Introduction to BS 30480: Suicide and the Workplace – Intervention, Prevention and Support for People Affected by Suicide – Guide

Almost every workplace is touched by suicide at some point, whether through colleagues, clients, contractors, or communities. Yet many organizations still feel unsure how to respond, how to plan ahead, or how to support people affected.

This important free webinar introduces BS 30480, the UK’s first dedicated workplace standard to help organizations of all sizes plan for, respond to and support people when suicide impacts their workplace.

You’ll hear directly from those who helped shape the standard, alongside organizations already putting it into practice. Whether you're responsible for people, culture, safety, compliance, or well‑being, this webinar gives you the clarity and confidence to take meaningful, responsible action.

Most importantly, you’ll understand how BS 30480 helps you create safer, more supportive working environments - reducing risk, strengthening trust and embedding a supportive workplace culture’  across your organization.

Webinar details

• Date: Thursday 12 March 2026
• Time: 10:00-11:30am (GMT)
• Location: Online

By attending, you'll learn:

• How BS 30480 aligns with the UK’s suicide prevention strategy and why workplaces play a critical role.
• What the standard covers, from intervention processes and support for those affected.
• The tangible benefits for your organization, including reduced absenteeism, improved retention and stronger ESG alignment.
• How you can apply the standard flexibly, whether you're starting from scratch or enhancing existing frameworks.
• Practical tips from early adopters – both a large corporate and an SME perspective - on what works, what to measure and how to build momentum.
• Where to begin, who to involve and how to embed long‑term cultural change.

Agenda

10:00 - 10:05: Introduction and welcome, Lachean Humphries, Lead Standards Development Manager, BSI

10:05 - 10:20: Government perspective and the case for BS 30480, Liz Twist MP, Labour MP for Blaydon and Consett

• How BS 30480 aligns with the UK’s suicide prevention strategy and mental health policy
• Existing policy and legal obligations and how does BS 30480 fit in
• Why workplaces should be involved in suicide / the cost of inaction

10:20 - 10:35: An overview of BS 30480 - Ezra Hewing, Head of Education, Suffolk Mind

• What BS 30480 covers
• Tangible benefits (reduced absenteeism, improved retention, compliance with ESG goals)
• How it can be used by organisations (implement some or all, start from scratch or use it as a checklist etc)
• Getting started with BS 30480 (Who should be involved, where to start with the standard)

10:35 - 10:55: Adoption stories and tips (including recommendations on what to measure)

• 10 mins Lisa Ward, Head of Health and Wellbeing, Heathrow
• 10 mins Marie Greenhalgh, Relationships Director, Inclusion Education

10:55 - 11:15: Q&A with all speakers and Lachean to moderate 

11:15 - 11:20: Close Lachean Humphries, Lead Standards Development Manager, BSI

Speakers

Lachean Humphreys

Lead Standards Development Manager, BSI

Lachean Humphreys is Lead Standards Development Manager at the British Standards Institution (BSI). She coordinates national and international experts to develop standards related to health and safety at work, including mental health, working from home, menopause and menstrual health, health and safety risks arising from climate change, and most recently, suicide and the workplace.

Ezra Hewing

Head of Education, Mind (Suffolk)

Ezra Hewing is Head of Education at the Suffolk branch of Mind. As a trainer and psychotherapist, he heads the UK’s leading workplace wellbeing team, training frontline mental health workers, doctors, nurses, substance abuse workers, emergency service workers and heads of organisations, amongst others, in how to meet emotional needs in the workplace – an essential factor in suicide prevention. 

He holds postgraduate qualifications in Human Givens psychotherapy and an MSc in the psychology and neuroscience of mental health from King’s College, London, where he researched REM sleep and mental ill health, with a focus on the symptoms of schizophrenia.

 

Liz Twist

Member of Parliament for Blaydon and Consett

Liz Twist is the Member of Parliament for Blaydon and Consett and was elected in 2017. Her maiden speech in Parliament was focussed on the need to do more for mental health and suicide prevention. She is chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention and works with charities across this field for further support in businesses and communities

 

Marie Greenhalgh

Relationships Director at Inclusion Education

Marie Greenhalgh is the Relationships Director at Inclusion Education, with over 16 years’ experience developing programmes and educational provision for young people with mental health needs and neurodiversity, Marie is dedicated to creating environments where every young person feels seen, supported, and able to thrive. 

She is the coauthor of All the Things They Never Told You About Teaching: Facilitating Sensitive Conversations with Our Learners and Supporting Bereaved Children in the Primary Classroom, both published by Routledge. Alongside her work in education, Marie is a Community Ambassador for Winston’s Wish and a monthly columnist for Fusion Magazine UK, where she champions conversations around grief, neurodiversity, and mental health. 

Passionate about diversity, inclusion, wellbeing, and challenging the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide, Marie brings both professional expertise and lived commitment to her work. She is proud to contribute to the national conversation on suicide prevention, including through her involvement with the BSI standard BS 30480.