Health and Safety directors, arguably, sit at the intersection of the world of CPOs and that of Health and Wellbeing Leaders (for features on their priorities, see here and here) and that position is becoming increasingly critical.
From speaking to them in this feature, one thing is clear: employee health and wellbeing can no longer be treated as a set of disconnected initiatives.
As work becomes more complex, more digital and more fragmented, Health and Safety professionals are being asked not only to prevent physical harm, but to address psychosocial risk, technological change, inequality and burnout — all through the lens of organisational culture.
Here, we explore the key Health and Safety priorities for 2026, drawing on insight from senior practitioners across the profession.
1. Mental health must be embedded into the core of health and safety systems
If there is one area where Health and Safety Leaders most clearly align with CPO priorities, it is this: mental health can no longer sit outside formal safety management systems.
Vanessa Harwood-Whitcher, Chief Executive of IOSH, is unequivocal:
“Psychosocial risks are one of the most pressing challenges workplaces face. We need to embed mental health and wellbeing into every aspect of workplace health and safety management.”
This mirrors what CPOs told us in our earlier feature: that reliance on reactive tools — EAPs, mental health first aiders, crisis interventions — is not enough.
Health and Safety professionals are increasingly advocating for structured, preventative approaches, grounded in recognised frameworks such as ISO 45001 and ISO 45003.
Keith Hole, Managing Partner, AntiroMedia, says:
“You cannot claim to have a safe culture if you are only protecting your employees’ bodies while ignoring their minds. Effectively embedding ISO 45001 and 45003 ensures that wellbeing isn’t just a ‘nice-to-have’—it’s a measured, managed, and protected part of our daily operations.”
Dr Shaun Davis, Chief Adjudicator at the British Safety Council, and Group Safety, Health and Wellbeing Director at Belron, says a key priority for him in 2026 on this front is:
“Continuing to promote the wellbeing agenda across all areas — keeping intersectionality front of mind and committing to supporting the positive mental health of all.”
2. Technology and AI are reshaping risk — and OSH professionals must keep pace
Health and Wellbeing Leaders often focus on how people feel about technology, with Health and Safety leaders increasingly concerned with how fast it is changing risk itself.
Health and Safety specialist Karl Simons OBE, advisor to the UK Government on shaping national policy on digitalisation, AI and occupational health, describes 2026 as the real start of the “autonomous era” of safety management:
“We now have the ability to predict and prevent harm using data, automation and artificial intelligence. AI can analyse trends, surface risks and prompt management intervention in ways we’ve never been able to do before.”
But this opportunity comes with its own risks — ones that strongly echoes CPO concerns about capability and governance (for more on CPO priorities in 2026, see here).
“If OSH professionals aren’t at the table with a good understanding of technology, data and AI, our voice won’t be heard,” Simons says. “We need to upskill ourselves and our teams so we can meaningfully contribute to digital strategy.”
Harwood-Whitcher, IOSH, agrees:
“The rapid adoption of new technologies — from automation to AI — offers opportunities but also introduces unfamiliar risks that require careful oversight.”
Ria Sooknarine, sustainability manager at United Independent Petroleum Marketing Company, highlights the cultural consequences of poorly implemented tech:
“As AI and automation become embedded in everyday work, organisations must proactively assess their impact on workload, autonomy and decision-making. Poor implementation can introduce technostress, cognitive overload and ethical concerns around surveillance.”
This aligns closely with what CPOs told us: technology is no longer just an IT issue — it is a people risk, a culture risk and a leadership risk.
3. Leadership behaviour to prevent harm
Where Health and Wellbeing leaders often talk about compassion and support, Health and Safety leaders frame leadership in terms of risk prevention and system integrity.
Malcolm Staves, Global Vice President of Health & Safety at L’Oréal, describes this as “Visible Felt Leadership”:
“It all starts and ends with management. Leaders must deliver what they commit to — that’s how trust and psychological safety are built.”
This focus on leadership behaviour as a preventative control is similar to CPO commentary we’ve seen in this feature on their priorities — particularly around accountability and tone from the top.
Jimmy Quinn, Health and Safety Director, Curo Construction, puts it bluntly:
“By 2026, psychological safety will be understood as essential to performance, not an optional wellbeing initiative. Cultures that enable people to speak up will prevent harm before it escalates.”
Maria Anderson, Director, Health, Safety and Wellbeing at University of East London, agrees:
“Psychological safety must be a key feature of any wellbeing strategy.”
Hole reinforces the safety implications:
“[Psychological safety] forms the foundation of great safety cultures. People must feel empowered to challenge unsafe behaviours and make suggestions.”
4. Growing inequalities across work types demand tailored safety responses
One area where Health and Safety leaders bring a distinct perspective is on inequality across different forms of work.
Harwood-Whitcher highlights the risks:
“Informal employment and platform-based jobs often leave workers without the protections others take for granted. Young workers and those in hybrid environments face unique risks that demand tailored solutions.”
While Health and Wellbeing leaders often describe inequality in terms of inclusion and belonging, Health and Safety professionals emphasise unequal exposure to harm.
As work fragments further in 2026, this gap is likely to widen unless proactively addressed.
5. Employee involvement is essential — not optional
Employee engagement is a familiar theme across wellbeing and people strategies, but Health and Safety leaders are clear that it’s a practical necessity for strategies to work.
Staves explains:
“It is vital to use the experience and knowledge of our diverse teams and include them in decision-making. Good leadership involves teams in risk management and consults them before important decisions are made.”
Craig Foyle, Chartered Safety & Health Practitioner Director, says that it’s about:
“Motivating leaders to lead by example and be the change.”
This aligns with what CPOs told us about trust and engagement — but with more focus on risk ownership and shared responsibility.
6. A genuinely holistic view of health
Health and Safety leaders increasingly reject the idea that people can neatly separate work from life.
As Staves says:
“People don’t leave their problems at the factory gate. Someone anxious about a sick child will not be themselves at work — and that can create risk. A holistic approach just makes sense.”
This perspective overlaps with Health and Wellbeing Leadership thinking — but Health and Safety professionals talk more in terms of hazard control, distraction risk and decision-making capacity.
7. Job design is emerging as a critical health and safety issue
Finally, Health and Safety leaders increasingly see job design — particularly in a tech-driven world — as central to employee health.
As Anderson says:
“People know they work in a high performance-driven world. So, our job is to create a workplace that builds resilience in a supportive, compassionate way. The workload is not going to disappear, the work pressure will always be there. This means clear expectations, healthier ways of working, and a culture that helps people handle change without burning out. When people feel supported as humans, they can do their best work, even in a fast, chaotic world.”
Quinn adds:
“Chronic overload, constant urgency and unclear expectations are now primary drivers of burnout. In 2026, organisations that actively manage workload and pace will see better wellbeing and performance.”
This aligns strongly with senior people leaders’ calls to move from individual resilience to sustainable systems and culture.
In summary…
While there are many overlaps with Health and Wellbeing Leaders and CPOs in terms of priorities, Health and Safety professionals are the system thinkers, focused most on translating good intentions into actual reduction of risk and harm.
In 2026, their priorities make one thing clear: health, safety, wellbeing and culture are no longer separate conversations to them — they are the same conversation, seen from different angles.
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