#232 Introducing BS 30480 Intervention, Prevention And Support For People Affected By Suicide

The topic of suicide is all too often a discussion avoided due to its tragic and uncomfortable nature. However, the reality is that there are 6,000 deaths by suicide in the UK each year, with in excess of 727,000 deaths annually worldwide. 

In recent years there has been more awareness about the topic, with a range of resources targeted to help with the prevention and support of those affected. For businesses seeking further guidance, a new Standard is on the horizon.

In this episode, Ian Battersby is joined by Marcus Long, Chief Executive at IIOA, who shares his inspirational story of working through an unthinkable tragedy and creating a silver lining that aims to tackle the intervention, prevention and support for people affected by suicide.

You’ll learn

·      Who are IIOA?

·      Who is Marcus Long?

·      What was the catalyst behind BS 30480?

·      Who is involved with the development of BS 30480?

·      What does this Standard hope to achieve?

·      How does this Standard compare to other ISO Standards?

·      How will this Standard develop within the next year?

·      The cost of suicide

·      What are the benefits of BS 30480?

·      How can you get involved?

 

Resources

·      Register your interest in BS 30480

·      Contact Marcus Long

·      IIOA

 

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:25] Episode Summary – We invite guest Marcus Long, Chief Executive at IIOA, onto the show to talk about his involvement with the development of BS 30480, a Standard dedicated to the intervention, prevention and support for people affected by suicide.

[01:30] Who are IIOA? The IIOA are the Independent International Organisation for Assurance, which is a trade association for global assurance bodies.

Their members carry out certification to a wide range of ISO Standards, related Standard schemes, product certification and the provision of validation and verification training.

[02:30] Who is Marcus Long? Before becoming the Chief Executive at IIOA, Marcus worked for the national Standards body side of BSI. There he was involved with ISO Standard development and later moved into certification.

He’s had 20 years’ experience within the field of ISO Standards, and spent most of that time pushing the benefits and value of quality infrastructure.

One thing many may not know about Marcus is that he spent 48 hours underwater! While not in one stint, Marcus is an avid scuba diver, and has been taking trips under the waves since 1990, with his cumulative underwater adventures reaching 48 hours total to date.

[05:30] What was the catalyst behind BS 30480? Marcus experienced an unthinkable tragedy in October of 202, when his son Adam took his life at the age of 21. In the following three years, Marcus sought to find some sort of silver lining to give him some peace.

After a while, he turned to look at the industry he worked within, Standards, which is focused on solving problems and finding solutions. Ultimately, it’s aim is to make the world a better place, whether that’s through sustainability, quality or Health & Safety.

So why couldn’t that principle be applied to something as difficult and heartbreaking as suicide.

With that idea in mind, Marcus got talking to some national standards bodies in different countries around the globe, in addition to ISO, to see if the idea could spark some interest.

These discussions reached BSI, who were currently also working on creating a Standards on the topic of menstrual health and menopause in the workplace. Marcus appreciated that they were willing to touch on topics that many shied away from.

[08:50] The conception of BS 30480 – The first steps taken included hosting workshops at the Houses of Parliament in February of 2024. There Marcus brought together a wide range of people with different experiences, and asked them if they thought this Standard was a good idea and gather what how they would like to see something like this work in practice.  

With that encouragement and feedback, Marcus set to work on setting a scope and deciding who should be involved in the development process.

[11:05] Who is involved with the development of BS 30480? As with many ISO’s, the development team are made up of a wide range of people, including people from academia and business owners. Marcus ensured that healthcare specialists and those who’ve assisted in suicide prevention schemes were also included.

All of these individuals had the same passion to help reduce the rate of suicide within the UK.  

[13:10] What does this Standard hope to achieve? The sad reality is that in many instances, it’s a reactive response to suicide.

What Marcus hope BS 30480 can achieve is to encourage the creation of suicide prevention strategies. This turns that reactive response into a proactive one in terms of preventing the worst from happening.

As quoted from the Standard:

“ The aim is to make workplaces more suicide safe, more conducive to suicide prevention, more supportive of those who have been exposed to suicide and more knowledgeable and confident in talking about suicide and taking actions that prevent suicide.”

[15:30] How does this Standard compare to other ISO Standards? This Standard differs from ISO Standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 in the fact that it’s a guidance Standard, so not one that can be certified to.

It provides guidelines and guidance that businesses use, and select the parts that are most relevant to them.

The Standard also includes a number of Appendix’s that provide more practical guidance to help give businesses a clearer idea on how certain elements can be implemented, for example, the creation and deployment of a suicide prevention plan.

So rather than a rigid set of requirements, think of it as a collection of practical ideas and solutions that can aid in the prevention of suicide.

[18:20] How will this Standard develop within the next year? BS 30480 is expected to be published in November 2025, as they’ve just finished the consultation period in August 2025, which was met with a very positive response.

Marcus would love to see this Standard move into the international stage by becoming an ISO, but for now it’s being published as a British Standard.

There are plans to create training and host webinars to spread awareness about the Standard, so keep an eye out on BSI’s socials for more about that!

The standard is set to enter a phased communication strategy:

Phase 1: The launch of the Standard, which has already had some preparation as various other Standard bodies and those involved have been spreading awareness throughout the drafting process.

Phase 2: Public awareness – Marcus and those involved in the creation of BS 30480 will be ramping up public dialogue on what the Standard is about and what it can achieve for people.

Phase 3: Engagement – Actively getting business to engage with dialogue around suicide prevention, as this is a topic that some businesses are scared to even tough. But if we’re to tackle it, it needs to be discussed.

There is scope for this Standard to fit in with the likes of ISO 45001 (Occupational H&S) and ISO 45003 (Mental Health in the workplace).

Marcus also discusses the opportunities for this to help less traditional workplaces such as educational institutions, sports clubs, charities & youth clubs.

[23:30] The cost of suicide:  As much as it seems inappropriate to put a price on suicide, there is more to it that the emotional and societal devastation. A report by The Samaritans suggested that each death by suicide resulted in a cost of £500,000. This is due to related costs for emergency healthcare systems and loss of productivity.

Marcus emphasizes that if we are to get more businesses, Government and local Governments on board, all impacts of suicide need to be discussed in addition to the benefits of suicide prevention.  

While odd to approach it from a cost perspective, it’s more often than not the language that businesses speak. They need to be informed of the investment required in people, time and cost just as much as they need to be aware of the many benefits of effective and proactive suicide prevention.

[26:40] What are the benefits of BS 30480?  The ultimate aim is to make workplaces a safer and better place. This Standard can also provide a means of effectively measuring social value, which is often times a rather nebulous metric to grasp.

This Standard is here to save lives, and its practical guidance can help businesses create a clear path of actions to help those who may suspect that a colleague is in need of help.

[28:25] How can you get involved?  Marcus’ biggest ambition is for BS 30480 to assist with saving lives, but if it’s to achieve it’s main aim, it needs advocates.

Whether from trade associations, other Standards bodies or just from individuals, spread the word and encourage businesses to adopt the guidance provided.

You can register your interest in BS 30480 through BSI’s website, this ensures you get updates on the Standards progress and any training opportunities.

If you’d like learn more about BS 30480, feel free to contact Marcus Long via LinkedIn.

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