IOSH: Safety Culture Becomes a Strategic Power Move for Business Leaders
A new framework from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health positions safety, health and wellbeing as core drivers of corporate resilience, performance and competitive advantage — moving safety culture far beyond compliance.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Dec 03, 2025
Safety culture is emerging as a strategic power play for business leaders, not just a compliance requirement, according to the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.
IOSH on Wednesday released a new framework that positions safety, health, and worker wellbeing as core drivers of business resilience and performance — a shift the organization says can give companies a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving risk landscape.
The white paper, Safety culture comes of age: empowering people, strengthening resilience, elevating performance, argues that employers should view safety culture as a business asset rather than a back-office obligation. The framework introduces a new Business Assurance Certification designed to embed safety and health into corporate governance, operations, and workforce engagement.
Angela Gray, IOSH’s technical lead, said the model reflects the shift in safety expectations. “Safety culture is now a driver of performance and resilience,” she said. “Our model empowers leaders to align safety with business goals, build resilience, and demonstrate their commitment to their people and ESG excellence.”
The Business Assurance Certification evaluates maturity across three pillars: governance and leadership, systems and processes, and people and culture. Organizations can use a self-assessment tool to gauge their current state and pursue third-party certification ranging from bronze to platinum.
IOSH said that global pilot testing with 120 organizations showed that most employers are still early in their safety-culture development; however, the framework prompted cross-departmental discussions and new investments in workforce wellbeing.
The organization emphasized that the model goes beyond regulatory compliance. Embedding safety into strategic planning, IOSH said, can help employers strengthen partnerships, increase transparency for investors, improve retention and engagement through psychological safety, and reduce costs tied to injuries, insurance and turnover.
The certification program is now available worldwide.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco brings a strong and varied journalism background to her role at Occupational Health & Safety, having previously served as a multimedia editor, broadcast journalist, professor and reviewer across major news organizations. As Content Editor, she writes news and feature articles, hosts sponsor and editorial webinars, co-hosts the SafetyPod worker health and safety podcast, and manages the brand’s digital and social media presence. She is committed to informing and engaging the safety community through compelling reporting and conversations that support safer, healthier workplaces.