Well I posted my thoughts such as they are on the Member to Member Forum and the response that came from the IOSH bot told us to: “please save any content you wish to keep before the forum closes, as past discussions will not be accessible after this date.” Sothey are starting with blank slate.  They are also reminding us that we can  “contact our [IOSH’s] experts free of charge”. So they seem to be already indicating that they do not see the new platform as a place to share actual knowledge about H&S. That knowledge is now apparently owned by IOSH.

Johnny, the three trending topics on the H&S leadership platform: “The Power of a 2-Minute Pause! Do You Agree? What's your favourite model for accident investigation and why? What career advice / inspirational quote would you tell yourself 5-10 years ago if you met for a coffee/drink now?”  is typical of the sort of inane  HR speak the world of work is drowning in. the problem with all of this is there is no correct answer  for any of these questions and they are just fluff intended to occupy time during one of those “away days” we all love so much. If that is the future of H&S we are doomed!

Whilst not entirely surprised it seems that IOSH has decided that these replacement Forums are NOT to be open to those who are NOT Members of IOSH.

The "Objects" of the Institution are set out in Article 3 of the Royal Charter and the last few words read:

"in the interests of the general public benefit."

Seems to me that we have reached a stage where very little of what IOSH does is "in the interests of IOSH Members' benefit" let alone the "general public benefit". 

Year after year IOSH employs more staff with the rate of increase vastly greater than any increase in Membership numbers. 

IOSH Members and others have benefitted for over 20 years from being able to sound out people for advice on these PUBLIC Forums and quite often the best advice comes from people who are not IOSH Members, including when it comes to topics that are specialist and which MOST IOSH Members are not that competent.

Perhaps IOSH thinks that by excluding non-Members from the new and improved Forums, that there will be a rush of non-Members to sign up or rejoin. 

I very much doubt that this will happen. 

Instead if IOSH remove open access to its chat forums then the likelihood is that some existing Members will have another reason not to renew.

IOSH should know it has a retention problem as it admits to that problem on page 17 of the most recent Annual Report:

• membership income behind budget due to a lower number of members at the start of the year, lower retention rates and fewer new joiners than in the budget

IOSH even admitted in the Report that it had fewer Members than the year before.

I suspect that there are also fewer registered Mentors on the IOSH Mentoring Platform, a Platform that doesn't even get a mention in this year's Report - may be that is to be scrapped in favour of some "mentoring" by those who can be guaranteed to consistently promote the IOSH party line whatever the development needs of the mentees.

I have had three mentoring requests in the last fortnight, a sign that there probably are not enough Mentors to go round.

I gave up membership when my developed role could no longer justify a "Professional Membership Fee" and have no intention of re-joining iosh to participate in limited discussion. Nor will I be participating with the inane drivel on LinkedIn.

I have enjoyed the education, cameraderie and challenge of participation in some often quite lively discussions on these forums yet like many a poster now moved on it is perhaps time to "retire" from public life and leave the young floundering as the past is yet again swept away replaced by the truth of a new order.

Competence involves the acquitstion of knowledge and experience.

I can honestly say these forums through their participants have provided both by the bucket full.

Well if non IOSH members can't use the new forum, it looks like I am posting one of my last messages

I have enjoyed many years on here. I had to change my name once after an IT melt down but have enjoyed many years (hopefully) helping others with my contributions and learning an awful lots from others

It such a shame as many other forums are dead or dying, but hey, that's progress
Good luck on the new site and above all, stay safe you lot  

Team.IOSH

I have just read your post on 19 November at 16:10:28 again.

It now reads so as to include:

“Our next step is to bring all members on board, and eventually open it up to non-members too.” [My bold]

I had replied to your post BEFORE you amended it at 16:40:16.

The amendment is not explained:

"Edited by user 19 November 2025 16:40:16  | Reason: Not specified"

I would note that it is a breach of the Forum Rules not to explain the reason for amending a post. Rule 6.2 states:

6.2 Whenever a post is either edited or deleted the user MUST give a reason for their action. Failure to do so will be treated as a breach of forum rules.

On the basis of what I had posted in reply it is reasonable to assume that I had interpreted your post to mean that it was not the intention to open up these new Forums to non-Members.

This appears to be the interpretation of other regular users of these Forums as well and for some their understanding has been reinforced by what Team.IOSH has had to say on the Members’ Forums on two threads each started on 19 November:

First in reply to a Member’s comments about the issue and posted by Team.IOSH at 14:48:54

Then in a “sticky” thread the nature of which means that it has hardly been spotted by those viewing the Members’ Forums and posted by Team.IOSH at 15:24:07.

So, in each case BEFORE Team.IOSH commented on THIS thread.

In a reply to the thread launched by a Member, Team.IOSH commented:

“At the end of February 2026, we’ll launch a new IOSH online communities platform to keep conversations thriving, and all members will be invited to join.” [My bold]

Now, it appears that it IS the intention to open the new Forums up to non Members, but only “eventually” and in my experience if IOSH say something so lacking in a clear target date, that can mean an indefinite wait.

Further, Team.IOSH has not amended either of its inputs on the Members’ Forums referred to above to confirm that the Forums will be opened up to non-Members.

Instead, a day after amending its input to THIS thread, Team.IOSH made further comment on the thread launched by a Member to comment:

“The decision to close the Forum is not about limiting discussion but a necessary step because the system can no longer be securely supported. We have been working to develop the best-possible solution, including consulting with three of our member communities and we are committed to open discussion and improving member value. The new IOSH online community, which we are aiming to launch in early 2026 will provide a secure, modern space for professional engagement.” [My bold]

The word “member” is used. Not even a hint of intention to open up the new Forums to others.

….and of course, no indication of which so called member communities have been consulted. It would appear that this “consultation” is unlikely to have included regular users of IOSH’s longest standing discussion Forums, i.e. those HERE.

However, please will you please now advise of your SMART target for opening up the new Forums to people who are NOT Members of IOSH.

Finally, please note that I can’t see why anything I have quoted from the Members’ only Forums was not suitable for inclusion in the Public Forums, i.e. should remain have been contained behind closed doors.

Thanks Grim

Please could you share which other platform you use?

It could be about to get rather busier!

P

I, like Grim, have used the Health and Safety for Beginners (HSFB) site for many years and would encourage non- IOSH and IOSH members alike to have a look at the website as an alternative place to chat, discover and learn.

https://www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk/forums/index.php?sid=aa041084044aa9e5214c1e6366891406

Like many other firums, numbers of users has declined a little in recent years and I am sure the site would benefit from any IOSH brain drain as a result of this site's closure.

It is very well managed/moderated and has a really friendly atmosphere with no petty squabbles or egositical battles like you get on some FB Groups. 

Please do pop by and say Hi and maybe we can continue the excellent debates we have previously enjoyed here - but with a spell checker ;)

Struggled even to find the forums today! Thank you google! What a shame, yes like many i have been critical of the lack of moderation on the forums for some time, and the increase of Bots advertising or just posting drivel, but over the years have got some good advice from others on this site. Yes i dont always agree with some, and people have held very strong views that some things i have said are wrong, but that's great it altos us to debate and learn! Looks Like IOSH are taking the easy route out rather than investing time in this area. I am a members so may have access to the new site - but not sure how long my membership will continue. Once again IOSH is demonstrating thats its not really interested in the day to day efforts most of us make. If you not one of the lucky ones sat on the board of a forward thinking company not not relay important to IOSH anymore!

Team.IOSH

Thank you for the clarification, if it was clarification.

Not sure whether you have pronounced the decisions made by senior management or whether some less well paid IOSH staffers have made up some text to try and stem criticism, such is the problem of hiding behind a generic name.

Let’s break it down stage by stage:

1. You comment:

“To clarify, the edit we made to our post on 19 November 2025 at 16:10:28 was a change to the URL from the ‘Get in touch’ page: https://iosh.com/get-involved/membership/changes-to-member-communications/get-in-touch to the ‘Changes in member communications’ page: https://iosh.com/membership/changes-to-member-communications to provide more information on the IOSH forum closure.”

So, as I see it you have changed the link from one that would have been a subsidiary page to the one entitled “MEMBER Communications” to that main page.

2. Next:

“Regarding opening the new online communities platform to non-members, we’re working on plans to make it available. In the meantime, we’ve created a waitlist for non-members to sign up to, to receive updates: https://iosh.com/get-involved/membership/changes-to-member-communications/get-in-touch “

Is it not rather counterintuitive to direct non-members to a page in which the words “membership” and “member-communications” are used but with no reference as to what is on offer to NON-members?

Further, I opened up that page and checked what would happen if I was not a Member.

Two questions

First – “Would you like to receive IOSH’s Connect newsletter?”

Second – “Would you like to receive other IOSH news, industry updates and membership related content?”

Can’t see how either of these questions is remotely about whether a non-member would wish to be invited to sign up to replacement IOSH chat forums.

3. You continue:

On consultation, we have engaged with three member communities as part of the development process, and we welcome feedback from our forum users. We have also published our common questions and answers about the forum closure: https://iosh.com/get-involved/membership/changes-to-member-communications/questions-and-answers

How did you pick the “three member communities” and would they be an appropriate consultation base in terms of the impact on the users of THESE Forums whether Members or not?

Would it not have been appropriate to consult with regular users of the ONLY chat Forums that IOSH operates that have been running for DECADES?

Have you defaulted to only consulting those who are prepared to sign the gagging clause that is included in the Volunteer Code of Behaviour, thereby in effect excluding anyone who might suggest that there is significant room for improvement in how IOSH is run?

Have you planned for a continued exit of long standing Members, probably skewed towards higher grades?

The latest IOSH Annual Report already shows a small year on year drop in Membership numbers and by IOSH's own admission that reflects not only problems with getting new Members but also in retaining those already paying their subscriptions.

This is the first actual drop in total Membership numbers since at least the Financial Year ending 31 March 2016.

So, IOSH continued to see Membership numbers going up, albeit very slowly through e.g. Covid, but it has been increasingly obvious that new recruits have seemingly barely matched those heading for the door.

Thanks Holliday

IOSH has morphed considerably since Allan St John Holt was a torchbearer for the Institution.

....and heroes (of both sexes) have come and gone on these Forums over the years.

Rather suspect that many of those working in the Grange these days will be completely baffled by your last sentence!

....though with a little help from AI they might manage to work out the source.