AVON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH GROUP (A.O.S.H)

HISTORY

The Avon Occupational Safety and Health Group (AOSH), affiliated to RoSPA, is one of around 80 groups located across the UK. These safety groups began to be set up shortly after the formation of RoSPA in 1917 with the oldest group dating back to 1920.

AOSH, originally known as The Bristol Industrial Safety Group, was formed in 1946 and continues as an independent, voluntary group.

AOSH membership covers both large and small employers and/or individuals providing a forum where members can gain health and safety information, share problems and learn about topical health and safety issues and changes to legislation.

For several years the National Health & Safety Groups Council, with the assistance of ROSPA, has annually run a competition amongst the groups for the best pro-gramme. AOSH won the first competition and every year since has been a prize winner or has been highly commmended.

Annually the occupational safety groups affiliated to RoSPA compete for the Alan Butler Awards. In 2006 AOSH were delighted to win 'Best Programme' for the large groups category.

Members of the Committee were invited to the House of Lords to receive the award.

The photograph shown is Chair Linden Ruskin with the award at the House of Lords.

OUR MISSION

- To provide a forum for the promotion and furtherance of knowledge and good practice in occupational safety and health.

- To foster networking within the Group’s membership with the purpose of learning from each other’s experience and expertise.

STRATEGY

As a non-profit making voluntary organisation the effort and resources of the Group’s officers, committee and members will limit the extent of the Group’s activities.

- To encourage into membership from its catchment area all employing organisations from all sectors. (To include manufacturing, commerce, construction, utilities, retail, services and public authorities).

- Each member organisation to nominate a representative for communication purposes who is likely to be the organisations’ specialist or manager responsible for health and safety matters.

- To arrange and deliver an annual programme of meetings to which member organisations are invited to send delegates.

- Meeting topics to be selected to reflect member organisations’ expressed or anticipated interests giving the widest appeal and relevance to the membership

- All meetings to include an opportunity for delegates to share matters of interest and concern for their mutual benefit

- To require an annual subscription from members to fund the administration costs of the Group without financial gain to any member or officer.