Heritage Timeline
1917 - Pedestrians face oncoming traffic
The first campaign by RoSPA's founders, the London "Safety First" Council, was to change the pedestrian rule so that walkers faced oncoming traffic.
Fatal accidents caused by pedestrians stepping into the path of vehicles fell by 70 per cent in the first year.
Read more about RoSPA's early years
1924 - Highway code (Government version in 1931)
Half a million copies of a safety code for road users were published. The first Highway Code produced by the Government did not come out until 1931.
1933 - Analysis of causes of accidents
Analysis of the causes of road accidents began after pressure from RoSPA on the Government.
1942 - Kerb drill
RoSPA devised the kerb drill for children. This lasted for decades until the Green Cross Code was developed.
1945 - Safety standards for fireguards
Safety standards for fireguards were developed with the British Standards Institution.
1947 - Cycling Proficiency Scheme
The Cycling Proficiency Scheme was launched.
In 1958 it became a national scheme at the request of the Government. 100,000 children a year were trained.
1953 - IOSH born out of RoSPA membership
The industrial safety officers section of the Society became an independent body called the Institution of Industrial Safety Officers, now known better as IOSH.
Visit the IOSH website
Click here to find out more about RoSPA membership
1956 - Occupational awards scheme launched
RoSPA's occupational awards scheme was launched and is still running today with around 1,700 entrants each year.
Read more about our occupational awards scheme
1961 - Tufty Club launched
The Tufty Club was launched and in the decades that followed attracted more than 10,000 affiliated clubs with millions of members. Princess Michael of Kent became its first president in 1979.
1964 - Drink-drive campaign
RoSPA began to campaign for drink-drive legislation. This was subsequently enacted in 1967.
Now RoSPA is campaigning for a reduction in the drink-drive limit from 80 to 50 milligrammes.
Read our advice against drinking and driving
1975 - Improved standards for glass in the home
RoSPA and the Safety Glazing Association made joint efforts to improve controls on glass in the home. Improved standards subsequently reduced the number of falls through glass doors and windows which led to serious injury.
Glass in furniture such as coffee tables is also now made of safety glass.
1980 - Wheelchair Proficiency Scheme
The Wheelchair Proficiency Scheme was developed to mark the International Year of Disabled People.
It was designed to give wheelchair users more independence and confidence out of doors.
1981 - Compulsory seatbelts law
RoSPA's president, Lord Nugent secured compulsory wearing of seatbelts with a late amendment to a Transport Bill.
The law is estimated to have saved 60,000 lives to date.
Read our advice on the use of seatbelts
Read "How belting up became law"
1985 - Training for minibus drivers
It became clear that guidance and training was needed for thousands of minibus drivers as the vehicle grew in popularity.
RoSPA developed it and published it and revised guidance is still used today.
1987 - Campaign for safer foam furnishings
The campaign for safer foam furnishings began to bear fruit. In the years which followed fire deaths plummeted as people replaced old sofas with safer models.
Hundreds of lives have been saved.
1991 - Fitted plugs legislation
A five-year campaign by RoSPA finally persuaded the Government to make it mandatory for all domestic appliances to be sold with fitted plugs.
This removed an electrocution and fire risk as people no longer had to work out which wire went where in the plug.
1992 - Quality Safety Audits (QSA)
The innovative Quality Safety Audit was introduced for employers.
Over the years it has undergone various developments which keep it relevant to the workplace today.
Visit the QSA section of the website
1994 - RoSPA/City & Guilds home safety training
RoSPA/City & Guilds home safety training was developed, the first course of its kind with this accreditation.
It proved popular with home safety professionals and emergency services personnel. Updated versions are still in use today.
1996 - Management of Occupational Road Risk (MORR)
RoSPA published its first ideas on the Management of Occupational Road Risk (MORR).
This has subsequently developed into a mainstream health and safety issue for all employers. Details of work-related road accidents are now collected by police.
Visit the MORR™ section of the website
1998 - RoSPA begins a LASER scheme
Learning About Safety by Experiencing Risk (LASER) was becoming popular with many schemes all over the country, some called Junior Citizen or Crucial Crew.
RoSPA began a scheme to evaluate all such schemes with funding from the Department of Health.
1999 - Hand-held mobile bill
RoSPA's president Lord Davies of Oldham introduced a Bill in the House of Lords to ban the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving.
Although the Bill failed it raised the profile of the problem and legislation was finally achieved in 2003.
Read our advice on mobile phone use in cars
2001 - DTI Modernisation Fund
The Department of Trade and Industry enabled RoSPA to expand home safety work with a large modernisation grant of £2.6m, the majority of which was distributed to 74 community-based home safety projects across the UK from 2001-2004.
A further £600,000 was subsequently made available to local home safety projects through a scheme administered by RoSPA for the DTI.
2003 - Child Car Seats website launched
The child car seats website launched by RoSPA, with funding from the Department for Transport, was an immediate success and continues to provide parents with vital information about keeping their children safe.
Visit the Child Car Seats website
2005 - RoSPA Driver Profiler
Driver Profiler, a RoSPA online risk assessment tool which allows bosses to measure the strengths and weaknesses of their employees' driving without leaving the workplace, won a British Safety Industry Federation product innovation award.
Find out more about Driver Profiler
National Water Safety Forum
Originating from RoSPA, established the UK’s first comprehensive water accident and incident database (WAID)
2006 - RoSPA begins injury database
RoSPA began its injury database project to press for the renewed collection of accident causation statistics through hospitals.
By 2009 the feasibility report had led to a pilot project being run through the South West Public Health Observatory. It is hoped that a more comprehensive system will be started soon.
2008 - Child Safety Education Coalition (CSEC)
The Child Safety Education Coalition was established with funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (now Department for Education) to promote high quality practical safety education out of school.
2009 - Safe At Home scheme established
The Safe At Home scheme was established to fit safety equipment into homes in the 141 most deprived wards in England.
It also involved home safety training for thousands of professionals working with children. Funding was provided by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (now Department for Education).
2010 - Thermostatic Mixing Valves (TMVs)
An amendment to the Building Regulations means that all new-build homes across England and Wales will have thermostatic mixing valves fitted to baths to limit the temperature of the water to 48°C.
2015 - RoSPA Qualifications
RoSPA becomes a UK awarding organisation (AO) for safer people handling qualifications, officially recognised by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual).
2017 - RoSPA Centenary Royal Garden Party
Nearly 3,500 guests from across the RoSPA family attended Buckingham Palace to mark 100 years of life-saving achievements.
2020 - Home: Safer by design
With the support of major housebuilders and housing associations RoSPA launched a framework to reduce serious accidental injuries in new-build homes.
2022 - Safer Stairs
The Government agreed to consult on mandatory compliance with BS5395 through Building Regulations, reducing the risk of falls on stairs by 60%.
2023 - Revocation (REUL) Bill
RoSPA’s successful Westminster campaign to drop much of its REUL Bill gained 500 corporate supporters. The bill could have revoked 400 pieces of safety legislation.
2024 - National Accident Prevention Strategy
RoSPA launches a groundbreaking report Safer Lives, Stronger Nation: Our Call for an National Accident Prevention Strategy,