FEATURE YOUR SAFE SPACE


Safety, Health & Wellbeing Live Manchester 2026 takes place at Manchester Central from 10 – 11 February. With more than 125 exhibitors, five Training Zones and over 40 hours of content, it’s not to be missed.


The world of work is evolving faster than ever, and with it the role of the health and safety professional. From climate extremes and shifting workforce expectations to digital transformation and new legal frameworks, the modern safety function must now lead through uncertainty rather than simply enforce compliance.


Safety, Health & Wellbeing Live (SHWL) Manchester 2026 arrives at a critical moment for a profession facing rising complexity and increasing scrutiny. Designed to provide practical tools and forward-thinking insight, the event offers two days of keynotes, panels, and case-study learning focused on helping safety leaders strengthen strategy, demonstrate value, and adapt to a rapidly changing world.


TECHNOLOGY, AI AND THE DIGITAL LEAP


Artificial intelligence and big data are transforming how organisation’s predict, assess and manage risk. For many, the challenge is no longer understanding the potential of AI, but understanding how to implement and govern it.


The session, An AI Revolution?, led by Karl Simons OBE, will explore how AI is reshaping safety management – from predictive modelling and automated monitoring to human-machine collaboration. A complementary session facilitated by MAKE UK will focus on AI in manufacturing, demonstrating real-world examples of AI delivering measurable improvements in safety performance and operational productivity.


Elsewhere, Storytelling Through Data will examine how safety leaders can translate complex data into compelling narratives that engage boards and frontline teams alike. Taken together, these sessions signal a profession moving decisively from reactive compliance to proactive prevention.


WELLBEING 2.0: MOVING BEYOND AWARENESS


While awareness of mental health has grown, workplace stress, burnout and anxiety continue to rise. Many


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Alongside this, a dedicated session on Suicide Awareness in the Workplace will examine the new British Standard, discussing how it aligns with ISO 45001 and 45003 and how it can be used to build safer, more compassionate cultures.


CHANGING THE SAFETY CONVERSATION


Despite progress, the perception persists that safety professionals are rule enforcers rather than strategic partners. The interactive session Changing the Safety Conversation brings four influential voices together to challenge that stereotype and explore how to build credibility, influence leadership more effectively, and connect safety to performance and productivity.


The session concludes with an audience-led panel designed to surface real-world challenges and share practical solutions.


THE NEW RISKS: CLIMATE, CULTURE AND SOCIETY


The global environment and social landscape are shifting, and with them the risk profile organisations must manage. Extreme weather, environmental instability, and a more fatigued, less tolerant workforce are generating new pressures for safety leaders.


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organisations are realising that wellbeing initiatives are most effective when embedded within structured systems – not as standalone gestures.


Under the event’s Wellbeing 2.0 theme, speakers, panels and case studies will tackle the practical side of wellbeing management: how to use data to support difficult conversations, how HR and safety collaboration can reduce absence, and how to create cultures where mental health is openly addressed.


In Mental Health and Wellbeing – The Legal Landscape and Global Lessons, Emma Evans, Partner at Bexley Beaumont, will explore the legal responsibilities shaping mental health policy and the commercial drivers behind stronger wellbeing governance.


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