we look to the future?

TIME:
10:00 - 13:00

VENUE:
INTEX Osaka

ORGANISERS: IOSHENETOSH
MODERATORS:
Duncan Spencer
Head of Advice and Practice
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
Ulrike Bollmann
President
ENETOSH
The session will illustrate the competency challenges facing the OSH profession today. It will be emphasized that technical knowledge of OSH topics is no longer sufficient, that leadership and management competencies are increasingly important.

The session will examine the changing boundaries of knowledge needed for the OSH profession and indicate how professionals can continue to develop their skills to remain relevant in the workplace.
Afternoon Sessions
Workshop 5
Workshop 6
Workshop 7
Workshop 8
The Evolution of Human-Centric Workplaces: How to advance workplace wellbeing

TIME:
14:00 - 17:00

VENUE:
INTEX Osaka

ORGANISERS:
Human House

MODERATORS:
Pernille Thau
Head of Department
Human House
Thomas Heilskov-Hansen
Head of Health
Novo Nordisk
The speakers will address the questions from their different perspectives. They will do it by telling how they work for better workplaces and company economy with different strategies, methods and activities.

Besides addressing the questions we will also focus on inclusion of neurodiversity, generations cooperation in organisations, changes in ways to work (four days weeks, promote work, etc), changes, leader wellbeing as essential for a well-functioning psychosocial work environment.
Leading with OSH Metrics – the way forward to better prevention

TIME:
14:00 - 17:00

VENUE:
INTEX Osaka

ORGANISERS:
IOSHHuman House

MODERATORS:
Duncan Spencer
Head of Advice and Practice
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
Lars Tornvig
Director
Human House

The workshop will consist of two parts, addressing 4 key questions:

  1. What are the challenges with metric identification and measurement?
  2. How does metric measurement change with organisational maturity?
  3. Who are demanding metric measurements and why?
  4. What methods are now available for metric measurement?
How is the OSH profession transforming?

TIME:
14:00 - 17:00

VENUE:
INTEX Osaka

ORGANISERS:
INSHPOENSHPO

MODERATORS:
Dee Arp
Vice President
INSHPO
Nathan Winter
President
INSHPO
The world is changing at an unprecedented pace and so is the world of work. As the OSH profession remains dedicated to keeping people safe, healthy and well, how this is achieved is presenting new challenges and opportunities. OSH professionals have already transformed over the years with many taking on additional responsibility for environmental management, quality, wellbeing, security, facilities, sustainability and resilience.

In this workshop we will explore how we can effectively and sustainably manage the transition of the OSH profession; discuss what skills are needed and how they can and should be delivered; how collaboration with other professions and stakeholders is critical to success and how the impact of change, including technology and digitalization, climate change, changing employment models and working practices is changing how we protect people.
The Future of OSH Partnerships and Relationships with other professionals

TIME:
14:00 - 17:00

VENUE:
INTEX Osaka

ORGANISERS:
INSHPOIOHA

MODERATORS:
Matthew Olota
President Elect
International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA)
Nathan Winter
President
INSHPO

This session will explore the potential and benefits of collaboration across OSH bodies and other stakeholders with the common goal of keeping people safe, healthy and well.

Attendees will hear from speakers representing a breadth of partnership approaches across the globe who will address:

  • Strategic approaches on forming partnerships
  • Which partnerships to consider and why
  • Case studies on partnerships in practice
  • Call for action

18 July 2025

Plenary of the World Assembly of Safety, Health and Well-being Professionals

On Friday, 18th July 2025, as part of the Osaka Expo 2025, a historic World Assembly Plenary will be organised at the Expo Hall, celebrating Occupational Safety and Health professionals and their contribution to the world of work and to societies at large.

The event will see Occupational Safety and Health professionals take the stage to highlight the vital role of Occupational Safety and Health and wellbeing in “Designing Future Societies of our Lives” and adopt a World Assembly Outcome Document and Declaration reinforcing this role, which will send a clear message to the world that Occupational Safety and Health is a foundation of sustainable development and of sustainable future.

Global Initiative for Safety, Health & Wellbeing

The Global Initiative for Safety, Health, and Well-being (GISHW) is committed to building a socially sustainable future society, guided by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, ILO’s Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and the ISSA’s Vision Zero mindset. Central to its mission is prioritizing individual safety, health, and well-being in the workplace as a key to global welfare
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