Teaching and learning
Our education provision includes postgraduate units and continuing professional development.
Accidents and outbreaks of occupational ill health occur in the workplace and lead to significant unplanned downtime, cost increases, and potential prosecution.
To ensure the Institute's research and expertise are widely shared, research programmes are being established alongside the development of training modules and tools for leaders in Health and Safety.
The Institute is developing a new Occupational Safety and Health programme for engineering disciplines, aligned with NEBOSH standards to ensure globally recognised, industry-relevant training.
BEng/MEng Civil Engineering
The Thomas Ashton Institute supports UoM’s Civil Engineering degrees through expert input in resilience, risk, and safety, offering students real-world insights.
MSc Construction and Engineering Project Management
The Thomas Ashton Institute supports UoM’s MSc in Construction Project Management with expertise in safety, risk and sustainability, shaping future leaders in the built environment.
The Thomas Ashton Institute's Lunch & Learn Series provides a forum for researchers, practitioners, policymakers and industry partners to explore current challenges in workplace health, safety and regulation.
Designed to be accessible, practical and engaging, the series showcases research, innovation and real-world applications from across the Institute's networks and wider community. Sessions are delivered online and are open to colleagues from academia, government, industry and the third sector.
Whether you're interested in emerging technologies, occupational health, safety leadership, risk regulation or knowledge exchange, the Lunch & Learn Series offers an opportunity to hear from experts, exchange ideas and build new connections.
Recent Session
Violence and Aggression in Retail
Our inaugural Lunch & Learn explored violence and aggression in the retail sector, highlighting research-led approaches to understanding and addressing these challenges. The session demonstrated how evidence can be translated into practical guidance and support for organisations and workers.
🎥 Watch the first session: Why Violence Against Retail Workers Is Rising
Upcoming Sessions
We are currently planning future Lunch & Learn events, including:
- AI and Robotics in Construction Health and Safety (11 November 2026, registration opening soon)
- Developing a Web Application for Process Safety Insights (9 December 2026, registration open)
- Safety Leadership (date to be confirmed)
Additional topics will be announced throughout the year.
Get Involved
We welcome proposals from researchers, practitioners and partner organisations who would like to share their work through a future Lunch & Learn session.
If you would like to suggest a topic or deliver a presentation, please contact ashton@manchester.ac.uk with:
- A proposed title
- A short summary of the session
- Speaker details
- Any preferred timing or audience information
We are particularly interested in sessions that showcase interdisciplinary research, policy impact, innovation, lessons learned from practice, and emerging challenges in workplace health, safety and regulation.
Looking for more learning opportunities?
We also encourage colleagues to explore the SALIENT Lunch & Learn Webinar Series, which showcases research and practical insights on security and resilience topics from across academia, government and industry.