The health and safety profession is entering a new era, one defined by change, innovation and opportunity.

As new technologies, working patterns and global challenges reshape the world of work, the ability to adapt and lead through uncertainty has never been more important.

Join us at Safety, Health & Wellbeing Live Manchester and take part in content designed to give you practical tools, fresh perspectives and tangible takeaways to strengthen your safety strategy and confidently face the challenges ahead.

REGISTER (opens in a new tab)

 

PROGRAMME

NEW STREAMS FOR 2026

Wellbeing 2.0  

While mental health awareness has increased, statistics suggest more workers are being signed off with anxiety, depression and burn out. The profession has reached a stage of saturation when it comes to wellbeing – fruit bowls, smoothies and office yoga suggest a hollow tick-box approach, now is the time for pro-active, robust frameworks that treats health like safety.  
  
At SHWL Manchester you’ll find content that challenges what’s gone before; speakers, panels and case studies that move the dial on mental health management in the workplace. How does data make those difficult conversations slightly easier? How can we spot the subtle signs of anxiety among our employees? And how can we collaborate with HR to ultimately reduce staff absence.  

SESSION SPOTLIGHT: Marcus Long, Chief Executive at the IIOA discusses BS 30480, a new standard on suicide awareness in the workplace.

The new risks 

The world is changing, society is changing, the environment is changing, people are changing - the risks are changing.  
  
Is the profession ready for the impact of extreme weather; flash flooding and violent winds; extreme heat and freezing temperatures.   
  
Is the profession ready for a change in human factors, a less-tolerant public and a frazzled workforce.  

 Attend Manchester to find out what we’re facing and how we can prepare. 

SESSION SPOTLIGHT: Matt Hall, Associate Director of Health, Safety and Working Environment at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, discusses frontline worker safety in the NHS. 

Yes, but what’s the ROI? 

Today, the modern safety professional has the ear of the CEO as the c-suite recognises health and safety as a business case.  


However, it means justifying a new safety initiative or product to the financial director requires a business case and a return on investment.   

Learn from those professionals who have implemented new systems and seen a tangible ROI while keeping workers safe.     
 
SESSION SPOTLIGHT: Hear from Karen Hewitt at Leaderlike on the power of storytelling as a communication tool in the boardroom.

AI, data and adoption 

Technology continues to develop at such a rate it can be tricky to keep up. However, the last 12 months have seen a significant growth in big data, automation and artificial intelligence.  
  
Tech, in particular AI, is now a cornerstone of safety management. It’s not going anywhere and failure to adopt will leave many behind.   
  
In Manchester, join conversations that go beyond the existential and embrace practical application – how can we use technology to make people safe? 
 
SESSION SPOTLIGHT: Hear from Karl Simons OBE as he discusses his work with FYLD, an AI-powered fieldwork execution programme, and how AI technology can enhance safety. 

The future profession  

We continue to debate the skills shortage in the safety profession, hand wringing as we view the widening gap between new talent and retiring knowledge.  
  
It’s time to accept the statistics and find out what’s happening. In Manchester, hear from those coming through and the challenges they face and the changes we can make.   

Perhaps it’s time to shout more about the leaders - professionals who sit on the board and influence strategy. How do incoming safety leaders prepare for this transition? At SHWL learn about the soft skills needed to make this leap – how to influence, communicate smartly and make a difference beyond the risk assessment.  
 

SESSION SPOTLIGHT: Hear from Keith Hole on stakeholder engagement through Johari’s window, a psychological model for improving self-awareness and understanding relationships. 

Legislation, regulation and compliance  

Legislation is the bedrock of the profession and staying compliant the bedrock of any professional. Applying complex legal requirements into the workplace requires a knowledge of new and upcoming regulation.   
  
At Manchester hear from expert health and safety lawyers who understand that the key to new safety legislation is in its application; and learn about the Building Safety Act, Martyn’s Law and how to protect yourself legally in the AI revolution keeping you ahead of the compliance curve.  

 
SESSION SPOTLIGHT: Hear from health and safety barrister Laura Thomas on internal incident investigations.