British Safety Council

Jonathan Gawthrop has been elected as Chair (Designate) of British Safety Council and will succeed Peter McGettrick at the end of his tenure in July 2027. Peter became Chairman in 2021, having served on the Board as Deputy, and Jonathan has been a Board member since 2023.

Commenting on the decision, Peter said: “It has been my absolute privilege to lead British Safety Council and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved as an organisation in the last five years. Our mission as a charity, to ensure that no one is injured or made ill through their work, remains as important as ever, and next year we will celebrate our 70th Anniversary, which makes it an extra special last year for me. Having worked closely with Jonathan, I know that the organisation will be in excellent hands, and he has extensive experience in health, safety and wellbeing."

For more information on Peter, Jonathan and our other Board members, visit: https://ow.ly/tgc350ZIRb2

🔎 Our Hidden Hazards campaign aims to shine a light on hidden occupational hazards that can too easily remain unseen, overlooked, or underestimated.

We'll be taking a deep dive into the biggest workplace killers from Silica to Asbestos, air quality to stress.

👀 Look out for:

📊 New research
📚 Practical resources
📝 New blogs
💡 Expert insight
📢 Calls for action

We'll explore the risks. We'll examine the evidence. And we'll make strong calls to keep the workers of today and tomorrow safe.

Our first theme is silicosis 🫁 but there are more hidden hazards to uncover.

Follow the campaign. Stay informed. And help us make hidden hazards visible ⬇️

https://ow.ly/neOg50ZIhuO

🔎 The question isn't whether we need to protect workers from silica 🔎

We do.

The question is: how do we make sure our solution actually works?

A ban on high-silica engineered stone can protect workers in the UK, but an overnight ban risks market instability.

That's why our Hidden Hazards campaign is calling for a comprehensive approach:

🛡️ Immediate stronger workplace protections
🚫 A phased transition to an outright ban
🌍 Import and export controls
🛒 Safer consumer choices
🏪 Retailers moving towards safer alternatives

We need a clear and predictable pathway that gives industry time to adapt, while keeping worker protection at its heart.

Because the goal isn't simply to manage the risk.

It's to eliminate it.

🫁 A safer future for workers starts with action today, and a clear endpoint: an outright ban on high-silica engineered stone within five years.

https://ow.ly/p6o950ZFYfm

💡 "By aligning employee capability with organisational outcomes, businesses can improve resilience, productivity and workforce wellbeing simultaneously."

Our Audit, Consultancy & Culture Change Director, Ian Cooke, recently contributed an insightful article to HR News on 'designing work for humans: addressing mental health challenges in the workplace'.

🔗 https://ow.ly/65ol50ZF39a

Psychosocial risk is no longer just a wellbeing issue - it's a business and compliance issue.

Join our free webinar, Designing healthier workplaces: setting the conditions for success, to explore how organisations can move beyond reactive wellbeing initiatives and take a proactive approach to managing psychosocial risks.

We'll cover:
✔️ The organisational factors behind stress and burnout
✔️ The WHO Healthy Workplace Model
✔️ Practical guidance from the British Safety Council Five Star Wellbeing Framework and ISO 45003

📅 Thursday 27 August 2026
🕙 10:00 AM BST

Register now: https://ow.ly/XBvC50ZvMNn

📢 Today we call on the UK Government to go further in protecting workers from the risks associated with high-concentration silica containing materials and, within five years, introduce a ban on high-silica products from entering or leaving the UK.

📋 This call comes as new research British Safety Council has conducted with more than 2000 workers reveals that nearly two-thirds are concerned about the risks which cutting stone containing silica poses to health.

Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of British Safety Council, said: “That beautiful quartz worktop in your kitchen may be costing more than you think. We want people to stop and think; is it worth killing the person who made it? Every cut, every drill, every grind releases dust so small you cannot see it. But once it reaches the lungs, the damage is permanent. These are not accidents, these are preventable deaths, so how many lives is a new kitchen worktop worth?"

🔗 https://ow.ly/y2O950ZBR4s