Volunteer resources

We reimburse all approved expenses reasonably and properly incurred while on IOSH business. This includes travel, accommodation and refreshments but you must provide receipts. Full details can be found in our volunteer travel and business subsistence rule.

To claim expenses, you need to complete a form. This must be signed by the Chair or an officer before you leave an event, then emailed to your Networks Development Manager, Regional Development Manager or Relationship Manager within a month to avoid delays in payment.

So you are not out of pocket and to secure the best price, our admin team can arrange travel and accommodation for IOSH meetings and events. Just complete the booking request form. If you have any questions, email our Admin team.

Clear and effective communication with fellow IOSH members is an important element of any volunteer role. Below are the ways that networks can communicate with their members.

All branch, district and group committee members can use this service, which enables you to create and manage messages to all members of your network. It is a broadcast platform, so does not support two-way conversations. Log in to MyIOSH to create and send a committee mailer message and watch our video for tips on good practice.

The main platforms for our networks are LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter). You can find guidance on how to use social media effectively and build engagement in our social media handbook for volunteers.

Our branch and group LinkedIn and X accounts are usually managed by the communications co-ordinator. Your Regional Manager (branches) or Relationship Manager (groups) can give you access. We’ve developed the Volunteer Code of Behaviour to support you – please follow this guidance when you communicate about IOSH on social media.

More people are using social media channels to raise questions and share concerns. To make sure you feel supported and know how to contact us, please fill in our feedback form where you can provide feedback or voice concerns.

Our PR team promotes IOSH, its members and our profession through both proactive and reactive communications.

Proactive: we can help you spread the word about activities that may be of interest to regional press or sector media. We can work with you to identify stories with news value – eg those that are relevant, timely/topical, emotive and/or ‘new’ – and contact the media. However, we can’t guarantee coverage.

Reactive: this is when journalists approach IOSH for expert comment on a story. If the article relates to a particular geographical area or sector, the team may get in touch to check if you’re available to support with the opportunity.

All media engagement must be carried out in collaboration with our PR team. If you’d like to talk to IOSH about sending a news release, please contact your Regional Manager (branches) or Relationship Manager (groups).

If you speak to the media as an IOSH member, you represent the Institution as a whole. Before any interviews, the PR team will talk you through interview techniques and provide a briefing. They will also ask if the article can be shared with you in advance of publication.

Connect is our weekly e-bulletin featuring updates on all things IOSH and OSH. If you have an idea for an article, please email the Connect team.

IOSH magazine is a bi-monthly publication packed with news, features, analysis and opinion pieces. The magazine website brings you articles between editions. It is managed and produced by Redactive, which is responsible for writing and commissioning all content except for ‘IOSH News’ articles and certain columns. If you would like to contribute to the magazine, email the editorial team. Please note features are planned months in advance.

Our newly rebuilt website is designed to provide an enhanced user experience.

We will continue to engage with networks to understand what you – our volunteers – would like from your webpages. We will also look at how we can support you to use the best channels for your content. Email the Website team with any requests, comments or feedback.

This reflects our history, everything we stand for and what we aim to achieve. It lets the outside world know who we are and what we do and gives everyone connected to IOSH an identity.

We all have a part to play in bringing the IOSH brand to life. The success of our corporate identity, however, depends largely on consistent presentation of the elements that make up our visual brand.

We carefully control how our logo is used, making sure it is reproduced in the right context, format and style. The IOSH logo, IOSH acronym and other elements of our corporate identity are trademarked and protected under copyright law.

If you’d like permission to use the IOSH logo, please get in touch so we can approve this and instruct you how to use it correctly. We’ll also need to make sure it isn’t going to be used to imply a broad or generic association with us. You can find the IOSH logo usage policy on Meta Compliance.

Holding an annual strategy and planning day is a good way to make time to build Activate 2028 into all activities.

Bringing the committee together for a whole day, where usual business can take place alongside planning for the year ahead, helps you develop a strong programme with strategic alignment. You can hold these days face to face or virtually, depending on what works best for your committee and ensures high attendance and engagement.

Please contact your Regional Development Manager about holding an annual strategy and planning day and compiling the network programme for the year ahead. They will work with you to ensure your planned activities fit with the guidelines and the form is completed.

These are usually held between April and May and should be no later than two months into the financial year. Business conducted at an annual general meeting is to:

• confirm the outcome of the election of branch, district and section executive committee members 
• confirm district and section representatives to the branch executive committee as appropriate  
• receive annual reports from the relevant chairpersons (branch, district and section) 
• confirm relevant regulations as the branch, district or section constitution and rules as applicable
• transact any other appropriate business. 

Planning is an important part of the AGM process. All newly elected committee members are confirmed at the AGM. The nominations and election process, administered electronically by IOSH, should be concluded before the branch AGM takes place. A nominations, elections and AGM timeline has been produced to help committees know when to begin the planning process. Full details can be found in Regulation 15.

Principal officers (Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and Communications Co-ordinator) and committee members serve for two years, then can be re-elected for up to four consecutive years, after which they can be re-elected only after three years have elapsed. See Regulation 15.

Holding an annual strategy and planning day is a good way to make time to build Activate 2028 into all activities.

Bringing the committee together for a whole day, where usual business can take place alongside planning for the year ahead, helps you develop a strong programme with strategic alignment. You can hold these days face to face or virtually, depending on what works best for your committee and ensures high attendance and engagement.

Please contact your Relationship Manager about holding an annual strategy and planning day and compiling the network programme for the year ahead. They will work with you to ensure your planned activities fit with the guidelines and the form is completed.

Hold regular committee meetings to ensure the activities agreed in your annual strategy are delivered. A group action log is used to record actions from committee meetings. All actions will be reviewed at every meeting and will remain on the list until they are completed. Other, relevant information will also be recorded. This includes attendees and apologies, along with the group membership numbers and details of the group budget, the spend to date and the remaining balance. The next meeting date and venue is also noted. Your Relationship Manager will maintain the action list and circulate a copy prior to every committee meeting.

Vacancies are advertised to all group members. To apply for a committee position, candidates need to meet a set of competences and complete an application form. Your Relationship Manager can provide more information and organise the process for your group. Committee members hold office for three years, after which they resign or seek re-election for a further three-year term. See Regulation 16.

Preparing a budget and activity plan is a very important part of the year. Funding for group activities is managed carefully to ensure that money is used effectively and efficiently to support IOSH members. 

A request will be sent in August or September for you to provide a forecast of your planned activities. The committee should work with their Relationship Manager to discuss and agree a programme of activities, events and projects they wish to deliver over the next financial year. The plan should be in line with IOSH’s strategic objectives, as outlined in Activate 2028. 

Further information can be found in Group activity and funding guidance on Meta Compliance, along with documents about event planning and committee roles.