Partnership for European Research in Occupational Safety and Health (PEROSH) - Celebrating 20 years of collaboration

In September 2023, researchers and research directors from the Partnership for European Research in Occupational Safety and Health (PEROSH) convene at its conference in Stockholm. The conference marks the 20th anniversary of European collaboration. PEROSH is comprised of 14 research institutes from 13 European countries: the Austrian Social Insurance for Occupational Risks (AUVA), the (German) Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), the (Polish) Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute (CIOP-PIB), the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH), the (UK) Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Italian Workers Compensation Authority (INAIL), the (German) Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (IFA), the (French) National Institute of Occupational Research and Risk Prevention (INRS), the (Spanish) National Institute of Safety and Health at Work (INSST), the (Danish) National Research Centre for the Working Environment (NFA), the Swedish Agency for Work Environment Expertise (SAWEE), the (Norwegian) National Institute of Occupational Health (STAMI), the (Dutch) Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), and the (Swiss) Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté). Together, PEROSH`s member institutes comprise more than 2000 occupational safety and health (OSH) experts and provide a significant research contribution to OSH research in Europe and globally. In a study of six OSH networks from different parts of the world, the International Labor Organization (ILO) identified that PEROSH had “strong national and regional policy impact” and profiled the partnership in detail (1, 2). The history of PEROSH The establishment of PEROSH was inspired by the continued relevance of the international “Sheffield Group”, an informal network of directors general of national OSH research institutes across the globe. The network first met in 1989 at the laboratory of the HSE (at that time based in Sheffield). Its members span four continents: North America (IRSST – Canada and NIOSH – USA); Oceania (NIOH –New Zealand), Asia (IIOSH – Israel, JNIOSH – Japan, KOSHA – South Korea and WSHI – Singapore), and Europe. The institutes host annual meetings on a rotating basis. After the turn of the millennium, European members realized the need to address OSH transnational issues at the European level. National institutes for OSH research in Europe play a distinctive role in identifying salient or emerging OSH issu