UEL launches pioneering safety and health initiative

Held at UEL’s Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability (RDCS), the event brought together senior representatives from multinational corporations, academia and government, signalling a powerful new collaboration aimed at driving innovation in occupational health and safety across high-risk sectors.

SOSH-RC is designed to bridge the gap between academic research and industry needs, offering practical, sustainable solutions to some of the most pressing safety and well-being challenges in workplaces around the world. With a balanced membership model - 40 per cent from academia, 40 per cent from industry, and 20 per cent from regulatory or government bodies - the group aims to ensure research outputs are rigorous, relevant, and ready for real-world application.

The group will be jointly led by Dr Andrew Arewa, Postgraduate Research Degrees Lead at UEL’s School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering (ACE), and Dr Ismaeel Husain, Vice President of Health, Safety and Environment at Bapco Energies in Bahrain. Together, their expertise spans both theoretical research and frontline Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) leadership.

Attendees at the inaugural meeting included senior HSE figures from Shell, Baker Hughes, Occidental of Oman, Petrobras, Atkins Realis UK and NHS trusts, among others - underscoring the global scale and ambition of the group.

Dr Seyed Ali Ghorashi, Director of Impact and Innovation at the School of ACE, was also present and played a key role in supporting the initiative’s launch.

Speaking of the initiative, Dr Ghorashi said,

This is a timely and essential step forward in shaping a more sustainable and safer future for workers in high-risk industries. The diversity of voices at the table - academic, industrial and regulatory - gives this group real power to influence both policy and practice.”

The University also extended thanks to its Board of Trustees, the School of ACE, and all those who contributed behind the scenes to bringing the research group to life.

Dr Arewa said, “This launch marks the beginning of a transformative journey. By working together across sectors, we can address long-standing issues in workplace safety with sustainable, innovative solutions.”

SOSH-RC Board of Trustees and attendance at the inaugural meeting

• Dr Andrew Arewa - PGR Lead, School of ACE, UEL
• Olav Skar - Director of HSSE Shell Development Company in Europe
• Lamberto Nonno - Global HSE Director, Governance and Customer Excellence - OFSE · Baker Hughes, USA
• Dr Seyed Ali Ghorashi - Director of Impact and Innovation, ACE UEL
• Ismaeel Husain - Vice President, HSE Bapco Energy, Bahrain
• Angelo Sartori Neto – Director of Health, Environment and Safety, Petróleo Brasileiro SA, Brazil.
• Al Ajmi, Hassan Ali - Vice President of Health, Environment and Safety at Occidental of Oman Inc.
• Dr Nitish Chooramun- School of ACE, UEL.
• Lee Brown - Department of Allied and Public Health.
• Onyekachi S Kanu - NHS GP and Occupational health specialist, NHS Warwickshire.
• Olatoye Oluwafemi George - Research UEL.
• Stephen Theophilus - University of Greenwich, London.
• Augustine Ifelebuegu - Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Victoria University.
• Victor Ohize - NHS GP and Occupational Health Specialist, NHS Kent.
• Afroza Rahman - Research UEL.
• Binta Briella Ade-Olusile – Research UEL.
• Kat Perry - Director of HSE Atkins Realis UK.
• Nwankwo Chizaram - Senior Human Factors Consultant · Integrated Human Factors Scotland.
• Laurent Arnulf - Group Medical Director, Medical Services Europe, Middle East, Africa, at International SOS